The Oxford intelligencer., 1861-04-24
i Speech Of the Hon. Howell Cobb.

4
on the night of Tuesday, the 10th inst Having
been introduced to the audience by the Hon.
Jacob Thompson, Mr.. Cobb spoke substantially
LADIES AND GESrLEaEs: Tie only regret
feel on this occasion is that cannot hope to
from its novelty, to this large assembly. The
great and absorbing questions, which have so
long agitated our people, have been so fully and
ally discussed, by your journals and your dis
tinguished speakers, that little Is now Left for
me to say. am satisfied however, that il is
not necessary for me to say one word to you for
the purpose of convincing your Judgment that
the cause of the South is that Of truth, and
right and justice, and honor. Neither is it need
ful that / should make the slightest effort to
arouse your enthusiasm, or to awaken patriotic
feelings in your breasts; for wherever / go,
throughout the Confederate States, and from
whatsoever portion of those States receive in
telligence, find that the hearts of our entire
people throb as the heart Of one man, in perfect
sympathy with each other in regard to the great
|
We meet with the cloud of war darkening
our horizon. No man can look into the future
and predict, with certainty, the issue OF the
struggle that has now begun but, il you desire
to know my opinion on the subject will frank
ly state my belief that the war will be Of short
duration. base my opinion upon this reason,
mainly We are contcnding only for our rights.
We are fighting in defence of our hearths and
homes, and of all that men hold dearer than life.
Those who battle in such cause cannot be con-
quered. Those ihen, on the other hand, who
are waging this war against us, are seeking our
subjugation, and arc only impelled by desire
to perpetrate a great wrong against US. | do
not believe that men who wage war for such
a purpose, can or will long continue it.
1 was one of those who looked upon the Un-
ion of our fathers with affection and reverchee,
regarding it as the source and pledge of unnum-
bered blessings to the Americanpcople. For it
have sacrificed much. haveloved it: | have
been devoted to it; and the most trying ordeal
through which have ever passed was that
which led me unwillingly to the conclusion that
the Union was no longer worth preserving.
do not intend that my children shall ever pass
through another ordeal like that, and, therefore
I do not desire that the late Union between US
and the free States shall ever be reformed ZAP
pIausc:) The Union was not dissolved because
of any act of the General Government 1t was
a Union based upon a feeling of brotherhood
between all the people of the various States
and II fell because that feeling had ceased to cx
ist The North had long been taught, in th'
scbool-room, in the Sunday school, from tn
pulpit. by the press, and in every other mod
e by which popular sentiment could be Affected
= that slavery was grievOus wrong against hu
{: manity. fagrant sin against God, and that yo''
: because you were participators in that wron
and sin, were wholly unfit to associate with them
n Eighteen years ago, first met my friend MI
+ Thompson in Congress at Washington Their
: there were but two abolition members of tina
!. body. Four years thereafter, their number ha
k increased to nine, and so rapid was their subs
'e quent progress, that in 1855, they were enable
= to elect one of themselves to the high ard r.
!" sponsible position of Speaker of the House
is Representatives. then felt that it was time
= despair of the Union-that its doom was seale'
o. Had Fremont been elected to the Presidenti
IA office. the Union ought at once to have been di
m solved. because the Government would ha'
I'd been in the hands OF those who were pledg'
IS to exert its powers to our destruction. Wh'
Lincoln was elected, the Union, for the reas'
inst assigned, scas dissolved; and, from tn
lime no shadow of doubt has ever rested u
ON my mind, either in regard to the justice
our cause, or to its ultimate success (APpiaus'
What now, are the prospects before us'
there any reason to apprehend that the Come
crate States will be unable to maintain the
3 selyesf We possess, in abundance, all the
ments of national prosperity. That people
richest which has the largest amount oil
cbanseable commodities to dispose OF to OIL
ma commercial nations. Our ability to purch'
in the productions of other countries must
of measured by the value Of our own productio
sold to them. Last year, the United States
,ls ported productions valued al s313, 100000, a
but received back in importations about SSOO,Ot
the 600. upon which some 100000 of du'
be - ..,,...os .rd ,.;d ;nto the Federal Tfea
were COlleCteu anu pau hiho WY -
ems n ry.. 1 am not pretending, in this statement
and speak with exactness as to sums. 1t is sufflcl
the that approximate precision. or the expo
nd of the United States, s2ls,ooO,ooo we're
y productions Of the Southern States-prod
,ere tons which are peculiar to the South On
by other hand, the peculiar productions of
MIS- North, in which the South does not and can
- =
of come into competition with her, consisting Ct
" Of ice, hay and Goldfish, and which we're
. ported to other countries, amounted to at
,pse $4,000, 600, leaving some ss5.OOo,OOO 70
'3ur 3:n made up of manufactured articles and Of
are lductions which are common alike to the Sc
as and the North, We have naught to fear in
io,lc future except too great prosperity. Hith'
~ we have been contributing the materials u
ouId which the North has grown rich and pows
n.- and insolent The prosperity of the North
pirt been based spon our predictions There
oPle; danger, thea. that we shall not be able TO
care Of ourselves.
= A. c.o1 of q