The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-06-11
A MONUMENT no JEFF DAVIS.

erect National monument in memory of
JEFF Davis The Kansas City Times sup
ports this movement in the following re-
marllable editorial
TO A BRAVE AMERICAN.
Monuments are yet unbuilt whose enduring
marble is TO carry down the story that America
houors her great dead. One OF them belongs TO
the memory Of Jefferson Davis.
II Is more than 30 years since the battle OF Buena
vista where a Young Mississippi Colonel saved
the day by such gallautry aud skill as draw ad-
mirntiou from friend aud foe. IL i just ~ years
since brilliant senator became Chairman oil the
Committee Oh Military Affairs and entered career
thick with honors and usefulness, II Is 80 years
since, borne by The cherished convictions OF MS
life an orator and statesman went with his state
out ola Union la which opposing Interest jus'iued'
ms lac believed, withdrawal.
tits 9Oyears since George Cabot, Judge Pickering,
Senator Adams Judge Parsons and Fisher Ames
thought that New England ought 10 secede and
offered an alliance TO Aaron Burr II he could take
New York out when the time came. II is - years
since New England had about ripened the project
OF Secession again aud was prevented only by the
successful termination Of the war with England
The only argument 81 the New England federAiists
Of $500 SO4 was That the country was drifting To
Government by universal suffrage and that they
would not trust the lower classes, la $50 There
was the excuse Of long. fostered engagements ana
al threatened material losses 90 the South
Time enough LAS elapsed Tor impartial judgment
Of great Americans. We can honor their talents,
their honesty. and their bravery, whether they
belonged to the hardly arrested New England
secession or the bloodhy arrested Southern seoes-
sion.
The Southern Press Association recently appoint
ed committee 10 cooperate with senator Gordon
la collecting funds for "a monument TO jefferson
Davis The committee has decided 10 appoint
June II ns the day upon which the people Of every
town iH the Southern States should meet TO further
the enterprise.
In is appeal tie committee states that the cause
for which the dead suffered worked, aud fought
has goue down aud is buried forever. Tho Union
Of s,atos viii never again he Threatened by the
south or by New England. The country has given
every pledge that indissoubie Union OF Jude
strucibe States shal fulfil Its destiny Of lenching
the lesson Of freedom 10 mankind
A monument to Jefferson Davis Il memorial Of
the promise joined ia by all Americans that this
Nation IS hencefnrth 20 be one Republic, whose
civil divisions and whose individual citizens shall
have equal rights and equal duties, The monu-
meut will be a tribute to nature ms brave and
unscldsh TO courtesy Hs lofty and 10 abilities as
On the day appointed, the men, women, and chill
dren will meet with gIadness amid tears TO give
for the building Of worthy testimonial Of respect
We shall pay little attention to the per-
versions Of history in this astonishing pro-
duction before discussing its other aspects
In the first place il is not at all true that JEFF
Davis saved the day at Buena Vista That
he fought bravely there everybody will adj
init, bat the prepOsterous claims made 10y
himself and his henchmen for pre-eminent
services were, Immediately after the battle,
and have been ever since, ridiculed by all
who knew anything of its history. In order
10 build himself up Davis tradueed and
slandered the Illinois and Indiana troops
He was repeatedly denounced as liar by
officers from those States and, if we remem-
Der correctly, was more than once challenged
to duel for his misstatements lie never
accepted these challenges That wasn't his
say. He had reputation in the old army,
which was prone TO affairs Of honor, as
having more fierce quarrels and fewer
fights than any other man in the armyp
Next, as to New England's attempt at
Secession. We do not propose TO de-
fend New England's course during the war
Of 1912, further than TO say that if ever
a section had sufficient provocation for sep
aratiBg from the United States it was New
England under the Administrations Of JEFF
4 ferson and Madison. The then all-powerfsl
1 South seemed determined TO drive the Yam
KEGS out Of the Union. The sharp-tongued
4 Josiah Quincy described the leaders in this
sectional crusade as "young politicians
futtering and cackling on the floor Of thi:
House; half Matched, the shell still on THEN
heads, their pin-feathers not yet shed; poll
ticians TO whom reason, justice, pity were
nothing; revenge everything" The mi
quitous embargo destroyed the great com
merce Of New England and transferred ii {,
English vessels, even more completely thar
the depredations Of the Alabama did Capita
and business were driven out Of New Eng
land and Nova Scotia, TO the great delight 0
England This was only one Of many act
which expressly injured New England. tn
South stHbboTnly refused 10 provide
navy 10 protect New England ships agains
insult, arrest, search and capture by tn
English and French, and, finally, by threat
ening Madison with loss Of his second tern
forced him into war with Great Britain
for which no preparation whatever had bee
made, and in which we were humiliated b
a succession Of disgraceful defeats, and onI
came out cTediiahly because Of the ga
lantry Of our despised and neglected navy
and Jackson'- victory at New Orleans, Tough
after treaty Of peace had been signed TIL
, famous Hartford Convention, which la
! been 30 tempestu0usly denounced, an
+ which the Secession leaders used TO justii
E their wicked plot, expressly declared againi
any dissolution Of the Union, but state
the grievances Of New England, and aske
: for their amsIi0Tation. Viewed in the wor
= light possible, New England Federalis
I -. ,,--..,.r IL - a.. "a