Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-31

HIS LIFE IN The WHITE HOUSE.
a Gentleman Who Was In the state De-
pnrtment Writes on Tits Line.

!
Gentleman who Was In the state De-
pnrtment Writes on This Line.
The reinterment of tho remains OF JEFF
iefsun DAVIS at Hollywood TO-DAY will he
grand and noteworthy occasion. II is q
la'ural and logical stop. 10 was Us Prc5i-
dent OF the southern COnfcdcracy that Mr..
DAVIS has derived hlS chief title 20 fame
aud pass 3 INTO history a. ono OF the most
prominent figures of modern times. and
here WAS the capital of the Confederacy
from Nav, 1861, to the memorable % OF
April. l9i5, when the city was abandoned
20 the armies of the Union. Mr.. Davis was
deeply attached % the people Of Virginia.
lie had grown up IN the faith and teach
lngs q hCr sagcs. SO strongly did he ap-
preciato IN April, 1886, tho importance Of
hoIdlny on TO Virginia "a military
step that, though tho programme on
tho occasion Of his leaving Rich
mond WIS 10 make Charlotte, n.
C.. the next capital. Mr. Davis d.
determined while 20 route TO halt at Dan
VILE, Va, and he renamed there "a week.
until Intelligence wa received that Gene
RAJ Lee had gone 20 the headquarters Of
CIR Mt. and. Of course, for Opiy one pur-
pose. Here. IN Richmond, for nearly four
years las lie was spent. II was a life full
az work and care and ANXIOUS thought.
The loss Of private fortune affected HIM
little. for he was man Of simple tastes and
never "a mOuer-loylng or money making
iuaa; but there were also domestic be-
Tr1yemcuts, the loss daily OF valued
friends aud supporters On whom he leaned,
tho dlstrcssca Of the South III terrible
war winch hardly spared any one. and.
above ALL the responsibilities Of "a trust
which might well bIing doubt and nus
giving 10 the most Tc.olute soul. Though
oGi&ar}iy composed and serene, be sur
fored as one whose yItals were beng
Guawed. Mr. Davis was q grave. studlCus,
aud hard-worBlng man. HIS health gave
way at ono time for months under the
strain. lie had no amusements.
YIEAsASr But NOT roEMAt.
There were no entertainments at the
Confederate White House. 4 few friends
occasionally called Of evenings and We're
informally received Just as ncighbOrs who
might have dropped IN NJ his Mississippi
plantation. There We're no state dinners.
With the more important visitors Mr. DAVIS
would converse freely IN pleasant. quiet
/ way. enjoying their visit and cOnvcrsatlOn,
/ but rarely discussing any OF the incidents
of the great struggle then in progress. lie
Lad enough and more than enough Of this
lu "a, Office. IL seemed 60 b. relief TO
nina 10 return % TOPICS OF history or OF Ill
diyiduals having little or no connection
with what was ALWAYS uppermost III h 8
mind. ON all Wattcrs that ne touched upon
ms thou INT was wonderfully clear. his Ian
Cuage SIMPLE aud concise. and his talk go
interesting Wltpal that the wisest of his
authors seemed 10 prefer 20 hear hlu
speak. instead Of taking their share of the
discourse. without touch of arrogance,
he WIS In social relations always dIgnihed
and sc0atc. Nothing hlppaut, vulgar, OBJ
scene or prOiaue ever Tell from his llps.
lis manners wore Il blending Of the Oil
army officer aud the southern planter IN
tone and personal bearing he resembieI
Lee or Siluey Johnston rather than
ccklubrIdge, Bcnlamln. ana Hunter. al
Of whom were fond Of general society amt
buu-t0UHijc. | think he was more free aud
Unrestricted with younger men than with
those who might be regarded "a his
rivals and political associates. 10 young
men whom he liked ne was especially
gracious ana cOnsiderate. But IN all
cases when ho had given his con-
f1ence and friendship he conid stand
Lrm as Gibraltar. No tale or suggestion
OK malice. no popular clamOr, could make
him 90 back on friend or q trusted OF
hcrr, no matter how unfortunate IN war;
For "a brief space General Lee after ms
We-t Virginia ca Lpalgn OF 1861 was under
"A cloud. This made no difference what
ever to Mr.. DAVIS. lie embraced ms first
opportunity 10 place Lee III command of
the Army of Northern Virginia. Time
soon vlndicated TINS selection. and If other
fuvoritos have not lad the same attcsta-
tlon 1t j. vet impossible not TO respect the
spirit which preferred justice to the arts
Of popularity.
FOND or FINE HORSES.
have said that Mr. Davis had no amuse-
mDnts. Perhaps ought 10 qualify this hy
saving that he was always fond of the sad
die and IA capital horseman. After his long
Illness In the autumn of 1851 no took ire
Queut. regular rides around Richmond.
The country was then only thiniy settled.
There were large stretches OF forest ana
uudergrowth Accompanied 10y only "A
single companion sometimes one of his
aids and sometimes by his slster-in-laW,
Miss Howell--he would ride fifteen 10
twenty miles Of an evening quite rapidly,
coming in 10 a late dinner. There were
many who thought he took too much risk
IN these Excursions, but he kept up the
habit and thus preserved his health. He
was never over strong but he walked with
firm West-Point step. rode easily aud
naturally: and had that lndeiinable quail
Is OF stamina which enables man TO live
long and 10 DO the work OF life. His tenn
pcrance III eating aud drinking was re-
markable. knowing him personally from
1s4s 10 the time of his death, IN 1889. and
hearing him often speak, If were called
upon to mention the best exhibition OF his
mental powers, | would answer that
II was III lCug interview al
Beauvoir, IN the spring Ot 1888.
with no excitement hut the sea and
the waving pines, the SIMPLE accompaul-
inents of home.hfe on an isolated planta-
ton. aud the remembrance in common OF
many events and Kindred thoughts. There
was something III his easy flow OF thought
and wonderful grasp OF the present and
uast that made me think that bis passing
AWAY was still far distant, but II came
sooner than l thought tor. tie died like
Moses, with his mental vision not abated.
II is hard for one who knew him thus 10
realize that Mr.. Davis Is not figure Of
the present day. Not. of course, on tho
uuhiic stage. With the close of the war
he ceased TO be an actor sufferer. ana
Il prescribed man. au historian, q type OF
the olden DAYS he might be, but the de-
cree OF fate was not TO DE opposed. lie
belonged 10 the past the heroic past.
liz represented the southern Contederacy,
and that was gone. lie might indeed,
have. and be did have, generous aspira- !
lions for good government, ana. with his /
framed haolts of political observations /
aud thought. he could not fan 20 OBSERVE
keenly all that was gong on III the drama |
OF American history. but his great pollti- |
cal career was closed forever.
Mr.. DAyIs's ASSOCIATES.
The ureseut ceremonial IN honor or Dir. |
DAVIS aud the recent monument TO Alexan- /
der II. Stephens signalize the removal from /
life of the President and Nice-Presldent OF /
tho southern Confedefacy. two men who /
had honorable differences o. opinion, but
who concurred on all cardinal points ana
much resembed each other IN sincerity OF 4
the implicitly of private NE, /
and thorough prObity IN .puOlc ahnirs.
But there were others not less consplcu-
Gus than these under The old government
and welding a large influence III Conted-
crate affairs MIR ToOmbs, the hrst Sec,
rotary of State to the ContedoracY. hooert
Nj. 4. Hunter. Of Virginia, the second mead
OF that department and long consplcu,
Gus figure III the United States Senate. ana
Sir. onjamin, the Confederate Secretary
of State from February, 1862, 70 Aprll, 1903,
easily the frat at the bar OF the hlghest
courts Of England and the United States
have all passed away. Slidell. Mason, La
mar. William Preston Got Kentucky. Yam
cey. and Mann, ENJOYS Of the Contederacy
10 European Governments. have lolned
the great majority. One official only OF
the Richmond State Department-name
It's second officer survives. The two heads
Df the Treasury Department. hemminger
and Trenholm, died years ago III Caarles-