The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-03


 all. that so long as I am Senator
 here. 1 will not use the powers pos-
 sess to destroy the government to
 which am accredited. leave that to
 gentlemen who take the oath with a
 mental reservation" It were folly to
 attempt the dishonorable or the impos-
 sible. The truth comes more and more to light that discrimination as of a df- viner's rod. indicated one whose char
 acteristic qualities. even more than un-
 rivailed attainments. pointed an in- | dex finger to one who, in later years, was called the "uncrowned king" Per- I feet integrity. moral and intellectual | reverence for authority, clear judg- | ment. compassion, habitual self-immo- lation for others almost beyond prece- | dent--these controlled the actions of | the leader of the young Confectionery. | This infant government was worthy to l stand beside the great powers of the | earth which had been for ages thor l oughly organized, moving straight for l ward with face to the light. Amid the I devastation of the long and stubborn I contest the President maintained un- | rufied the conscious dignity of his 1 historic position = he would be high minded just and merciful, whatever the pressure, within and without to- ward a less noble standard. When he received the telegram informing him l of his election to the Presidency, MT. | | rose cuttings, in his garden. Read l ing the dispatch, he seemed so sad that l Mrs. Davis feared 1t contained news of | a family bereavement. However, after | affectionate advice and admonition to | his servants, he departed alone, leav- 1 ing them to assist Mrs. Davis in clos l ing Briarfield House for the last time l as his home.
 His acceptance was flashed in upon the waiting Congress of the Confeder- ate States at Montgomery before o'clock in the morning. 'The news created widespread excitement and re- | joicing to the people of Mississippi that 1 their fellow citizen. Jefferson Davis, had been placed at the heln--the right man in the right place. Mir. Davis came up to Vicksburg on the steamer 1 Natchez and was greeted by a salute | of a hundred great guns from the bluffs. He held a reception, in which l all vicksburg and Warren County par ticipated. and on his way spent part l of one day in Jackson, the guest of his | friend Colonel Tarpley. When cannon boomed and a crowd gathered to escort him to the depot, he was holding small boy on his knee, while mending broken toy.
 Along the route to Montgomery Mir. Davis was greeted at every station by shouts of eager crowds and the blazing of bonfires. He was received at the first capital of the Confederacy with acclamations, and every evidence of ap- proval and confidence. The. inaugur- ation occurred on February IS, 1881. Writing of 1t in a private letter, MT. Davis said; 'aThe audience was large and brilliant. Upon my weary heart was showered smiles. plaudits and flowers: but beyond them I saw trou- bIes and thorns innumerable. We are without machinery. without means and threatened by a powerful opposition; but I do not despond, and Will not shrink from the task imposed upon me-"
 Agreeable to the instructions of the Provisional Congress. the President immediately appointed three able and discreet commissioners to negotiate for the settlement of all questions which were at issue between the Confectionery and the United States. especially for the evacuation of the few forts within the former still held by Federal troops. Fort Sumter near Charleston, S. G., was distinguished by being made nretext for war Under the spacious plea, Mir. Seward. Secretary of State for, the Northern Government. refused to allow the commissioners to see MT. Lincoln, but promised all they asked putting off from time to time the full filling of his agreement; meanwhile, there was secretly being prepared a large convoy of gunboats, which was to carry arms and supplies to the Fed eraI garrison at Sumter. Early In April, from some movements anout the fort General Beauregard, commanding the Confederate forces at Charleston, became convinced that an attack was to be made on him. and so informed his government at Montgomery. The fleet sent by Lincoln and Seward had been detained by storm. and now stood outside the harbor. Under orders from .. :. rSaafa5arafa Gecrafarv of War, Gen. aral Beauregard summoned the com
 nander of the garrison to surrender. and on his refusal. gave notice that Che Confederates would attack. After the notice had been given Mir. Davis author Ized A message to Major Anderson, commander of the garrison. agreeing to refrain from hostilities, If Anderson would promise not to fire on the con federates unless he was first attackeo' This officer was an old friend or MT. Davis and knew that his word could he trusted He replied that 1t was im- possible for him to give such a pledge. If was then that Fort Sumter was taken by the Confederates. without the loss of a single human life. the garrt- son being allowed to salute their nag with fifty guns before 1t was taken down. The men were immediately re- leased without being paroled. From the history of the United States by Percy Greg. an Englishman. we quote; "Nfr Lincoln's Government thus un- ouestionably began the war. and by signal act of treachery. This treach- cry had made the capture of Fort Sum- fer an immediate necessity. The dou- ble policy of the Republican Cabinet- the peace negotiations, the war meas ures of Lincoln and Seward-had served their purposes; had baffled the earnest efforts of the Confederates to keep the peace. and hidden those efforts from the great majority of the Northern people. The South had been forced the North tricked into war. The players of that double game have gone where all hearts are open, all desires known"
 The sites of the different forts and navy yards on the Atlantic coast were never purchased by the United States, but were ceded by the respective States on certain conditions, to be used for the defense of the harbors near which they were situated. It was understood in the grants that the lands should re- vert to the State so ceding them should they be used for any other purpose than that for which they were given. This arrangement applied to lands for the Brooklyn navy yard, Fortress Mon- roe, Fort Sumter and others.
 President Buchanan. MT. Linco1n's predecessor, had often consulted with MT. Davis in regard to subjects that caused anxiety in connection with the Government. MT. Davis had endeavored