Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-06-11
War Address by jefferson Davis
Boosted Greatness of the South,

boahtCa OEcutnt6b OIL the SOuAns '
Jefferson Davis in a late speech made at
Richmond, Va, in response to a seyenade,
thus energeticslly delivered himself
The cause in which we are engaged is ths
cause of the advocacy of right to which we
were born, those for which our fathers of the
Revolution bled-the richest inheritance that
ever fell to man, and which it is our sacred
duty to transmit uhtarnished to our children.
Upon us is devolved the high and holy re-
sponsibility of preserving the constitutional
liberty OF Q free government. CApplause.1
Those with whom We have lately associated
have shown themselves SO incapable of ap-
preciating the blessings of the glorious insti-
buttons they inherited, that they are to day
stripped OF the liberty to which they were
born. They have allowed an ignorant
usurperto trampleupon all the ~prerogatiVes of
citizenship, and to exercise power never dele
gated to him and it has been reserved for
your own State, so lately one Of the original
thirteen, but now, thank God, fully separated
from them, to become the theater of a great
central comp, from which will pour forth
thousands OF brave hearts to roll back the
tide of this despotism.
Apart from that qualification we NAV well
feel at being separated from such a connec-
tloD, is the pride that upon you devolves the
task of maintaining and defending our new
Government. l believe that we shall be able
to achieve the noble work, and that the in
situations of our fathers will go to our chill
dren as sacred as they have descended to us.
LApplause. In these Confederate States we
observe those relations which have been
POLITICALLY described to the United States, but
which there never had the same reality
States so distinct that each existed as q SOW
ereign,. yet so united that each was bound
with the other to constitute a whole or. as
more beautifully expressed, Distinct as the
pillows, yet one as the sea- [Applause.1 :
Upon, every hill which now overlooks
Richmond, you have had, and will continue
tohaye, camps containing soldiers from every
state in the Contederacy; and to its remotest
limits every proud heart beats high with in
dignation at the thought that the foot of the
invader has been set upon the soil of old
Virginia. [Great cheering.] There is not
one true son of the South who is not ready
to shoulder his musket, to bleed, to die, or to
conquer in the cause of liberty here.
[Cheers.l
Beginning under many embarrassment,
the result OF seventy years of taxation being
IN the hands OF our enemies, we must at first
move cautiously. 1t may be that we shall
have toencounter sacrifices; but, nv friends,
under the smiles of the God of the lust. and
filled with the anne spirit that animated our
fathers, success shall perch on our banners.
| am sure you do not expect me TO 20 into
any argument upon tneSe questions, which
for twenty-five years nave agitated the
country. We have now reached the point
where, arguments being exhausted, it only
remains for us to stand by our arms. COheers
and cries of we will
When the time and occasion serve, we
shall smite the smiter with manly arms, as
did our fathers before Us and as becomes
their sons. To them we leave the base acts
Of the assassin and incendiary; to them we
leave it TO insult helpless women; to us, be-
longs vengeance upon man. Tremendous
applause
Now, my friends, l thank you again for
this gratifying manifestation. IA Voice
Tell us something about Buena Yista.l
Well, my fFisnds we win make the battle
field of Virgins another Bnena Vista, and
drench them with blood more precious than
that shed there. We viii make a history for
ourselves. We do not ask that the a stshal
shed our lustre upon us bright as our past
has been, for We can achieve our own des-
tiny. We may point TO many q field, over
which has hoated the flag Of Our country
when we were of the United States-upon.
which Southern soldiers and Southern
officers reflected their brave spirits In their
deeds Of daring; and, without intending to
cast a shadow upon the courage Of any por-
ton of the United States, let me call il to
your remembrance, that no man who went
from any Of these Confederate States, has
ever yet as a general officer, surrendered 10
an eaemy. IGreat applause.J
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