Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-10-01
Tie Secretary of War.

The Secretary of War returned to Washington
on Friday from his excursion to New England.
During his short stop at Hartford, he was eompIi-
mented by the citizens with an i'm promtu banquet.
at which the Mayor Of the city presided, and who
welcomed the distinguished guest in an appropri-
ate and cordial address. TO this address col. Da.
Wis made brief reply.
He spoke of his own poiiticaiposition rs State
rights man, claiming that State sovereignty WAS
essential to true republcaniSm. In Joining thu.
Contederacy, and subsequently entering into n
more perfect union, did Connecticut surrender her
State sovereignty? Did she abandon the princi-
Piles which her independence was declared?
Would she to-day give up her rights as State for
which the battles Of the Revolution were fought?
Every son of Connecticut will respond with hear
ty No! And this makes him State rights man at
heart whatever his professions may be. II e Stat,
rights men of the South are friends of the Union,
and they are fast friends of that great principle Of
State sovereignty which alone can sustain and per-
petuate 1t. Col. Davis alluded to his visit North
twenty seven years ago, then quite young, he
passed through New England Since then there
have been marked changes here. Progress had
been In the land of STEADY habits" and blessed it
with many new sources ofpower and wealth The
ingenuity OF man has set in motion complicated
machinery which seems to be endowed with rea-
son. 1t passes forward and back, transversey
slowly swiftly, as the nature Of its work requires.
1t cuts hard steel and iron as the oiner's plane
shaves the soft pine. These machines, sir. Turn
| ing to Mr.. Colt. which we have seen to-day are
wonderful to OF the South and West; really
wonderful, sir. They are the surprising results of
remarkable ingenuity, and contribute TO the COM
mon country Your repeating pistols, made in
Hartford, are relied upon on the borders of Texas
to protect the men and women of that State from
Indian deprcdations. Northern manufactures are
| nj
these are the means by which each part is made
to realize its dependence every other, and are
/ the sure bonds OF union. The marks of prosperity
and happiness are all over New England The
murmur Of the waterfall has been drowned in the
roar of the manufacturing city, all is activity save
when New England sabbath spreads its all perva-
ding calm and truly welcomes weary man to "a day
of rest. From the physical to the moral, from the
results of ingenuity and industry he turned with
pleasure to the of New England. Above all
that was grand in their scenery and admirable in
their application of the useful arts he appreciated
them. They were warm hearted, cordial, hospi-
table, intelligent. And this he had found equal
~ the case where nature wore her most rugged as
pect when she smiled on such fertile plains as
here surrounded them. He could never forget his
highland welcome; bat wh, descending from the
mountains this beautiful valley burst upon his view
he realised the feeling of the Hun who, on behold
ing for the first time the plains Of LAZY, llmcd,
here let my home be- He thought that there
was not personal intercourse enough between tho
North and the South. We should be bettersac-
quainted, and understand each other better in or
der to which We should see more of each other at
home. Surely the result would be happy one"
The Hartford paper says:
"Col. Davis was frequently interrupted with. APP
plause, and his brief though feeling and eloquent
speech will long be remembered and cherished by
all who had the pleasure of hearing it. In con-
cluson, he gave:
THE health and prosperity of old Connecticut
whose sons are found in every State ofthe Union
i Cheers