New-York tribune., 1905-03-08
A REMARKABLE CAREER.

With the death of John H. Reagan, Of Texas.
figure Of singular interest In national politics
passes away. Mr.. Reagan's public career covered
more than sixty years He began holding office
when Texas was still an independent republic.
After its admission into the Union as State
he sat in the legislature at Austin. He served
two terms in the federal House Of Represen-
tatives before the Civil War Joined in the Seces-
sion movement was delegate TO the Confed-
crate Provisional Conference. a member of the
Provisional Confederate Congress, filed the
Offices of Postmaster General and Secretary Of
the Treasury In Jefferson Davis's Cabinet and
wac captured with Davis and imprisoned In
Fort Warren. On the removal Of his disabilities
he was returned to the National House of Rep
resentatives from Texas, sat in that body for
six terms, and was then promoted to the United
States Senate. He left the Senate voluntarily
after four years TO accept the presidency of the
State Railroad Commission OF Texas. To have
held commissions under three separate flags, to
have lived through three changes of allegiance
10 have completed under the Presidency of Ben
3aIain Harrison a Congressional service begun
under the Presidency Of James Buchanan-that
is record for variety and continuity paralleIed
IN the experiences OF few American statesmen
Mr.. Reagan's death breaks one of the few re-
naming links between the older and the newer
generation OF Southern leaders. He was the
S
He was one Of the few Southerners left who sat
In the Provisional Confederate Congress He
had outlived practically all his Southern asso-
ciates in the two federal Congresses preceding
secession. Of all that brilliant and turbulent
company Of Southern statesmen none remain
In either House or Senate Probably none sur
yive even In retirement OF the Texas states
mans colleagues in the civil or military SER
vice OF the Confederacy many remain. Rut
their number is lessening yearly. II is getting
easier and easier to count the veterans of This
class still In harness in national politics.
George q. Vest, who retired from the sena+a
on March 3, 1903, and who died last wear ,ra o
Senator in the Confederate Congress- HIS
colleague, Francis NJ. Cockrell. whose Nftb enc,
cessiVe term IN that body ended last sst,,rdar
ana who has now been appointed by Pres,dant
roosevelt an Interstate Commerce Cor,ro,ssior
er, was major general In the Confedera+o
army. There are still left in the unner branoh
or Congress these Confederate officers. Jobr IN
morgan ana Edmund w. Pettus of Alabama
both oTlgadier generals; James H Berry. of Ar
kansas, badly wounded at Corinth while sorry
Ing as q lieutenant; Stephen R. MaIIorv end
James z. TaliafeTro, Of Florida, both of whom
enlisted as boys in the Army of Northern Vir
ginia; Augustus O. Bacon, of Georgia a csnta,r
In the same army; j. C. S. Blackburn and lame,
b McCreary, Of Kentucky, who served with tbs
Western forces; Samuel D. McEnery. OF Louis
lana, q former lieutenant; fernando de Sott
Money and a. ]. McLaurin, of Mississippi botl
priyates; William B Bate. OF Tennessee a mafo
general and John w. Daniel Of Virginia major
OF the twenty-six seats from the thirteen South