The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-03-19
PORTR Its OF GREAT MEN.
The Great Struggle From the Southern
Standpoint-Mr. Davis Character
as Man and a Leader.

The Great Struggle From the Southern
Standpoint-Mr. Davis Character
as Man and Leader.
Belford Company, Of New York
have just issued Jefferson Davis, Ex'
president of the Confederate States
A Memoir, by His Wife," in two large
octave volumes Of more than I,6oc
pages, literally illustrated. For a coli
siderable time Mr.. Davis had medi-
tated a biographical work which should
not only give to the world the salient
facts OF his personal history, but should
also include his public acts both under
the Federal Government and under
the Confederacy, as we'll as his cores
pondence, documents, relations with
the celebrated personages of the coun-
try, and the beliefs and principles
which guided him as the President oi
the seeding States during the foul
years struggle. After he had collect.
ed vast quantity of memoranda and
had written many important sections
but before he had arranged any por'
ton of his work as he intended, he
was suddenly cut off by death. Hi:
wife, however, had, during her many
years of close union with him, become
SO thoroughly acquainted with hi:
whole history, his ideas, and aims, and
had aided him 50 far in the projected
work, that she was enabled to take uI
the pen where her husband had drop
ped it and continue the volumes tc
completion.
The book is written with candor,
earnestness, and force; with a desire
to avoid offense, and yet with rigid
insstance upon fact; unsparing, and
yet without bias. 1t is, in reality, the
first authentic voice with which the
South has yet spoken-the voice of its
leader, claiming to be heard and
judged as he was, and for what he did;
to receive the verdict of to-day and of
posterity. Whatever opinions may be
held upon the principles involved,
there can be no question of the perfect
fairness, earnestness, and scrupulous
justice of these marvellous volumes.
"As to the plan of the work." says
Mrs. Davis, Vol. l., p. 2, 81 shall en-
deavor, as far as possible, to make the
book an autobiography-to tell the
story of my husbands life in his own
words; to complete the task he left un-
finished
Speaking of his boyhood and an
cestry, Mr.. Davis says, Vol. l., p. S:
"My parents lived near Augusta,
Ca, where they had farm, on which
they resided until after the birth of
several children, when they moved to
what was then known as the Green
River country, in the southwestern
part of Kentucky. There my father
engaged in tobacco-planting and rails
ing blooded horses, of which he had
some of the finest in the country.
The following anecdote of Senator
David R. Atchison is in Mr.. Davis's
own words, Vol. l., p. IS.
"Among my college mates in
Pennsylvania was a tall country boy,
e-hearted and honest, with many
virtues, but without grace or tact.
The sight of him always seemed to
suggest to Mr.. Bishop the question of
the Catechism, who made ye, Dau
vid?' to which Atchison always an
swered, 'Gaud,' and Mr.. Bishop inva
riably responded, Quite right, David;
quite right. l left him in the college
when l went to West Point, and after
wards, when l met him in the United
Stares Senate, in which he was one of
the Senators from Missouri, my first
greeting was, who made ye, Dauvid9' -
Mr.. Davis thus speaks of his career
at West Point, Vol. l., p. 81:
81 passed my examination for ad-
mission at the senior class, and as it
was So long ago may say that l had
taken an honor, when l received intel
ligence of the death of my father. He
died on July 4, 1874, at the age OF
sixty-eight."
A fellow cadet thus speaks of Cadet
DAVIS, Vol. l., p. 81:
jefferson Davis was distinguished
in the corps for his manly bearing, his
high-toned and lofty character. His
figure was very soldier-like and rather
robust; his step springy, resembling
the tread of an Indian brave on the
war path"
The story of Mr.. Davis's career as a
soldier in the Indian wars ofthe period
is full of interest. On one occasion
it was only his quickness and fertility
of resource that saved himself and par