Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1863-01-16
sPEECR OF PRESIDENT DAVIS,
TO THE
S LEGISLATURE OF MISSISSIPPI. ! y

ippi, a sketch of which we fnd in the Jackson
Mississippian. We select the most important por-
tions: "a 80"
After complimentary ansion to Mississippi
and her soldiers, the President spoke of his love
for the old Union. He alluded to II, however, as
matter of regret that the best affeatons OF his
heart should have been bestowed upon an obiect
so unworthy-that he should haye1oved 50 long
government which was rotton TO 1t its very core.
He lad predicted from the beginning herce
war; though it had assumed more gigantic proper
tions than he had calculated upon. He had pre-
dlcted war; not because our rightte seceed was not
undoubted one, and clearly defined in the spirit
OF that declaration which rests tie right to govern
upon the consent of the governed, but the wicked
ness of the North would entail war upon the coun
try. The present war waged against the rights OF
free people unjust, and the fruit OF the evil
passions OF the North In the progress of the war
those evil passions have been brought out and de-
veloped and so far from re uniting with sucha
peOpls-a people whose ancestors Cromwell had
gathered from the bogs aud tens OF ireland and
Scotland people whose intolerance produced dis.
cord and trouble wherever they went, who perse-
cuted Catholics, Episcopallans, and every other
sect that die not subscribe to their bigoted and
contracted notons who burnt witches, and did q
thousand other things calculated to make them
forev er infamous. The President was empha tic in
his declaration that under circumstances would
he consent reunion. He draw glowing pc-
of the horrors of war, and the ravages of tho
enemy ; and while tears flowed for those who snf-
fered yet ali these would be endured, cheerfniiy,
rendered. get as-sss .e,gs So.
THE WAR UPON NORTHERN SOIL. sssp
He alluded briefly to his desire to transfer the
war upon Northern SOIL but the failure to do this
proceeded not from want Of inclination OF pow.
er. We were not an old established nation, with
armies and navies at ou: command. These had TO
be mprovised frota the scanty materials to be
found within the limits of our own Confederacy1
I'VE were biockhded and cnt of from other nations,
and everybody knows that we had been an agfl-
cultural people, and that facilities for manufac
! turing materials OF were extremely limited.
Notwithstanding this fact, patent TO the most cass
ua observer, we had now an army, larger than
ever before our arms and munitions of war were
increased in number aud improved in quality, and
we are ina better condition to day than we were
twelve months ago. FL Isssf \ geasas iag..s.ges
| The Conscription and Exemption laws We're then
touched upon, and tbe necessity OF the one and the
intention of the other explained. He thought
there might properly be REVISION of the latter,
and trusted there would be no conflict between
Confederate and State laws on the subject Of tho
military. 81 .sba eW -T&ssss
/ INDECENT FAM1LIEs-REsERvED CORPS. sao&a
The President expressed his qualification at the
message of Gov. Pettus, and cordially endorsed his
views IN re ference to making provisions Ior ln9i-
gent families, and the enrolment OF exempts. who
! could be ready upon em ergepcy to go forth and
occupy the trenches while the disciplined and 90.
tive soldiers could take the fields. The calls Tor
such could be for thirty sixty scF nlneey
! Gays, anu Wucu tiio iSohcJ @A fE1N, >~~,SJ
could return to their pursuits. Raw soldiers, the
President contended could do efficient sseryicein in
the trenches, and the adoption OF such, Al Pohcy
would strengthen our means OF defence quite ma
terialy. -, -,
Tn his allusion to the vast numbers of the North,
/ the President said that upon any fair field we
! were willing to fight them two to one we have
\ often whipped them three to one at Antletam
/ Geu Lee whipped them four to one.W But this
4 might not be the case always AS the enemy pro-
/ gressed in dicipline, they approached nearer 20
i our own troops in eHcier cy. Hence the nec-
] essitv of providing something ike q correspond
ing force to that which the enemy are bringing
against US. = sn1ag %@s ~ ~
The President denounced in erms OF scAth.
no but dignified rebuke the habit of straggiing
, from the army He invoked public opinion
; to fiown it down, and called upon the women
to drive the stragglers back to dutysAals1 a8ss
FILL UP THE RANKS. ho3aeE Ez9nE
Fl He urged the necessity of filling up the
3 thinned ranks Of cur regiments. ~ Those Ses
erans who had gone through many hard fosgns
b battles looked for their kindred at hSme TO sup
!, ply the places which had been made vscant oy
. the death of their comrades "A brigade wnien
e mustered only twelve hundred neps wonio
t have to bleed as much as. fit had is tnlt auofa
8 900. Their ranks must be. filled - humanity
demands it, il was a time for patriots % threw
5 uff the shackles of private inter rne
q rescue of those heroes whom me ra ares 81
) war had yet spared, and consecrate themselNes
S to the most sacred cause or earth sssas an e
s s. "a Anyrrnx xAe &tM4