Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-06-21
SPEECH or PRESIDENT DAVIS.

W oH661h VT PRESIDENT DAVIS.
AS announced by telegraph, Presider
u Davis was screnaded in Richmond O
. Monday evening last. The following ar
" his remarks in response to the ccmp:i
- ment:
u "FniESDs AND FELIow. CITIZENS:
" thank yon for the compliment that you
presence conveys. It is an indication q
regard, not for the person, but for the po-
s'lion which he holds. The cause in which
we are engaged is the cause Of the advoca
cy OF rights in which we were born, those
for which our fathers of the Revolution
bled-tl,c richest Inheritance that. ever fcl
10 man, and which it is our sacred duty tc
transmit untarnished to- our children. Up
on us is devolved the high and holy respon
s'biIty of preserving the constitutional
liberty OF free government. (Applause.)
Those with whom we have lately associa-
ted have shown themselves so incapable oi
"ppreciating the blessings of the glorious
institutions they inherited, that they are to-
day stripped Of thelhberty to which they
were born. They |bave allowed an ieno-
rant usurper TO t:a,nple upon all tea prero.
ga'ives of citizenship, and to exercise pow
er never Delegated to him; and it has been
reserved for your own State, so late one of
the original thirteen, but now, thank God,
fully separated from them, to become the
theatre OF a great central camp, from
which will pour forth Thousands of brave
hearts to roll back the tide Of this despot-
ism. Apart from that qualification We may
we'll feel at being separated from such
connection. is the pride that upon you de-
wolves the task Of maintaining and defend.
ing our new Government. I believe tha,
we shall be able to achieye the noble work
and the institutions of our fathers will on
to our children as sacredsssas ,h~y bav-
descended to us. (Applause) In these
Confederate States we observe those rela-
lions whicl, have been POLITICALLY ascribed
to the United States, but which there meyer
had the same reality-Statcs 50 distinct
that ench existed as a sovereign, ret so
united that each was bound with the other
to constitute whole; or, as more beauti-
fully expressed. 'Distiac, as the bilIows, yet
one as tile sea- (Applause.) Upon every
hill which now oyerlooks Richmond, you
hage had, and will continue to have, camps
containing soldiers from every State in the
Confederacy; and -to its reuotest limits
every proud heart beats high with indigna.
tioh at the thought that tue foot Of the in
vader has been set upon the soil of old
Virginia. {Great cheering.) There is not
one true son Of the South who is no, ready
to shoulder his musket to bleed, to die. or
to conquer in the cause of liberty here
(Cheers.)
"Beginning under many embarrassments,
the result of 20 years of taxation being in
the hands of our enemies, we must at FIRST
move cautiously. It may be that we shall
have 20 encounter sacrifices but, nv
friends, under the smiles Of the God Of Il 6 !
Just, and filed with the same spirit that
animated our fathers, success shall perch on
our bannere. am sure you do not expect |
me to 60 into any argument upon these
questions which, for twenty-five years, have
agitated the country. We have now reach.
ed the poine where, arguments being ex-
tausted, it only remains for US to stand by
our arms. (Cheers and cries of we willy
"W4en the time and ocssion serge, We
'hall smite the smi,er With manly arms, as
did our fathers before US, and as becomes,
their soma. To them We lesye the base
acts of the assassin and iacendiary-,o
them we leaye it to inss1, helpless women :; |:
to US belongs vengeance upon man. CTrs-
mendous applaase.) 7
"Now. my friends, ! thank you again for
his gratifying manifestation. A voice.
ell .. something abouuBaena vi..a.)
"WeIl, my friende, we will make the bat.
'lsaeld, Of Virginia another Huena Vista.
nd .drench them with blood more precious
han that shed thers. We will make 4
iissorS for. ourselves. We do not Ssk f
bat the. past c.balltshed its lastfs upon up, l
Wight as the pa.t4i,as been, forSue esIel$
'cbiese oprs own S]epipy. We msy pospfE Z,
Q many q Reid; oyos.sh shioh has fosted thsf
lsg our sountry asnf nss were; of lie.