Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-10-28
MEMORIAL EXERCISES.

Of the Confederacy Of the State to the
memory of Hon. George Davis of that
city. who was the brother Of our
friend, Judge Horatio Davis The
orator OF the occasion was Col. A. N.
Waddell, distinguished son OF the
Old North state. and in that address
he spoke in part as follows;
mo memorial has yet been erected
IN North Carolina to commemorate a
truer patriot, a more profoundly learn
Cd jurist, a more accomplished orator
End scholar or a more stainless gentle
nan than he whose statue viii stand
above the corner stone laid here to-
cay. Descended from some OF the
most distinguished Of the original set.
tiers OF this Cape Fear country, he
attained greater distinction than any
Of them and wore his wellearned |
laurels with modesty as rare as 1t
was unaffected
"As he who stands at the base Of a
noble structure cannot by his physl-
cal eyesight take In all the architec-
tural beauty, so we cannot by our
mental vision see in their Just proper
tlons the qualities Of greatness in
those with whom we are brought into
close and familiar contact little
distance is necessary in the one case
as in the other to get true view
sThe people OF Wilmington among
whom he passed nearly his whole life
we're too close to Mr.. Davis to realize
fully the splendid proportions of his b
intellectual and moral charac.
ter His natural dignity and reserve {
We're so softened by his genial and /
kindly spirit that the humblest Of his
acquaintance were among the warm. 7
est Of his admirers. He was too big
q man for afiectatlons OF any kind, and a
he was too sturdlly honest TO compro- b
mise his conviction on any subject; c
therefore, while always courteous and p
towards those who differ b
ID with him, his judgments which b
we're always well considered were apt o
o be final. C
"As a lawyer deeply yersed In the v
OF the science he had no II
superior at the North Carolina Bar; n
IS an advocate he had no equal: as
! platform orator he was without a
'eer, and as a manly man OF spotless
character, and the highest ideals in g
very sphere Of life, he was a model
Prior to the war Mr.. Davis was
strong union man, and opposed to
accession, He was trusted and hon
red, however, by all parties in the
State and was appointed one OF the
'eaee Commissioners 70 Washington
n 1861, who, II was hoped might 4
feet a reconciliation between the 2
wo sections. Finding that this could
lot be done, except upon terms which
he commissioners believed TO be de.
radlng and dishonorable to the State,
e returned and delivered his message
0 that effect TO the people OF this
ity who assembled In a vast crowd
o hear him. No one who attended
hat meeting can ever forget st., for
he speech he made II was a master.
y discussion OF the situation and a
plendld display OF his powers. and
when that crowd dispersed there was
10 longer any division of sentiment
s TO the necessity OF preparing for
elf-defense and the preservation OF
he constitutional liberty. The only
ther speech OF his that shall men
ion was that delivered in the opera
Iouse In 1868, when the carpet.bag :.
entry were ruling and robbing the
'eople OF the State, That was the
Ireatest speech OF his life and was !
'ronounced by competent judges TO
e the most brilliant one ever deliver.
d IN North Carolina.
mir, Davis. as You all know. was .
senator and later the Attorney-Gen.
raj OF the Confederate States in both
1 which positions he won the un.
ualided respect OF his associates. and
he afiectionate confidence OF the
'resi0cHi. lie was the honored friend (
{ Robert L. Lee. Tor that greatest Of 1
americans recognized In him the