The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-23
Important from the South.
Important from the South.
SPEECH OF JEFF. DAVIS TO THE MlS.
SISSlPPI LEGISLATURE.
The War of Greater Magnitude than
Anticipated.
The Real Points of Attack at Port
Hudson and VicksburS.
From the Northwest lie Looks for the
First Cleans of Peace.
GEN. JOE JOHNSTON,S SPEECH.


SPEECH OF DAVIS TO THE LEGISLA-
TURE OF MISSISSIPPI.
From the Richmond Wing, Jan. c.
On the Goth day of December, Presi-
dent Davis delivered an address before the
Legislature of Mississippi, sketch of which
we find in the Jackson MiSsiSsipian. We
select the most important portions:
After complimentary allusion to Mis-
sissippi and her soldiers, the President
spoke of his love for the old Union. He
alluded to it, however. as a matter of re-
greet that the best affections of his heart
should have been bestowed upon an object
SO unworthy-that he should have loved
SO long government which was rotten to
its very core. He had predicted from the
beginning very fierce war, though it had
assumed more gigantic proportions than he
had calculated upon. He had predicted
war, not because our right to secede was
not an undoubted enc, and clearly defined
in the spirit of that declaration which rests
the right to govern upon the consent of the
governed; but the wickedness Of the North
would entail war upon the country. The
present war, waged against the rights of a
free people, Was unjust, and the fruit of the
evil passions Of the North In the pro-
gress of the war those evil passions have
been brought out and developed; and so
far from re-Uniting with such u people-a
people whose ancestors Cromwell had
gathered from the logs and fens of Ireland
and Scotland-a people whose intolerance
produced discord and trouble wherever
they went-who prosecuted Catholics,
Episcopalians. and every other sect that
did not subscribe to their bi9Oted and con-
tracted notionS-who burnt witches and
did thousand other things calculated to
make them forever infamous The Presi-
dent waS emphatic in his declaration that
under no circumstances would he consent
to reunion. lie drew glowing picture of
the horrors OF war, and the ravages of the
enemy: and while tears flowed for those
who suffered. vet all these would be en-
dured cheertuly before our manhood and
our liberties would he surrendered
THE WAR UPON NORTHERN SOIL.
He alluded briefly to his desire to trans
fer the war upon Northern soil, but the
failure TO do this proceeded, not from a
want of inclination, but of power We
"NiN Hpt cit SrtlUIlSiiSu Will
armies and nayies at our command. These
had to be improvised from the scanty ma
terials to be found within the limits of our
own coEfederacy We were blockaded
and cut Oft from other nations, and every
body knows that we had been an agricul
tural people. and that our facilities for
manufacturing materials of war were ex-
tremely limited. Notwithstanding this
fact. patent to the most casual observer,
we had now an army larger than ever be-
fore our arms and munitions of war were
increased in number and improved in
quality, and We are ia better condition
to-day than we were twelve months ago
The CONSUMPTION and exemption laws
we're then touched upon, and the necessity
of the one and the Intention of the other
explained. He thought there might pro-
perly be a revision of the latter, and trust
ed there would be no conflict between
Confederate and the State laws on the
subject OF the military.
INDECENT FAMILIES-REsERyED CORPS.
The President expressed his qualification
1T the message of Governor Pettus, and
cordially endorsed his views in reference
to making provision for INDECENT families
and the enrolment OF eXenpts, who could
De ready upon al emergency to go forth
and occupy the trenches, while the discip-
lined and active soldiery could take the
field. The calls for such service could be
for thirty, sixty or ninety days; and when
the emergency had passed they could re-
turn to their pursuits. Raw soldiers, the
President contended, could do efficient
service ia the trenches, and the adoption
OF such Il policy would strengthen our
means OF defence quite materially. In his
alluslon 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 Antictam Gen. Lee whipped them four
TO one. But this might not be the case al
ways. As the enemy progressed in dis
cipline, they approached nearer to our own
troops in efficiency. Hence the necessity
OF providing something like correspond
ing force to that which the enemy are
bringing against us.
sTRAGGLER5.
The President denounced, in terms Of
scath'ng but dignifed rebuke, the habit OF
struggling from the army. He invoked
ulic opllllol 10 lrOWn IL uO"u, anu Call
ed upon the women to drive the stray
gIers back to duty.
FILL UP TIE RANKS
He urged the necessity of filing up the
thinned ranks Of our regiments Those
veterans who had gone through many hard
fought battles looked for their kindred at
home to supply the places which had been
made vacant by the deaths of their COM
rades. \ brigade which mustered only
twelve hundred men would have to bleed
as much as if it had It's full quota of four
thousand. Their ranks must be filed ::
humanity demands it. 1t was a time for
patriots TO throw off the shackles of pri-
vate interest, fly to the rescue of those
heroes whom the ravages of war had vet
spared, and cOnsecrate themselves to the
most sacred cause on earth.