The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-07
AS MAN "A 1 I !. AND !. ! NJ.
ST A T.E,SMAN |.
Major Dc Leon Discusses the
Sterling Character OF "Con-
federacy's Only Chieftain.
& & STRENGTH AND Nd ACTIVITY y | !
Wish to Make Things Go Nell.
Caused Him to Bother
With HTrifles.

i'm 81 With liritles. Fl II
5 Nj jor II. Il q. de Leon, who is contribut-
ing some intensely Interesting chapters to
Confederate history has written for the
u New Orleans Picayunc tho following tri-
y butte to Mr.. Davis AZ III
D HIS widest Rebcl!' admirer has neser
claimed that the only President of the
a Confederate States was ~ saint. is
probably not proNable that he was either
p a great soldiorsor all eminent statesman.
II THAT lie was a good student at the acad-
envy, and a good soldier In the Mexican
n War has not been controverted. His com
Ing from the State he did may, or may
mot. be claimed as the caused or even the
opportunity for his conceded prominence
a in national affairs prior to tile war l3ut
were each and every one Of these prem
4 Uses demonstrated precisely as laid down
+ by the logic Of passion and 5unreason. they
Il cannot undo one of the strangest revenges
of the whirling of time Yet recorded by
a History.
No one can recall a man who has faced
" such terrible and sweeping blasts of in-,
a dictment accusation. calumny and malice,
yet has 50 long stood erect gains the
sg black Backgrounds mark inVitlngTs cru-
~ 1iny, but not shrinking beneath II. t,or
4 IT is simple truthath his name Is to-day
mentioned with respect and praise In the
q capital of every civilized country on the
q globe save one; and there. the cause of.
fslleIlce-orS of old time itcration--ls more
q political than judicial IL
This weatherIng of n ptiless and en-
during storm, for a longer period than
II ever $assailed any other, Is Itself proof
Of immense strength OF timber and con-
struction. And this streng ultimate;
dominant and cultivated. i ever he
cause Of success and failure Of this re-
lnarkablc man. But the strength was
licvcrthusbanded: nor was it always ju-
diciolsly directed. 1t was, all through
j his career. liable 10 be expended upon
trjvlalities +: often iii self-exhaustirig
bursts And, while not planting seed for
some future Mncanlay, It may be here
noted that this absolute self-reliance and
overpowering confidence were the prime
weaknesses of the Confederate Govern
'mert He failed because he could not
k make the Coz federaey Mr.. Davis.
The non ..epyAtur Is often moro logical
han the epigram. When Sir Boyle Roche
said: g No man can be In two places at
once. barrin' hes bird. the brilliant
Celt was probably ignorant that he was
double barrelcd-talkn nonsense and
q truth. He certainly did not intend TO lay
VI down "a rule Of procedure which persis-
y 1cntly deviated from, must result In dis
aster. MIR. Davis, perhaps. did not deyjate
{ from that rule, because he was sublimely
innocent Of It's existence
t y In an article on THE Weakness of Mr..
Davis's Strength. printed In the North
American Review a decade ago. ] stated
f this. truth.
55 1t is literally true that he was not only
the President, but felt the responsibility
& for every member of his Cabinet. Indeed
he was almost the head of every distinct
G3 bureau in each department.
II X A tremendous national crisis. with Its
@loyerwhelmlng responsibilities, demanded
5E that the Executive should plan. distribute
i and order the work done In Its various
departments. Mr. Davis did this Ills
restless energy and absorbing interest
would not let him stop there. He over
" SAW or attempted to oversee every detail
Of Its accomplishment. His very Interest
clogged the cogs Of the great machine,
preventing even PROCESS, sometimes caus
ing a Jar that threatened stoppage. There
was lost motion, there was friction. And
this cannot be justly referred TO the cause
sometimes ascribed for t--that he had
not confidence in the secretaries and adj
visers about him, They were all pf Ills
own selcctlon--men With whom he had
been associated more or less intimately
for years-and some We're far more COM
II petent TO execute their work than he
was TO do Ii for them This was espe-
n cially the case with the army movements
II yet 1t is no longer even IAN open secret
that Mr.. Davis assumed direction of The
s plans pf campaigns, II not, indeed, 81
afl their minor movements. Surely this wal
!, not from remotest lack Of confidence n
HE such leaders as Lee, Jackson and others
however he may have mlsjudgeh and I'M
derated one at least Of their peers. Rattle
NIL those who knew the first and las
Chief best aarjhn,e his Of
N fciousness to nervous dread of failur,
sgthat overmasteredl hm He was fghtinl
i{1 one stronger nation physically; he wa
q fighiing morally the criticisms of tn
world Failure waF dainnation, This NOR
hid sense OF responsibility was the main
III spring pf his pernlcbgs uhiquiiy, and TN
s n motor az that waste of energy on dctaiis
which has been harped upon as a little
ness Of soul in the least selfish Of mod
ern historical characters 5l
Drying all abolit him tnp their limi
he meyer spared himself. From Monigon
4 cry TO Atlanta his was ono uDrclieye9 tci
sion OF terrible suspense. lInremlttingS IL
nor and resisted doubt Ihe Flashes
sfStsiumuh that 1T tile deepest gloom ft
others were nor for him. He wax II
cognizant 81 facts, too busy with ne,
y, al action, to play With hone ~ this u
man dominated the spubiicist, colorinG h
official life and making II seem, 70 u
~ tf,nuRhtless petty or ever, spitefnl =
this pas HIS seeming desire, as noted,