The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-01-31

connected with the distribution OF
crosses of honor by the Daughters Of
the Confederacy, given in this paper
last week, there was room only for a
general account and one of the
addresses For the sake Of the ladies
of the chapter and because Of the
intrinsic merit of the addresses, two
more are here presented this week
OF all the men connected with the
history and struggle of the Confed-
crate States, none has been so much
the target Of criticism, and from
opposite quarters. as Jefferson Davis
On the one hand he has been held
responsible for the secession Of the
Southern states, whose people, it has
been asserted, like "dumb driven
CATTLE were mainly by his Influence
and insistance compelled to secede
from the Union. Aud yet, the
movement Of 1861 was not the work
of politicians, much less Of single
man; it was not the development of a
plot by a few ambitious venal men,
willing to pull down the pillars of the
temple OF the Union 10 the hope Of
finding in its ruins the material out
Of which TO make or advance their
personal fortunes. Such an allegation
would imply a moral and intellectual
status Of the people Of the South OF
that day, that is hideous caricature
of their intelligence, Of their man
hood and Of their patriotism On
the other hand, Mr. Davis has been
held responsible for the failure OF the
Confederate States, whether that
failure resulted, as some declare,
from want OF preparation for the
great struggle, as if it were to be a
matter Of child's play, or from man
agement of the interests at stake
after the struggle assumed the
gigantic proportions which charac-
terized it. On neither of these ac-
counts is he justly to be blamed.
To- ~
he declared his belief that the war
would be long aud fierce one. That
in his position as chief magistrate he
made no mistakes in his appoint
ments or his policies need not be
asserted to free him from the onus of
responsibility for the disastrous ter
mination of the great struggle.
The name end fame of Jeffers n
Davis will be increasingly sacred, as
time brings the war more fully to the
light, in the estimation of the people,
not only of the South but of the
whole country, Nothing directly or
indirectly connected with either can
be without interest, especially to those
of them and their descendants who
wore the grey and followed the stars
and bars Of the Confederate States
The military, civil or political reputa-
tion of MIR. Davis needs no defender,
the ablest writer's of the day having
already abundantly viudlcaLed every
phase of his character And here let
it be said once for all, and with all
possible emphasis, that in no just
sense was the great movement OF
which he was the official represent
tative, a rebellion or we're they who
we're engaseain promoting it rebels,
IL is aigh time that these terms as
applied to the Confederate States and
Confederates should cease to be used.
No movement Of political character
was ever made more deliberately after
longer consideration and more public
discussion and with closer adherence
to legal formularies and constituted
authorities than the secession Of the
states and the establishment OF the
confederation. They we're children
OF law instead Of rebellion, Of right
instead Of violence, Of deliberatiou
instead Of sudden haste There wa
no anarchy, no social disorders, nc
suspension Of authority, no lawless
disturbances Sovereignty was never
for one moment in abey nee. The
basal principle Of the whole move.
ment was assertion Of constitutional
i guarantees and reliance upon law and
right. But the paramount issue