Abstract

The Speeches of Henry Winter Davis

The article presents information on the book "Speeches and Addresses, Delivered by Henry Winter Davis, of Maryland," By H.A. Creswell. Born and spending his life in a Southern and slaveholding State, Henry Winter Davis was always a true lover of liberty, yet always, until the last year or two of his life, so fettered by adverse circumstances as to make it impracticable for him fully to acknowledge his convictions to the world, and probably to make him unwilling to admit in his own mind the conclusions to which his principles necessarily led. It is very interesting to trace the gradual progress of Davis's mind towards his ultimate declaration in favor of canal rights. On the memorable April 15, 1861, the day of Northern resurrection, Davis announced himself as a candidate for re-election to the U.S. Congress on the basis of unconditional adherence to the Union.