The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-21
Communicated for the Unionl
JEFF. Daviss Jackson speech-His
Contempt for Non-Slaveholders.

JEFF. DAVIS before the Legislature of
in which be says, be is
sorry to find that a false construction is
put upon his CONSUMPTION Law, which is
tantamount 70 telling the poor people that
the law which has oppressed them, and
by which many poor man was taken
from his bed at midnight, and which
has left many poor women and
children destitute without providers;
The law which, contrary to the Southern
Constitution, forces citizens into the
army despite the State Legislature; this
law that operates on the poor,the effect
of it is felt by the poor, and was design
ed for the poor yet he unblushingly tells
them they do not understand, but have
put false construction uponit. He says
the government has as much right to make
laws requiring their service in the army
as to compel them to work upon roads or
to pay taxes that is to say, il is as just
for the government TO make the poor sup
port a government that was forced upon
two-thirds of them, and to which they
never consented, as it is for county and
town authorities, with the consent of the
people, to make laws requiring the inhab-
itants to improve the roads, that are for
their own immediate benefit. Or that it
is as reasonable to make a people
support with their lives and. property
an indefinite ard ominous something, as
it is to support defined tried law
Strange logic this, truly but as it comes
from the logical mind of JEFF. DAVIS,
suppose the government has a right to
compel the people TO believe it.
Again he says that the Exemption Law
was not designed to draw any distinction
between classes, or give any advantage TO
the rich.
Now 10 it not most surprising that not
withstanding the logic OfDAvIs, the fore
thought of YAEOY, the judgment of PRY-
OR, WIGFALL, ToOMns g. Co., that they
should pass law which operates and
acts exactly contrary TO their expecta-
tions, and which to all others seems de-
signed TO make a complete distinction
A man possessed of twenty negroes is
privileged to stay at home, enjoying the
comforts of family and friends, and fol-
lowing the pursuits of his farm or spec
ulating on poor peoples property who are
forced into the army, leaving helpless
family who are necessitated to sell to
these Twenty negro Gents the last thing
in their possession. The man minus
twenty negroes is compelled 20 leave
home, lie in camps, eat coarse food en-
dure long marches, Indictment weather
and hard fought battles; and as all this to
secure the negroes 70 a self constituted oil
igarchy, who are 80 sOlicitous about the
soldiers welfare as the VOLTS about that
of the lamb.
That the twenty negro exemption
law is designed 10 make difference in
favor of the rich, is plain to every one,
unless he views it through JEFP's logic,
and in that case suppose ho should see
otherwise.
But 10 prove that JEFF. thinks there
is, and makes distinction between
slaVehOlding and non slaveholding men,
| shall give you a few extracts from a
speech he delivered in reply to Governor
SEWARD, in Congress, in the summer of
1860. Ha says negro slavery exists in
the SOuth, and by the existence Of negro
slavery the white man ia raised to the
dignity Of free man and an equal No
where else will you find every white man
superior 10 mental service"
The white man who blacks your boots,
drives your carriage, is not your equal
and such is society, wherever negro slave
ry is not the substratum on which the
white race is elevated 70 its true dignity.
With Us, and with us alone, as believe,
the white man attains TO his lru, dignity
in the government"
II Is evident he thinks a mao without
slaves is not freeman, or an equal, but a
mental, that itrequires a substTatum Of ne
gro slavery TO elevate a white man 20 true
dignity. He says, with us. and with US
alone, az be4isve--(that ia the twenty
negro exemption gcnis) the white man
attains his true dignity ia The goyern-
ment"
Now, "a be considers white man
without slayes, a mental not having true
dignity, NOT an equal it is paIpable he
thinks there Is distinction These sem