10 A
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1961
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, ORE.
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Worlds
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ii.
CIVIL WAR
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Pjlynn W.
-Tl . Watkins
(HtjIsCtr & Tribune Syndicate, 1961)
A NEW NATION In the classic Georijiun
capitol on a hill at Montgomery, Ala., dele
gates from southern states, comparing their
task to that ol the founding fathers at the
first Continental Congress, met in 1881 to
form a new nation. From a list of names
they picked "The Confederate States of
America" and, despite certan objections,
named Jefferson Davis as TVesident. The
photo above shows crowds standing on the
grounds of the capitol awaiting word from
the meetings. The sessions were kept secret,
and until Davis' election was announced,
little information was forthcoming.
(UPf Telephoto)
Confederate States Are Formed
By MERTON T. AKERS
UPI Correspondent ,
In the classic Georgian Capi
tol on a hill in Montgomery,
Ala., 44 delegates from six
southern states met Feb. 4,
1861, to create a new nation.
Delegates from a seventh
stale, Texas, were on their
way, the stale having seceded
Feb. 1.
The Montgomery gathering
was distinguished, the average
ability higher than "any of the
16 Congresses I have been in
at Washington," Alexander H.
Stephens, a delegate of Geor
gia, concluded.
The delegates likened their
task to that of the Republic's
founding fathers at the First
Continental Congress. Free
men shaking off the shackles
of tyranny, they called them
selves in the metaphorical
language so dear to the hearts
of the orators of the day.
New Nation Formed
There was no Thomas Jef
ferson to write their aspira
tions into a ringing declara
tion of independence; no
Washington to head up an
army of liberation. But the
will to break off from the
rest of the United Slates was
resolute and In four days the
delegates formed a provision
al government, adopted a pro
visional constitution and in
one more day - on Feb. 9 -elected
a provisional presi
dent - Jefferson Davis of Mis
sissippi, one-time U.S. senator
and secretary of war.
They called their new na
tion the Confederate States of
America, although Thomas
R. R. Cobb, another Georgian,
suggested "The Republic of
Washington" to snow tho
seceded southerners were
going back to first principles.
Another name put forth, "The
Confederacy of the Cotton
States," was right on the tar
get because Virginia, North
Carolina, Tennessee and Ar
kansas still were outside and
at the moment showed no in
clination to go along. '
But parallels between the
Montgomery assembly and the
First Continental Congress
were few. Where the Conti
nental Congress worked in
open session, the Confederate
Congress drew the blinds and
worked secretly. Where the
Continental Congress met in
Philadelphia, the largest city
In the colonies, the Confeder
ate Congress selected a com
paratively obscure capital,
founded only 44 years before,
and passed up such more fa
mous cities as Charleston and
Columbia, S C., or Savannah
and Mtlledgevillc, Ga. One
parallel did exist without
doubt, Montgomery orginally
was named New Philadelphia.
Sessions of the Confederate
Congress were so secret that
little is known about them
even yet. Not until 1!)04 was a
skimpy journal published and
then by the U.S. government.
Only glimpses of the meetings
have come through in letters
of delegates.
On the surface the decisions
of the. delegates of the six
slates were unanimous. Under
neath individual ambitions
clashed, an inevitable result
when 44 politicians meet together.
Howell Cobb of Georgia
was named to head the one-
chamber Congress by virtue
of his fame as secretary of the
treasury under President Bu
chanan. He also was angling
for the presidency of the bud
ding nation. So was his col
league, Robert Toombs, shag
gy, tobacco-chewing Georgia
planter and former U.S. sena
tor. A mild boom also blos
somed briefly for Stephens.
With the provisional consti
tution - copied almost In full
from the U.S. Constitution -
out of the way and a commit
tee named to draw up a per
manent document, the busi
ness of electing the first presi
dent got under way.
The question of whether
Davis was drafted for the
office as he contended, or
whether he was elected acci
dentally as Stephens claimed
to the day of his death, seems
destined to go down in history
as unsolved.
There is little doubt thai
Davis wanted to be command
er-in-chief of the Confederate
Army rather than President.
And it seems just as certain
that Georgia rated and ex
pected to obtain the presi
dency. Both ambitions broke
on the rocks of the over
whelming desire for unani
mous action so as to present a
solid front to the world.
Cobb soon faded out of the
presidential picture. He had
Jumped to the Whig side in
me Compromise of 1850 and
the '81 Democrats had long
memories.
When the Georgia delega
tion met the night of Feb. 8
to name its choice for the elec
tion next day - each state has
only one vote - Toombs indi
cated his willingness to under
take the presidency if it came
"cordially." But then Georgia
heard that four states had
plumped for Davis - Mississip
pi, his home state, abstaining
from recommending him in
deference to his wishes for a i
military position.
To maintain unanimity.
Georgia went along and Davis :
was elected, 6-to-0. As a sop, j
Stephens was elected vice
president, also unanimously.
Stephens claimed a foul - that
Toombs really was the choice
for the presidency and his
animosity against Davis dated
from that day.
Davis was working in his
rose garden at Briarfield, the
Mississippi plantation h I s
brother, Joseph, had given to
him, when a messenger ar
rived with the news. Mrs.
Varina Howell Davis wrote
later that her husband drop
ped his shears in surprise and
turned pale when he read the
telegram.
"He looked so grieved that I
feared some evil had befallen
our family," she wrote. "After
a few minutes of painful si
lence he told me, as a man
might speak of a sentence of
death. As he neither desired
nor expected (lie position he
was more deeply depressed
than before."
The Vicksburg telegraph
office was being held open for
his reply and Davis immedi
ately wired acceptance.
The clanging plantation bell
summoned Davis' slaves. He
made a short speech to them -
the last time he would see
Ihem in bondage - and dis
tributed supplies, giving
Uncle Bob, a 'rheumatic old
hand, an extra quantity of
blankets to shut out the Mis
sissippi River chill.
Another slave, Isaiah Mont
gomery, rowed Davis out into
the river to Old Tom Leath
ers' steamboat the Natchez. It
headed north to Vicksburg,
and the President-elect of the
C.S.A. was on his way to
Montgomery and his inaugura
tion ceremonies. Mrs. Davis
would stay and set the planta
tion in order before following
with the children.
Enroute Davis, with sincere
regret, resigned his commis
sion as major general of the
Army of (the state) Mississip
pi, putting away forever the
Would an Animal
Commit Suicide?
The daily press frequently
runs a story about the strange
and unusual behavior of some
one's pet dog that apparently
attempts to end its own life.
One report tells of such an
instance, when after several
attempts failed, the dog finally
tried to kill itself by going on
"a hunger strike," refusing all
food in spite of the fact an
examination indicated the
animal was in perfect health.
Committing voluntary sui
cide is a human prerogative,
you think, and anyone who
claims differently is certainly
"teched in the head." Maybe
yes, and maybe no no one
can say for sure. But the evi
dence so far presented indi
cates a strong possibility that
self-destruction does happen
among animals, aside from
man, and rather frequently.
Complex Subject -Here
is a problem ii
thought processes, and the
possibility of delving into the
inner recesses of a living
brain, be it that of a man
monkey or mouse, is a com
plex and little understood
subject. Here, even the most
advanced psychologist or psy
chiatrist is only a small child
wandering and all but lost in
a vast wilderness.
Many records of apparent
suicide among animals are on
record, even instances where
it was actually premeditated
and successfully carried out.
No one knows what thought
processes and wild ideas go
through an animal s mind at
such a time, any more than
we know exactly what goes
on in the mind of a human
when self-destruction seems to
be "the only way out." There
must be a powerful motive to
prompt such an action.
Rate Increases
As the intelligence rate goes
up in higher animal forms, the
apparent frequency at self
destruction seems to be great
er. Every person who has been
in long contact with animals,
such as a zoo keeper or pet
owner, has had experiences
where animals will die when
there is absolutely no disease
or apparent physical defect.
Nearly any pet owner fa
miliar with dogs can recall
times when a pel develops
blindness or any of a dozen
ailments, and in desperation
does something that has all
the outward appearance of
suicide.
A recent newspaper story
tells of a dog, nearly blind
and severely crippled with
rheumatism, who licked his
master's hand and deliberate
ly swam away, lo drown in a
lake. The owner called, bul
for the first time in its life
the dog failed to obey the call
of the master. He never
looked back, but swam away,
and sank beneath the water.
It seems that to some of the
lower animals, as well as to
some people, death by self
destruction offers Ihe only
escape from real or fancied
troubles.
specially designed uniform
that went with it.
Another president-elect was
on his way to inauguration,
too. The day before Davis re
nounced a military career,
Abraham Lincoln had said
farewell to Springfield, 111.,
and started a 12-day journey
to Washington.
Dr. Robert D. Gallagher
announces
the opening of his office at
The Medical Center Bldg.
Suite 419
Chiropodist - Foot Specialist
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