The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-07-22
Welcome Veterans,
Uoniinued irom First Page.


ing married General Taylor's daugh-
ter against her fathers will. On that
field of blood and carnage be was
forgiven. His splendid courage and
soldierly qualities enforced to ad-
miration and won the heart Of the
grim old warrior, who was as proud
of him then as he had hated him
before. During the rest Of their lives
they we're the warmest and most &C.
voted friends.
Let men who never smelled powder
burn on the field OF battle, or base
creatures who fatten on sectional
hate. prove their littleness by calling
Jefferson Davis n traitor, If they
please. but the fact remains and is
SO recorded on the fairest pages of
the history OF our country. that every
star in the field OF blue in our flag
shines more brightly on account Of
his courage at Monterey and Buena
Vista: every stripe in its folds is OF
deeper crimson hue on account Of
the blood that flowed from his
wounds upon the field OF Buena Wis
Ia. In these two battles he demon
strated the fact that he possessed
the highest qualities of a soldier and
commanding officer He was as
brave as a lion; he never lost his
head for a single moment; he took
advantage of every opportunity; he
exposed himself to greater dangers
than he did his troops. Yet some
people are so lost to appreciation of
courage and honor as well as to ev-
cry principle of gratitude, as to won
der why the Southern people love
him so much. We love him because
he possessed every attribute of noble
manhood. We thank God that our
leader was such a man; we would
have followed no other sort. Colonel
Davis was severely wounded at the
battle of Buena Vista. and, although
he was in the thickest of the fight
from first to last he did not leave
his place Of duty and of danger until
the victory was won. When the bat
tie was over he was unfit for further
duty and was compelled to return
home on crutches.
AS soon as he reached the United
States, President Polk, in recognition
of his brilliant services, rendered him
a commission as brigadier general of
volunteers. He declined this, on the
ground that volunteers are state mi
litia, and that. therefore, militia Of
fcers should receive their commits
sions from the governors of their
respective states. This shows the
character of the man. He would not
sacrifice his convictions, not even for
the star of a United States general.
| Would TO God tnat we had more Of
such men now! This proof OF his
integrity is stronger when we re-
member that he had received a mill
tary education and openly professed
a preference for the military rather
than the civil service. When the war
between the states began he desired
to enter the Confederate army, and
only accepted the presidency of the
Confederacy because loving and
trusting people forced IL on him.
When the passions OF men have en-
tirely cooled when prejudice and
sectional feeling gives place to rea-
son and justice. the entire American
people will join in proclaiming the
fact that for the time that he was
in the United States army, no sol
der did more for our country and our
nag, and that no name should be
written higher on the column of
military fame than that of Jefferson
Davis. His record win then be claim
ed by all sections as a part of the
common heritage of American glory.
The fear of trespassing too much
upon your patience and your time
VIII prevent me from speaking as |
would like 10 do as 10 his statesman
ship. 1t was his wise forethought
that first suggested the building of n
railroad from the Atlantic TO the Pa.
cific But | can not go into details.
Every Southern boy knows his views
as TO the right of secession. It is
not necessary to repeat them here.
But want to say that the man who
calls Jefferson Davis a traitor is ei.
ther grossly ignorant Of his history.
or he will call George Washington
and every signer of the Declaration
OF Independence traitor also. Ey-
cry principle which called ON our
fathers to withdraw from England
not only rises up in his defense, but
also furnishes his complete justifica.
Hn.A Hfsu -