The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-06-01
Who Pays a Tribute to Char
acfer and Motives of the
Conf derate Leader

pace IN Q1SLOIy. az s,o4A'SSAfS
other Confederate. He met every
crisis dauntIessly and measured up
tosevery Just expectation and demand
of his people
|. 5Ths speaker related incidents n
Mr.. Dayis,s life as a soldier. plan
ter, statesman. United States senator,
president of the Confederacy and as
prisoner after the war oetWeen
the states With such varied ana
wide experience. said General Green.
+his character at all times exempt
fed renrleness and unselfshness- He
was unassuming and rigidly truthsni.
combining life al patriotism. nooal=
ity. and sincerity, with an honest oe-
sire to serve his fellow man. which
challenges the worlds admlratioD-
Laid Aside HonorS
.-sHavinS served in public life more
than thirty Consecutive years un1i1
1851 found him with the highest
honors his state could bestow--a
United States senator-there was
nothing more he could wish. and yes
ii. the call OF duty, the voice OF has
Istate.-he2 laid aside hi2 honors votun-
ttariiy in order to serve his people 5
interest. He was not At any time .
secessionist.' He urged on all occa-
sions forebearance and patience when
political wrongs were heaped upon
the South. but when hisjstate passed.
the ordinance. of secession he t/aaeI-
| ed. his resignation as senator, choos-l
I ing srather-to take bis lot with Is
own people as private clt1zen- iMI.
Davis never gave up the nope OF
satisfactory compromise until mo
drst ~un had been fred He con-
Tended that a guarantee of equai
the Constitution would
restore the Union immediately
| The speaker mentioned that after
Mr. Davis returned to Mississippi
from Washington. the governor
signed him to- command all the mir
tarv forces of the state. and on Feb
elected president or the provisional
government of the Confederate
State sof America
Preferred Military Service
Mr. Davis regarded the Confeder-
ate constitution a model of wisdom
and liberal craftsmanship. said Cen
eral Green. and as his eteceion was
unanimous he accepted. though ne
greatly preferred active mii1tary, seFS-
lice He was in no sense a canoioa .1s.
for the presidency and was grea1y
sapoointed that he had been elected
THE provisional government having
expired Feb 22. 1862. the Confeder-
ate Congress reelected Mr. Davis TO
the presidency
Is General Green referred to Davis s
conduct of affairs of the Confederacy.
of: his efforts on behalf OF the sol.
diers of the South and on oenalf OF
prisoners OF war of both the North
and South. of the removal OF MI. Da-
vic and his cabinet from Richmond to
nofnrs farther south. as the Union
forces closed about them, ana OF the
receipt by Davis Of news OF the sur
render of the Confederate generals.
.2At Washington, Georgia, Mr. Da-
Wis received the first of1c1a. lniorma-
ton OF the surrendered General JOS
eph E Johnston. continued the
speaker. He at once ordered the
secretary of war to pay on the SOY
diers and dismissed all OF his military
escort. asking for only ten volunteers
10 accompany him He formally dis
solved his cabinet and told each mem
Der to look out for his Own safesy- MI
Davis intended to go West and cross
the Chattahoochee and attempt to fan
! in with troops in Alabama and SO
tcross the Mississippi and join General
lE. x. Smith and continue the war on
that side of the river WITH the ulu-
mate purpose that the seeded states
should return to the United states
with all rights of the states unlm-
lpaired.
- His Capture
Three days after leaving Washing
ton Mr.. Davis found his ram1Iy es-
icamped with a small wagon train and
Travelled several days with them He
jstlu intended to cross the Mississippi
HE had his horse saddled one nignr
and he laid down to rest shortly be-
/ fore dawn. Soon afterward his ne
Igro coachmaD reported to him that he
heard firing nearby. Mr. S.Dav1s left
his tent and saw some union cavalry
linen. His wife urged him to escape.
HIS horse was shitched nearoy- AS it
Twas still dark he picked up In his tent
what he though was his r11ncoat. and
later found that 1t belonged TO his
wife. Mrs Davis threw shawl over
1 his shoulders to protect him from the
| cool morning air. He had Advanced
| from the ten. but few steps wae4
he was. ordered tosha1t- Mr. Davis
!: threw OF the =raincoat and shawl and
advanced upon the trooper. but his
wife rushed up and threw her arms
:about him and there was nothing to
lido but surrender Many false state
imen4s have. been made BY his enimfes
las to-rhe dress he; wore when arrese-
led but Mr. DaEis's soldierly charac-
ter and courage gave the lie to all
such stories and those or his house
hold bore him out in his statement
that he wore gentleman's morning
wrapper
General Green related stories of Mr..
!.Davis.s life IN Fortress scon-oe as Z
prisoner Of the United States and
uuoted the statements of a fort physi-
tcian CONCERNING the prisoners pa
thence and gentEeness during his con-
dnement. General Green told O.
Dayisss release from Fort Monroe. OF
his going to Canada and in closing.
said: