The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-23
MRS. DAVIS To THE SOUTH.
Her Reasons for Preferring Richmond
as the Final Resting Place for
Her Husbands Ashes.

neT REASONS lOf fre1erflng hlcnmOnu
as the Final Resting Place for
Her Husbands Ashes.
Following is the text of Mrs Davis's
letter choosing Richmond as the final
resting place of her husband.
To the Veterans and People of the
Southern States:
After much anxious thought I have
finally decided to give to Virginia the
care of my husbands mortal body,
and feel that my reasons should be
made public, as he was in many senses
the property of the whole country.
Immediately after the death of ex-
President Jefferson Davis, Louisiana
expressed her desire to keep his hal
lowed remains for all time, but she
claimed only the right to guard him
until some permanent place could be
selected for his rest.
The military organizations of New
Orleans bore him with filial grief and
splendid pageant to the tomb Of the
Army of Nothern Virginia, where
they have guarded him by night and
day for eighteen months, and the
gratitude of my children and myself
is too great for words.
l asked a year for consideration
and consultation with my family.
Eighteen months have nearly expired,
and feel that the matter should be
decided and set to rest now.
Mississippi claimed preference be-
cause Mr.. Davis belonged to her by
right of the seventy-nine years resi-
dence within her borders, and the sixty
years of service to the state of his
adoption, during which she conferred
upon him unsolicited, every Office in
her gift, save one. As her citizen,
comrade in arms, congressional repre-
sentative, senator, chief,
and president, she felt hers to be the
first claim.
Tennessee urged that in her state
after the war he had found occupation,
home, and troops of friends, and there
his dead had been buried.
Alabama remembered that within
her borders he was elected president
of the Confederate States there he
had been the inaugurated ; that Mont
gomery had been the first capital, and
that from her lips had issued the frs
general invitation to break the silence
which he had observed since our de
feat that she had received him with
such enthusiasm as has been mani
tested to conquerers, but was neve
before accorded to a disfranchiseC
citizen, powerless to give aid or confe
favors.
| Georgia claimed him and has con
stantly renewed the request becaus
his father had long been citizel
of the state. There the ex-presiden
had received the same royal welcom
which Alabama had extended; ant
lastly she pleaded her great love 70
him as a reason for granting the re
quest.
: Kentucky expressed her pride il
being the state of his birth and urge
her claims.
/ Virginia asked for his remains be
cause the most strenuous efforts of hi
life had been made upon her soil an
in defense of Richmond as the capita
of the Confederate States. At shor
intervals throughout the last eighteel
:, months she has renewed her tende
insistence that he should rest anon
the heroic dead of all the states VIII
, died in defense of the Confederacy. Sh
urged the fact that he did not in tn
, fullness of his fame belong exclusivel
to any part Of the country. Ever
hillside about Richmond would tel
of the valorous resistance which h
initiated and directed with tireles
. vigilance as chief magistrate, that ther
he received generous and unwaverin
support in the darkest hour of ou
: unfortunate country's defeat.
:, All these claims have touched m
3 heart, and contend together for tn
. mastery. 1t has been hard to Civ
up the hope of dwelling near my hus
bands resting place in Mississippi
where my home and interests are, br
/, unfortunately, Beauyoir is on the Goa:
of the Mexican gulf and on penir
sula very little over a mile wide, an
the half mile of shallow water in from
covered with submerged stumps {
large trees, shows that the sea has bee
,, steadily encroaching on the shore fc
many years. I feel, therefore, ths
as the monument is for time, it woul
not be wise to place it there, and
l submit to the personal sacrifice wit
: the hope that the states of the Con
federacy will also relinquish the
) cherished plans for the sake of graf
,, tying the majority of the veterans VIII
1 have written countless letters to IN
from each of the before-mentione
states, to urge Richmond as the prope
place for the grave of him who love
them all and labored for their glor
I, with all his might during the he;
l andburthen of the days granted to hi'
here. Your countrywoman,
VARINA JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Nez0 York Hotel, July II, 1891.