The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-10

attempted to heap upon his person, and
 his fame.
 It is to honor him that we hold this
 memorial meeting this evening, which
 marks his Natal Day.
 At the Court of Philip Augustus of France, in those days when leaders of
 men forged to the front. Jefferson Da- wis would have been foremost to sue cessful achievement the chivalrous and rashly daring nobles of France! In | England he would have led the barons ! ir their daring rebellion against John 1 and again would have checked the King Henry III and his brave younr
 Edward. With the Crusaders he would have ridden with Godfrey of Bonllon or with Richard Couer de Lion woul
 have dissolved with tears in looking down from the heights upon the favor 1 ed City of Jerusalem
 In the great Civil War he was one of
 the first to step upon the arena of 1 strife; at his command the smoke of battle canopied the last scene of con- 1 flict. Yet this cherished hero of ours
 was no fire eating politician. hot blood cd and inconsequent, but calm and de- liberate in those days prior to 1S6O-61 Those days of storm and stress, which
 tried mems souls. Previous to this 1 hour MT. Davis had impressed his force ] of character upon the people of these
 
 | tinguished character of his services to these United States. Trained at West Point as a subaltern in the military
 service of his country, he shone a dis l tinguished figure in the Mexican war. war Illustrated by the valor and he- i rofsm of such men as Scott and Worth and Quitman and Taylor and R. F. Lee
 and Jefferson Davis Ae representative of his State in the halls of Congress. : as Governor of Mississippi as Secretary of War, as a great senator of great State. he served well and brilliantly l and played well his part as became a man, a soldier and a statesman, lover of his country and it's constitution, of 1 his State and it's sovereignty.
 In 1S60 the great presidential contest was waged almost exclusively on issues and principles which were regarded as vital to the Union. MT. Jefferson Davis offered a series of resolutions in the Senate in order to define the position
 of h.s associates and himself on those vital issues and principles. The North ern people did not then and have not since understood MT. Davis's position. Mir. Alex Stephens, whose judgment no man can question and whose political relations to Mir. Davis were not of such an intimate and vital character as to place him under suspicion of speaking | from undue partiality, says of MT. Da- wis as he viewed him at the date of | this action of the senate and said: l | always regarded him as a strong Un- | ion man in sentiment as long as the Union was maintained on its principles ! on which it was formed. He was with out doubt a through States Rights, State Sovereignty man. He believed in the right of secession but what l mean
 to say is, that in my opinion he was an ardent supporter on the union in prin- ciples as he understood them upon which and for which the Union was formed. If MT. Davis was in favor of secession upon the grounds of MT. Lin- 1 coln's election. I am not aware or It. He certainly made no speeches nor wrote any letter for the public during | that canvass that indicated such views | or purposes" says MT. Stephens, Referr- ing to this nomination MT. DaVls says: My own devotion to the Union of our fathers had been so often and so fully declared, my services to the union, civil and military, were so extendeo ana well known that 1t was believed that my nomination would remove the dan ger of defeat which the candidacy of
 less prominent advocate of the Union
 might provoke Then as afterwards
 regarded the separation of tho States as a great. though not the greatest evil
 The separation came, State after State
 sec eded. On the 4th day of February, 1861. the delegates from the seeded