Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-12
atiseellaneous &eading.
AN UNSELFISH HERO.
Tribute to the Confederate President BY
Judge Reagan.

AN HGhOs
Tribute to the Confederate President BY
Judge Reagan.
The Confederate monument erected
through the efforts of the Daughters
of the Confederacy, of Dallas, Texas,
was unveiled in that city on April 29'
1t is of Texas granite, the shaft be.
ing so feet high. On the top of the
column stands private and at che
base stand four pedestals on which are
lifesize statues of Jefferson Davis, K
E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Albert
Sidney Johnson.
Jefferson Davis Hayes pulled the cord
that unveiled the form of bis grand
father. Lucy Hayes did the same fol-
Robert E. Lee, while little grand
daughter of Stonewall Jackson com
pleted the unveiling by pulling the
cord which removed the wells from the
statues of Jackson and Johnston.
After number of young ladies rep
resenting the different southern states
had decorated the monument with
flowers, the Hon. John H. Reagan, the
last living member of the Confederate
cabinet, delivered eulogy on Presi'
dent Davis. He said in part:
ITO me has been assigned the duty
of saying, in a brief way, something
of the character and services of the
president of the Confederate states,
the beloved Jefferson Davis. My as
sociation with Mr.. Davis during our
great struggle and the very high opin.
ion formed of his disinterested and
patriotic devotion to the cause of the
Confederacy and of his unvarying con-
stancy and courage makes the duty
most agreeable, except that recog'
nize my inability to give such an ac'
count of his services and portraiture
of his character as is due to his mem
ory.
ITO say that he was an honest man.
a brave soldier, an able statesman, a
sincere patriot and an earnest Christian
does not give the full idea of his char
acter. In one respect there was in
some respects some misapprehensions
of his character. 1t was sometimes
alleged that he was self-willed, i'm.
perious and stubborn. Those in close
contact and association with him did
not so regard him.
81 have heretofore expressed the
view, and now repeat it, that practi'
cally he had two characters, or rather
two methods of thought and action
While in his private relations he was
gentleness and kindness, in the dis.
charge of his public service be seemed
to be guided almost wholly by sense
of duty. And he seemed to expect
those who conferred with him about
public matters to address themselves
directly to the matter under consider.
alton, and was not at all times patient
with such persons as sought to occupy
his time in general conversation or as
to matters about which they would
give him no information.
"It will be readily understood that
one who occupied his position, in which
his whole time was necessarily given
to the discharge of important public
business, could not permit that time to
be wasted in commonplace converse.
tion or in listening to men who could
give him no real information. This
doubtless created the idea with such
persons that he was self-willed and
imperious.
"Another mistake as to his charac.
ter made by some persons has been
that he would not listen to advice
about matters of Importance. More
than four years of constant contact
with him as a member Of his cabinet
enables me to say that this was q
great mistake. His habit was when
he had to act to exhaust all available
sources of information on it before
coming to a conclusion, always con-
sulting freely with the members of his
cabinet and with others who might be
able to give him information. After
doing this and reaching his conclusion
the matter was settled with him, unless
the presentation of new facts required
further consideration. He had no
time to consider questions upon the
same facts. In the position he occu-
pied vacillation would have been
about as bad as the erroneous decision
of the public questions.
II speak on these points because l
think in these respects some injury has
been done to his memory.
"In solitude President Davis work
ed for the success of the Confederate
army, and often in places under heavy
fire.
cat the battle of Seven Pines (Fair
Oaks saw him, General Lee and Gen.
eral Magruder under heavy fire OF
musketry, and demonstrated against
his so exposing himself, for there was
no necessity for doing it. During the
several days. fighting near Richmond,
he was exposed to the enemy's fire,
and General Lee ordered him to quit
the field. Some days after General
Lee appeared in the cabinet, Nj. Davis
jocularly said he had supposed he was
commander-in-chief, and that General
Lee was under him even in the field,
and on the day of the battle of Rich
mond and Petersburg saw Mr.. Davis
in company with Generals Lee and
Beauregard under the fire of the ene-
mics sharpshooters for u long time,
while several persons were being hit,
and one soldier boy standing near the
president. had his arm shot off by q
she'll. The officers urged him to retire
from the field, as this exposure was
unnecessary. He said he felt as | did
that he could render no service there,