The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-11
THE LATE GENERAL DENVER.

JamfS w. Denver had so completely faded
ont of view when he died that the younger
generation sre asking who he was Yet at
one time he cut a rather large figure IN
pubic affairs, and one of the growing
cities of the West will transmit his name to
remote posterity,
-~-fIe was born in Virginia in 1918 of Irish
parents, and throughout his life he remained
Virginian in spirit. From Virginia he
removed IN early life TO Ohio, and later on
to Missouri where he practiced law until
the Mfxican war broke out. when he raised
a company OF volunteers and Joined General
Scott in a march to Mexico. He served 10
the end Of the war. He was in the full
vigor of manhood in 1850, when he came to
this State. In 1851 he was elected TO the
State Senate from Trinity County. He
was member of that body for one
term. In 1852 lie was appointed by
Governor Bgier one OF the members
of the relief committee to extend
aid 10 immigrants coming to California
Some display was made at Sacramento, as a
relief party was departing. and Edward
Gilbert. an eX-member of Congress. and
then editor of the AItd California. COM
meuted severely upon what he termed the
ostentatiOus display of the States gener-
os;y. General Denver resented the Attd'S
attack in q defiant communication, pub
lished in the state Journal. This led to
duel. Gilbert was the challenging party,
and was Killed by Denver's second shot.
The affair was greatly regretted. but no
harsh judgment was passed upon Denver.
although great sympathy was felt for Gil
bert, who held high and honorable posi-
ton in the State. At that time the feeling
in this State about dueling was not what it
is nOv, and the year after Denver was
elected Secretary OF State, and at the next
election nominated and chosen member OF
Congress. Denver was one of the men
whom Buchanan chose 10 be Governor Of
Kansas during the long struggle between
STAKEHOLDER ana freesoiler He was sent 10
that State TO endeaYor TO reconcile matters
after Walker had resigned, but soon after he
reached the scene of operations his man
hood revolted at the task set before him,
and he likewise resigned.
- at the outbreak of the war he enlisted in
the Union army and fought CALAMITY for
his country but when Lincoln issued his
emancipation proclamation his old Viz
ginian spirit once more asserted ITSELF and
he resigned. Ever since then he has prac-
ticed law at Washington.
Denver is another example Of man Of
large promise who was hampeTed by his
devotion TO q wrong principle. He was
bright, he was brave, he was honest; but
his early n0tion-which he never discarded
that il was RICH: to live on the proceeds of
other mems labor without paving them for
it, gave a twist TO his mind which could
never be Strengthened out. Examples Of
the fatal effects Of such mental kinks
abound. The world is full of people Of
brilliant ability and blameless life who
never realize the expectations of their
friends. When their history is investigated
Ii quite often turns out that at an early
period Of their life they embraced some
delusi0n which mastered them and
miserablY distorted their mental vision.
OF all delusOns, past or present, the one
which has destroyed most iutelects was the
slavery delusion. Those who embraced it
became incapable OF accurate reasoning
Their philosophy rested on an error and
the c0rollarles OF the error permeated all
their operations
Twenty years before General Denver be-
came active in public life slavery was un-
profitable in the border States, and the
profits Of slaFe-owniug in the gulf States
were not large. At that time some of the
ablest men in Virginia and Kentucky were
abolitionists. But when the extension of
c0tton-growing in the gulf States made
slavery enormously profitable and made
slave-raising in the border States luera-
tive pursuit, the leading men in the South
became apologists for slavery and drilled
their minds into finding excuses for it,
They came at last honestly to believe in it
as a benefcent inatitution. But 10 do so
they had TO plant their political and eronom-
ical faith on fallacy, and the falISey grad
ually overspread their whole pbiiOs ophy of
life Nothing but tile semi-lunacy which
this false philosophy engendered could have
induced intelligent men TO believe that in
the middle of the nineteenth century they
could build up an empire on The corner
stone OF human bondage.