The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-11-28
WAS Nor.A sEcrssNA.IsT.

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jefferson Davis Was as Broad as the ge.
'H'HH..sed Suussly.
1t is the general impression outside
OF the circle Of bis friends and neigh
bors, that Jefferson Davis ives to the
very last an unreconstructed rebel,
bitterly sectional and unfriendsy to the
national government.
This was very far from, heins tha
case. The ex,Confede.ate president
was somewhat impnlsiye and irritable,
but he was not hater Of any section,
nor did he encourage others to defy or
ignore the federal authorities.
On the contrary, he was always
making new friends among northern
ers, and he looked forward to bright
future for the Soath under the old
flag. Naturally sensitive and proud,
he did not embrace favorable opportu-
mites for the public expression Of his
views, preferriDg rather to be misun-
derstood than to have it thought that
nc was coLrtipg the good viii OF the
conquerors.
In the spring Of 1883 Democratic
convention metin Mississippi City and
considerable ill-feeling existed between
two factions. Onc Of the candidates
for congress before the convention was
Northern man, and the old sectional
prejudice had come to the front to de-
feat his nomination.
At the urgent request of the dele
gates, Mr.. Davis appeared before them
and delivered the last public speech of
his life. He threw the weight Of his
influence to the Northern candidate,
securing'his nomination, and in his
concluding remarks he said:
1.-THE past-is dead; let it bury its
dead, its hopes and its inspirations;
before you lies the future-a future
full Of golden promises; "a future Of
recompense for honorable performance;
future Of expanding national glory.
before which all the world shall stand
amazed. Let me beseech you 20 lay
aside all rancor, all bitter sectional
feeling, and to take your places in the
ranks of those who will bring about
consum nation devoutly to be wished
a reunited country.
This speech gives US a glimpse Of
the real Jefferson Davis-the states
man who saw the folly Of sulkipg and
mourning over the dead issues of
lost cause when it was possible for the
loyal South to regain in the union ev-
erything that she had lost, with the
exception Of her old institution of
slavery.
The Confederate leader was man
of fine sense and lofty motives. hc
had fought for the stars and stripes in
the Mexican war, aud when the flag
again waved over his native South he
felt that it was his duty to urge tie
young men around him to be ready
at all times to uphold and defend it.
With prophetic vision, this old man,
on tie verge Of the grave, saw before
him ga future of expanding national
glory"
He. foresaw the world standingamaz.
ed at the spectacle of The. triumphant
arts and arms Of our reunited country,
and he begged the young men Of the
South to- "lay aside all bitter sectional
feeling" so that they might share the
glory Of tie golden future.
Since that speech the spirit Of sec-
tionalism has been alternately DOR
mant and active. Eloquent aud patri-
otto leaders have fought it, but the
years rolled by and the same old bad
feeling between the North aud the
South made itself felt from time to
time.
Some good men began to fear that
secs:enalism would never die. They.
despaired Of the republic.
Suddenly an unexpected incident
plunged no iuto war with Spain. Il
lasted only litt!o over three months,
but in that short period the last ves-
tige of secticnalism was wiped out and
destroyed.
Hosts of men thousand miles apart
who had been holding aloof and lis
trusting, if not hating one another,