The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-06-02
Mobile. Ale
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
BY Addie Lee Bats.


Jefferson Davis was born in Chris
tian, now known as Todd county,
Kentucky, on the 3rd of June, 1908;
making this the one hundred and first
anniversary of his birth. He was the
son of a gallant revolutionary soldier
with the finest strain of Welsh blood
flowing in his generous veins.
He began life well, had clean boy
hood, with no tendency to vice or i'm
morality. That Is the testimony of
neighbors, teachers, and fellow-stu
dents. His nature was as transparent
as the light that shone about him:
his heart was as open as the soft
skies that bent in benediction over his
country home. and his temper as
sweet and CHEEKY as the limpid
stream that made music in its flow
through the nefghboring fields and
forests.
At the age of sixteen he received
an appointment to West Point Mill
tary Academy, and graduated with
honor.
He spent several years in the U. s.
| military service and had some con-
spicious part in the Black Hawk war.
In 1914 Mr.. Davis was elected to con-
| gress an, up to the fall of the Con-
| federate government, served his coun-
try in some distinguished capacity.
His First Speech.
| In his first set speech in congress
| which had all the marks and carried
| all the credentials of the profoundest
| craftsmanship, Mr.. Davis made this
broad declaration from the principle
of which he never receded: THE ex-
| tent of our Union has never been to
me the cause of apprehension; its
cohesion can only be disturbed by vio-
lation of the compact which dement's
| it."
A vacancy having occurred by the
death of Senator Spaight, Mr.. Davis
was appointed by the governor to rep
| resent Mississippi in the United
| States senate. There sat Jno c. Cal
houn, Of South Carolina; Daniel Web
| ster, of Massachusetts,: Henry Clay
| of Kentucky; Thomas H. Benton. OF
Missouri; Louis Cass, OF Michigan;
Salmon P. Chase, of Ohio; Stephen A
Douglass, Of Illinois. In that COM
pany Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi
worthy to be the premier at any
council table Of American states
men.
His Farewell.
| Jefferson Daviss farewell to the
| United States senate, when he had
rendered his country such distin-
guished ser~'ce, was one of the most
/ SCENES ever enacted III
that historic chamber. Mississippi. in
the exercise OF her sovereign right
had severed her relation with the
Union. Pale, sad of ceuntenance, the
| hush Of death fell upon the chamber
| when Mr.. Davis arose; at first there
was a slight tremor in his speech, but
as he proceeded his voice recovered
| it's full tone and confident strength
There was no defiance, no word OF
4
/ dimmed with tears, and when he
/ closed with these words there was q
sense of sorrow in the assembly
| Mr.. President and Senators, having
made the announcement which the
| occasion seemed to me to require. il
| only remains for me to bid you final
adieu."
No War Preparations.
Secession was not war measure;
| IL was intended to be a peace meas
IRE. The Southern states seeded
without the slightest preparation for
| war. and the very first act OF the Con-
federate government was to appoint
/ commissioners to Washington to make
| terms of peace and establish relations
| OF amity between the sections"
| The right or wrong of slavery we
| need not discuss or attempt to de-
| termine who was most responsible
/ therefor. The institution is dead and
| the whole nation is glad. The geo
/ graphical limitations of slavery were
| determined not by conscience. but by
| climate. 1t was climate. at the north
and the cotton in the south that regu-
lated the distribution Of slave labor.
I have scant respect for a conscience
/ too sensitive to own certain property,
but without compunction will sell the
| same TO another at full market value
When Mr.. Davis's two pitiless years
az Imprisonment were ended. endur-