Water Valley progress., 1902-08-02
ARP CONvALESCING.
Bill. Sits in Sick Room and Reads
the Newspapers.
Comment ON Adams' Speech - II
Charles Francis EuIogizes Lee
He Should Also Praise Davis,
for Whom Lee Fought.

we nave at last had glorious rain.
After nine long sweltering weeks
without drop to lay the dust or purify
the atmosphere it came with down.
pour and everybody was happy. The
gardens will revive and the flowers will
bloom again and the farmers will re-
joice for it has come in time to save
their languishing crops. The dear lit
tie sick child whom we have been nurs-
ing so tenderly and watching for many
days will now getwell. My wife or one
OF the girls is there day and night, but
the dust and the heat had almost over
come him when the rain came. We are
all air plants and must have it pure.
Then again / tried to take comfort
by reading the tribute that Charles
Francis Adams has recently paid to
Gen. Robert E. Lee. 1t seems to be
getting quite fashionable to praise Lee
up there, but really / don't see why
they should single him out and damn
Mr.. Davis and all the rest of us and the
cause for which Lee fought. / don't
like any man who praises Lee and stabs
Mr.. Davis. Lee and Davis were like
were classmates at West Point and dur
ing our civil war they were bosom COM
panions and never disagreed about
anything. 1t is gross insult to the
memory of Lee to slander his closest
and dearest friend. No gentleman
would do it. I have not heard of
Charles Francis Adams slandering Mr..
Davis, but we have good reasons to
suspect that he belongs to the Gold
win Smith and Roosevelt crowd, for he
voluntarily took command of negro
regiment during the war, and that is a
bad sign. No gentleman would have
done it. 1t was an evidence that he
believed niggers would make war hell
to US and they would kill and rob and
rape and burn out of revenge. No, /
have no respect for this Adams nor
Lew Wallace nor any other man who
commanded negroes during the war.
1t was not humane nor legitimate war
fare. 1t showed venom and brutality
and malignity. What did Gen Lee do
before the war or during the war or
after the war that did not have the
hearty cooperation of Mr.. Davis?
What did Mr.. Davis do that Gen. Lee
did not approve? Both were good sol
diers and won their spurs. Both were
devout Christian members of the Epis-
copal church and Senator Reagan said
of Mr.. Davis: HE was the most de-
vout Christian ever knew and a most
lovable man." He was conscientious
believer in the doctrine of states
rights as expounded by Mr.. Calhoun
and while lieutenant in the United
States army declared he would resign
his command before he would assist
In the coercion of a sovereign state.
The International Cyclopedia says of
him: He was a great statesman and
q true patriot, and his history will
grow brighter as the years roll on"
But this presidential accident says he
was an arch traitor and an arch repu-
diator and he hasn't the manliness~to
take it back and apologize.
But here comes some genial friends
to call and see how / am getting on,
for am still suffering and need SYM
pathy. When they come they bring
good cheer and wit and anecdote and
that is better than Illuminating about
politics and the niggers. We were
talking about dogs and one of these
friends, who is railroad man, told us
about woman trying to board train
down in Florida and she had little
poodle dog in her arms and the conduc-
tor said: mo, madam, you can't take
that dog with you in the passenger
car. lis against the rules" She was