The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-07-08
Vhr1rmnrrat-S Star
JEFF DAVIS LAST SPEECH.
In WAS AN APPEAL To LAY ASIDE
ALL SECTIONAL BITTERNESS.
Clarion-L Ledger.

Clarion-Ledger.
A party Of gentlemen In this city
were last night discussing the disap.
pearance Of sectional lines in this
country, says an exchange. They rep.
resented Il number of States. North
and South, and were facilitating each
other that across the gulf Of blood
that surged its red waves bet cen dis
membered sections the golden pass.
way OF friendship had been built.
The conversation drifted to the vari.
Gus individual Of prominence in the
late war, when a gentlemen who once
resided in Mississippi said
The trend of the conversation re-
minds me OF the last public speech
made by Jefferson Davis. 1t was in
1883, at about this time of the year,
that the Congressional convention of
the Seventh Mississippi district met
ut Mississippi City, and nominated
Thomas Il. StOckdalc. There had
been a bitter struggle between the
incumbent, Van Eaton. and Stockdale,
which resulted al | have said, IN the
nomination OF the latter. Some H.
feeling had been %engendered, and a
happy thought occurred to some one
who had learned that Mr.. Davis was
in the town, to request him to address
the convention. A committee was
quickly appointed and, half an hour
later, the venerable ex-chief of the
Confederacy entered the hall.
1T was a scene never to DC forgot
ten. The tall, quaint form, clad in
black broadcloth, as erect as a soldier
on parade, proceeded down the hall to
the rostrum, pausing to exchange
greetings with some personal friends.
Silence preyades The hall. Mr.. Davis
turns: as he does so a long, red ray OF
the setting sun falls athwart him and
rests about a head silver white, but
now tinged with the crimson glow OF
the dying sun. 1t was suggestive :
the sun Don to fade into the darkness
of night: the incarnation of the Con-
fcderacy soon to pass away from earth
forever. AS this thought flashed
through my mind | vas startled by
the sound Of that eloquently resonant
voice, that had rendered Mr.. Davis
famous, but through which now ran
a notco Of mournful pathos. AS nearly
as | can recall it, he said:
'Mr. Chairman and Fcllow-citizcns:
All, pardon me, the laws of the United
States no longer permit me to desig-
nate you as fellOw-citizens, but | am
thankful that / may address you ms
my friends. | feel no regret that |
stand before you this afternoon a man
without a country, for my ambition
lies buried in the grave Of the Confcd-
eracy. Aye, thegraveof the Confedcr-
acy. There has been consigned not
only my ambition, but the d0gmas
upon which that government was ,
based. The faces ! see before me are s
those of young men ; had ! not known !
this | would not have appeared before
you. Men in whose hands the des. j
TIMES of our Southland lie; for love OF !
her, | break my silence to speak to \
you a few words Of respectful admoni- {
zion. The past is dead let it bury !
its dead, it's hopes, and its aspirations; \
you lies the future. A future i
full Of golden promise; a future full
Of rec0mpense for honorable e%ndeavor;
4 future OF expanding national glory,
which all the world shall stand =
amazed. Let me bcseech You to lay I
aside all rancor, all bitter sectional G,
and to take your places in the
ranks of those who will bring about a 7
,onsummatlon ~devoutly to be wished
IA reunited country" S,
"Mr. Davis continued in this strain "
Tor half an hour or more. Every word \
he uttered admonished the burial of p
sectional feeling, and loyalty to the al
Union. His speech was a fitting con. nj
to the proceedings of that con- S,
'%ention, for Col. Stockdale, the nomi-
lee, was a native of Pennsylvania. o,
This" continued the gentleman, Il
vas the last public uttcrance OF Mr.. o. o,
Davis. In December of the next year is
le died. The speech i'm pressed itself e
n the minds of the members OF that q
convention, all OF whom will attest al
he truth of my statement. its effect 4
vas to temper the feelings OF those Z,
Who heard it toward the North, and Il
t was to that extent one Of the ele- a a.
nents that has produced the condi- :
ions Of to-day"
al