The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-01-23

y VI ALAckNliIi
RcptHr sxInrr,
w Groaer
AInsSs, Tenn, Jan. sih, IsCs.
Mean. j. IS. BiurlrsR, Ro5s,t Said,r, and
Wn,. George
Dear sirs--I have lie Lou6r to acknowledge
the receipt Of yours OF the Sd instant, request.
iag copy Of my speech, delivered on that day,
for publication. ! furnish ysu copy With plea
sure, but much regret thst it could not appear in
better dress. That makO-n6 pretensions to ,cho-
larship, will be my apology
With due respsct, am your obtsery'i,
L. II. nrnsr.
Feiloic. Citizens. I lave had tho pleasure upon
many former oceasonSof addressing you from
this stand, when our douniry was IN state of
prosperity and peage,} was then honored with
n crowded house, c0mpcsed of the Old the young
aud the middle aged. " now propose to address
you, chiefly men Of yeari--I may say, the fath
ers of those gallant sons who are today 20 uobly
defending our bleeding country from the unhGl-
lowed tread Of u meTccss and brutal foe. In
stead Of the more pleasant tASk Of dwelling upon
prosperous c5putry, with furnishing schools
and a commerce that filed the river, the lakos.
and the seas, must speak Of courtlY III Ear,
Its churches and school houses e.pferted int
hospitals and its commerce stopped BY the block
adc of its Pors-a country baptized IL blood
But as the humble christian who is regoncraied
in heart rises TO walk IND The newness of life,
our beloved Coufederacy YiIl rise from Ibis bap-
tismal fount to take It's stand among the nations
Of the earth.
When / look around me, ] see but few men, be
their shades ofopiniop what they may, who have
not a brother a son, ora relative in the Southern
army. No ponder thSn that the public mind
should feel restless anxiety to know when and
how we may be enables to obtain an honorable
peace. Meet old fNend, aud, after few brief
compliments, he will asgyOu how long YOU think
the war will last? viii The European powers in
teryene, and what effect the rising conservative
democratic element in the North will have in the
restoration Of peace? Tothese enquiries. differ
ent men win answer in different ways. propose
TO give you few thor shts upon the subject.
simply for what they may worth. Ii Will be
remembered, in the first place, that We are II
peace party in the South, aud have been SO from
the beginning. President Davis, in Lis FIRST in
augura address Under the Provisional Govern.
meut, and perhaps in one or more of bis mes
sages since, publicly announced to the world,
that all the South wanted Mas 10 be let alone,
and left to manage her owp affairs in her own
way. Propositions of peace now from Tie South
could not nationally be expected TO bring about
30 desirable Al object, while MIC North still feels
that her resources are not exhausted. The pub
lie mind has looked With much anxiety to the
course of European overs feahye TO American
affairs. give it as my doliberate opinion that
we have nothing at present to Gopo' FROM that
source. England has for centuries, to q considc-
rable extent, swayed the destnies Of Eurolc.-
There as net single power upon that Continent
which will venture to acknowledge our indepen-
deneo without consulting heIFF England, it is
true, is interested IN our cotton trade; stil she
raises u considerable amount of cotton in her
own provinces, aud is much interested in The en-
enlargement Of its growth in her own domiuions
Revolutions are what monarchs Mostly dread
aud England, especially, has never gainetl any
thing by var upon this Continent fShe lost
her American colonies in the Revolution Of 1916.
Her Intervention in American affairs now might
bring hcr into collision with the. North, by
which her Canadian Possessions might 70 the
same way. What then have We to look for irom
the conservative element of the North, which Is
rapidly rising into power; Provided that party
was for peace and recognition Of our iudepen-
dence, II Is and will necessarily be ppReross for
good in that direction unit. the ipauguraion of
tie next incoming administration, which " III be
over two years yet. But understand tndt1his
party is pledged to vigorous prosecution Of the
war, upon what they call constitutional prnci-
ples-that is they will abandon the abolition
programme leaving the South to enjoy The right
of her slavery Institution according ID her State
laws, but still viii prosecute the war for the sake
of the Union. There is not a single man in the
North who does not feel the importance Of pre-
serving the Union. Upon this point they are all
agreed, aud for this purpose viii all aid in prose
cutting the war. Why this is sQ,fTom little re-
nprtinu is nuitn aTpareut ThA Cnut1, frod5l :,
the North for nearly every article Of foreign
merchandise, instead Of our own seaports by
which their ports became cities Of wealth and
opulence. We purchased at the North nearly ev-
cry article that We used, suoh MS rcapors and
threshers, blades and snaths. axes and he!yes
hats, boots and shoes, &C.. All such articles as
these were obtained from Northern shops, by
which the North grew rich. 10 the mean time,
the South was paying, under Tho tariff laws, near.
ly or quite, two thirds tho expenses of the gov
ernment. To give you some idea Of these things.
1 win cite you back to the date of Cen Jackson's
administration. speak ofthe time when il was
said President Jackson had~his warrant written
and lying upon his table, toarrest the great John
c. Calhoun for treason, IN tue DAYS of South
Carolina notification. Under theseeireumgtancos
that great statesman made speech IN the Senate
OF the United States, which CONSUMED near. or
quite, three days. The tariff blllthen pondpq in
the Senate proposed to tax all woollep goods Of
foreign importation by Weight Mr.. Calhosn
showed, that under the tariff then sought to be
established, the South would pay near, or onite
two thirds Of the expenses Of the government. as
the heavy cheap woollcn goods used to cloihc the
negroes Of the South would bring into the trea
sury much greater amsunt, than the light high |
priced goods most used, by the North There is
not IN intelligent man 10 the South, whobas been
accustomed to look into tbe workings of'the old
governmental der It's taHflaws, but knows lbatthe
South shoul5cred an Hpdue proportion Of its bur.
thens for near three charters Of q century. 10
consequence Of our trade with the North nm
der these protective ariGiQws, their cities be-
came rich pOpulOus and doprishiug; their shops
and dwellings became sources Of wealth and plea
sure. Then, well might lhcS eontond cor The old
Union as it was. II would be no plair-r : ease
of suicide were a man to plurre a digger into
his own bosom, than tho North would somAaif
were she to acknowledge our iudepsn ,ieatg Aesa4
let us 60 of. The grass would grlg.hp ID their
streets aud avenues their shopsw6uia be desert
ed, and their dwellings would'bocom tho ha,nts
of poverty and ruin. Then, I'VE need not look for
any overtures OF peace from fhem until they feel
themselves in some way e&baasted. Wo need not
expect to exhaust them IN Numbers as thew have
all the time bad two or tfreo men In The Held to
our one. Butt takes money to carry on war M
well as men. My hopt.fOr peace Is based poou
the ultimate inevitable Depreciation Of lhoir cur
roncy aud credit. Their War debt OF this Tina
about fifteen hundred millions Of doller, I'VE
war has been carried on sopar by the issue oftrea.
sury notes redccmablo at tho pleasure Of the COW
eminent This issue is now1from thirty three 10
thirty-fvc per cent under par and, in all proba.
bility will reach ttly per cent By Spring. And.
let me ask you, lowclsps, what there Is to
keep II up, Their trade with the south. their
main source Of wealth, is cut Sf. They can no
longer got cotton to keep thor spindlas eoinr
and they are thrown upon level with the PAU.
per labor Of Europe IN hatliulethoy may man
ufacturo for foreign trade; and heuco tits utterly
impossible for them to redeem thqir vast amount
of issue. Their emancipation cqniscaHon policy
10 tho only policy that could Give tho fcintcst
hope of rodeeming their treasury notes ard this