The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-01-13
SPEECH OF PRESIDENT DAVIS
10 the LEGISLATURE Of Mississippi, Dec. 26.

At noon, the hour appointed for the speech of
the President, the Representative Hall was crowd
ed to oyerfowing-not space large enough to
stand upon was left uBflled. The ladies' occupied
nearly all the seats, leaving the men all standing
The gallery too was literally thronged, and many
hundreds, perhaps, bad to turn back disappointed,
so great was the eagerness of our people to hear
the President.
The President spoke about one hour and half,
and during all that time the drop of pin might
have beer heard many part OF the auditory, ex-
cept when the welkin was made to ring with the
loud and enthusiastic plaudits of his listeners.
The President spoke of his love for the old I'm
ion He alluded to it, however, as matter of re-
greet that the best affections of his heart should
have been bestowed upon an object 80 unworthy
that he should have loved so long Government
which was rotten to its very core.
He had predicted from the beginning fierce
war. though it had assumed gigantic pro-
portions than he had calculated upon. He had
predicted war not because our right to secede was
not an undoubted one, and clearly defined in the
shirt 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, wage1 against the
rights of free people, was unjust, aud the
fruits of the evil passions OF the North In the
progress of the war those evil passions have been
| brought out and developed; aud so far from re-
ancestors Cromwell had gathered from the Dogs
and fens of Ireland aud Scotand-a people whose
intolerance produced discord and trouble wherever
thew went-who prosecuted Catholics, Episcopal
lians, and every other sect that did not subscribe
| to their bigoted and contracted notons-who
hung witches, and did thousand other things
calculated to make them forever infamous-the
President was emphatic in his declaration that
| under no circumstances ,coutd ne consent to re-
unne.
| The President remarked that when he arrived
| here, he thought the enemy were pressing down
upon us from the Northern borders Of State;
but when he went to Grenada, he there learned that
nothing could be seen of them but their backs
They were going back, perhaps, with the intention
of reinforcing the heavy column that was now be-
| ing thrown down the. Mississippi River. The
| real points Of attack were at Jicksburg and Port
| Hudson; and to all who desired to lend helping
hand to the country in her present exlgcney, he
would say, "Gc to Port Hudson and Elcksburg
without delay"
The President paid deserved tribute to Vicks-
burg. That noble little city had ~ithstood the
shock of the combined fleets Of the enemy, after
| the great cities of New Orleans and Memphis bad
succumbed to their supposed invincblity. The
heroic women of Vicksburg cried out, give the
| enemy the soil fit cannot be defended, but let
| him have nothing else. The Governor left his
chair and repaired to the scence of danger, and re-
fused to listen to any advice except of defiance to
the concentrated power of the enemy.
We better prepared at Vicksburg now than
then. Our defences are greatly improved and
strengthened. We have better armies, and that
| gallant soldier (Gen. Johnston) is pouring in
| Inducements He comes to Mississippi to protect
and save her 1mmense applause)
| There two grand objects ofthe enemy: First,
| to get possession Of the river aud thus cut
Coniederacy in two; and seoordy to seize the Con-
federate capital aid hold it up to foreign nations
as an evidence that the Confederacy does not
| exist.
The President dwelt at some length upon the
vast Importance of thwarting the enemy's designs
| upon this valley he considered its defence ne
cessity not to the people here, but to the Con-
federucy itself Vicksburg and Port Hudson
| points thai must be defended, and every effort
must be strained for the purpose. Ficksburg he
| said, would stand and Port Hudson would stand,
if the people were true to themselves. This done,
the Northwest would grow FESTIVE and cease to
support ruinous to them and beneficial only
| to New England contractors. From the North
| west, he looked for the first CLEANS of peace.
| The President expressed his qualification that
| Gen Penn bertGn, whom he had sent here, believ-
| ing him cminently suited to this command, had
sustained in signal manner the high character he
had given him. He also spoke of Brig. Gen. Lee to
| whom he had entrusted the defence of Vicksburg,
| in terms of hearty commentator.
| Although his duties required his presence else
where, yet when he heard of the suffelings of his
| own State, and her danger of subjugatioL by
vandal foe, his feelings dragged him to her soil.
| He goes back with lighter heart He finds none
| of that depression which was reported. AT GEsaa-
da he found the army sorry that the enemy Id
gone back. At Eicksburg they were ready and
| eager for the fray. Depression existed only
among that class of men who were constitutional
grun,bers aud fault finders. He goes back cheer
| ed, but still anxious for his heart is here-his
| attachment to the State has risen since the war
began; and he can see dangers, though he believes
| the greatest have passed
On the other side of the river our prospects are
| brighter than before, aud ere long he hoped
that we would be able to proclaim Missouri flee
Kentucky, toe, object of solicitude to him,
and he spoke of her gallant people in the kindest
! At the conclusion of his remarks, Gen. Jos. Z.
! Johnston was cifcrously called for The scar
worn hero looked little nervous while the House
rang with loud, swelling and prolonged applause
! He arose and said:
Fellow Citizens: My only regret is that have
done little to merit such greeting. | promise
you, however, that hereafter shall be watchful
energetic and interchangeable in your defence
+. This speech was greeted with tremendous up
rosr"us and prolonged plaudits Evidently Gen
Johnston possesses the unbounded confidence and
este of