The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-30

g.
complshnent of a great work. designed 10
porpetuate the memory of the great sery-
ices and heroic valor Of those soldiers who
| sleep their last sleep on so many battle
Pfields.
This beautiful monument is most appro-
prlatoly crowned by tho statue of the pri-
| vatc soldier, whose services were given for
the love of country and for the protection
OF the homes Of the mothers, wives and
daughters, and in the defense of the con-
| stttutional rights and the liberties of the
| people. They wore uninilucnced by amhi-
| ton or by the possession or expectation Of
public honors, which In somo measure may
| have Influenced and stimulated TO duty
| those who held commissions as officers. To
the private soldier who so served Is duo
| the supreme honor awarded TO disinter-
ested patriutism combrncs with heroic,
| valor, And 1t is an evidence of the good
| taste and Judgment Of those who designed
| this monument that tho statues OF Presi-
dent Davis, General Lee, General StonewalI
Jackson and General Sidney Johnston
| should be associated with that of the pri-
vate soldiers. upon whom those great men
relied with SO much confidence And to the
| noble women, who by their persistent ef-
| forts have secured the erection of this
| beautiful monument, the gratitude of all
| Texans and of all Confoderates is due.
To me has been assigned tho duty Of
saying, i'll a brief way, something of the
character and services OF the president of
the late Confederate States. the beloved
Jefferson Davis My association with Mr.,
| Davis during our great struggle, and the
very high opinion / formed Of his dsiu-
| torcsted and patriotic devotion to the cause
| Of the Coufederacy and OF his uuvarying
conStancy and courage, makes the duty
most agreeable to ma in every sense, ox-
cept that | recognize my inability to give
] mn Df
traiture of his character as is due to his
memory.
To say that he was an honest man, Il
! brave soldier. an able statesman, sin
ccre patriot and an earnest Christian does
not give the full idea OF his character.
He was a master Of the English, Latin and
| French languages. and am accomplished
scholar as shown by his very able state
papers. He was familiar With the physical
sciences generally, including botany chem
| istry. mineralogy, geology, natural ply
losophy and natural history. This knowl-
edge connected with his knowledge of
! mathematics, his military education, train
| ing and experience, and his acknowledged
ability as a statesman and orator, emil
nently fitted him for the duties of the
great office of president of the Confed-
crate States. And they enabled him TO or
gariZe n government In the midst of war.
which 1t required one of the best equipped
governments, with many times "a many
white people Us were in the Confoderacy,
possessing nearly all the mechanical
means and appliances of the country, with
it's army and navy. aided by two millions
of volunteers, four years TO overcome in
one of tho greatest wars of modern times,
Notwithstanding the great tirmness of
character of Mr.. Davis in his social and
domestic relations he was as gentle as Il
woman and even under strong provoca-
ttf,, ara1N-
persons who assaied him or his policy.
In one respect there was to some extent
a misapprehension OF his character. 1t was
sometimes alleged he was self wiiled, i'm
perious and stubborn Those in close con-
tact and association with him did not so
regard him. | have heretofore expressed
the view and now repeat it, that plactlcal-
ly he had two characters, or rather two
methods of thought and action. While In
his private relations he was all gentieness
and kindness, in the discharge OF his public
duties he seemed to be guided almost
wholly by sense OF duty. And he seemed
to expect those who conferred with hhn
about public matters to address them
selves directly to the matter under con-
sideration, and was not at all times pa
tient with such persons as sought TO oc-
cupy his time in general conversation, or
as to matters about which they could give
him no information 1t Will be readily I'M
derstood that one occupying his position,
in which his whole time was necessarily
given 10 the discharge OF important public
duties could not permit that ttme TO be
wasted in commonplace conversation. or In
listening to men who could give him no
toil information. Aud this doubtless
created the idea with such persons that he
was self-willed and impcrlous, Another
mistake as to his character made by some
persons has been that lie would not listen
to advice about matters Of importance
Mere than four years OF constant contact
with him rs a member of his cabinet, en-
ables me to say that this was great mis-
take His habit was. when he took up q
public question on which he had 10 act
to exhaust all available sources OF in
formation on it before coming TO n CON
clusion; always consulting freely with th'
members Of his cabinet, and with otner'
who might he able to give him Information
After doing this and reaching his CON
clusion the matter was settled with MN
unless the presentation OF new iaots re-
CURED further consideration. He had no
, time to reconsider questions upon the same
facts And I'm the position he occupied
vacillatun would have been about as pat
as the erroneous decision Of public cues
l lions. | saw this much on these points be
2 cause | think fN respect to thsm some IN
justice has been done to his memory.
IA illustrative OF MS unseliish sacHnce
, Il his own interest to what he believed u
l be Il sense CT duty, ] Will mention ina
I when tho Federal forces were near NE
plantation on the Mississippi river wa
! present when one OF his friends ADVISED
l him that he should send some one to re-
move his negroes, live stock ana ONE
E properly to somo place OF safety, or oih'r
l wire il would ali soon fan into Fedora
5 hands His answer was that the presiden
Of the Confederacy could not send men Il
+ take cara of his private property, An