Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-05
Speech Of President Davis In Macon.
Having been introduced to the audience BY Gen.

Speech Of President Davis In Macon.
Having been introduced to the audience by Gen.
Cobb. Mr.. Davis said:
LadiS and gentlemen, friend. and tsllov-oits.
fsns 1t would have gladdened my heart to have
met you in prosperity instead Of adyersity. But
friends are drawn together IN sdversity. Tho son
Of Georgian, who fought through the first Revo-
iution, would be untrue to myself if should for
eet the State in her day Of peril.
What though misfortune has befalleu our arms
nom n Decatur to Jonesboro, our cause is not lost
sherman cannot keep up bis long line Of communi-
cation, and retreat sooner or later he must And
when that day comes, the fate that befel the army
Of tne French Empire in its retreat from Moscow
WIZ Dc re-enaeted Our cavalry and our people will
nsfrass and destroy his army a. did the Cossacks
that OF Napoleon, and the Yankee General like him,
Will escape with only body guard.
How can this Be tho most speedily etfectedi By
posts. And will they mott Can they see the ban.
ished excs, can they hear the vail Of their suffer-
ing country. women and children, and not come!
BY what influence they made to stay away at this
hour, it is unnecessary to speak II there is one
who will stay away at this hour, he is unworthy Of
the name Of Georgian To the women no appeal is
necessary. They are like the Spartan mothers of
except one Of years. She wrote me that she
wanted me to reserve place for him in the ranks
The venerable Gen. Polk, to whom read the let-
ter, knew that women we'll, and said that it was
characteristic Of her. But will not weary you by
turning aside to relate the various incidents Of Civ
ing up the last son to the cause Of our country,
known to the. Wherever We 90 We find the heart
and bands Of our noble women enlisted. They are
seen wherever the eye may fall or the step turn
They have one duty to psrform-to buoy up tho
hearts of the people.
know the deep disgrace felt by Georgia at our
army falling back from DAlton to tho interior Of tho
State; was not Of those who considered Atlanta
lost when our army crossed tho Chattahoochee.
resolved that it should not. and then put man
in command who knew would strike an honest
and manly blow for the city, and many Ysnkess
blood made to noursh the soil before the prize
Was won.
1t does not become US 10 revert to disaster. "Let
the dead bury the dead" Let us with one arm and
one effort endeavor to crush Sherman sin going
to the army to confer with our Generals. The end
must be the defeat Of our enemy. It has been said
that had abandoned Georgia. Shame upon such
. falsehood. Where could the author have been
when Walker, whom Polk, and Gen. Stephen D. Lee
was sent to her assistance. Miserable man. Tho
man who uttered this was = scoundre. He was
not man to save our country.
III kpew General did not posses the right quail
tiles to command, would not have been wrong if he
was not re{novedi Why when our army falling
back from Northern Georgia, even heard that
had sent Bragg with pontoons to cross to Cuba
But We must be charitable.
The man who can speculate ought to be made to
take up his musket. When the war is over and
our Independence Won, (and We will establish our
Independence who will be our aristocracy2 Ihope
the limping saldier. To the young ladies I would
say when choosing between an empty sleeve and the
man who had remained at home and grown rich,
always take the empty sleeve Let tho old men re-
- md p,,k
Of any young men keeping away from service who
cannot bs made to 90 any other way let them vr,ts
to thsExeeutive. read all letters sent me fron
the people, but have not time to reply to them.
You have not many men between Is and 45 left
The boys-God bless the boys-are as rapidly Us
they became old enough, going to the field Tho
city of Macon is filled with stores, sick and wound.
ed. Ii must not be abandoned, when threatened,
but when the enemy comes, instead Of calling upon
Hoods army for defence, the old men must fight,
and when the enemy is driven beyond Chattanooga,
they too can join in the general rejoicing.
Your prisoners are kept rs sort Of Yankee capital.
l have heard that one of their Generals sid that
their exchange would defeat Sherman Ihase tried
every mesns conceded everything to effect an ex-
change to no purpose. Butler the Beast, with whom
no Commissioner OF Exchange would hold inter
course. bad published in the newspapers that if
would consent to the exchange of negroes, all din.
cultiss might be removed
This is reported an effort of his to get himself
whitewashed BY holding intercourse with gentlemen.
If an exchange could be effected, don't know but
that might b. induced to recognize Butler. But
in tho future every effort will be given far as pos
sible to effect the end We want our soldiers 10
the field, and We want the sick and wounded to re-
turn home ::
It is not for me to speak of the number of mon in
the field But this will say, thst two thirds Of
our men are absent-some sick, some wounded, but
mos. of them absent without leave The man who
repsnts and goes to bis commander voluntarily, At
once appeals strongly to executive clemsncy. But
suppose he stays away until the war is over and
his comrades return home, when every mans histo-
ry will be told where will he shield himself It is
upon these reflections that l rely to make mon re.
turn to thsir duty, but after conferrng with our
Generals 1t headquarters, ifthsrs be any other
edy it shall be applied.
love my friends and forgive my enemies.
have been asked to send reinforcemens from Virgin.
ia to Georgia. In Virginia tho disparity 10 numbers
is just as great Is it is in Georgia. Then have
been asked whv the army sent to the Shenandoah
Valley was not sent heref It was because an army
of the enemy had penetrated that Valley to the very
gates ofLynchburg and Gen. Early was sent to drive
them back.
This he not only successfully did, but crossing
the Potomac, came we'll nigh capturing Washington
ITSELF and forced Grant 10 send two corps Of bis
army to protect it This the enemy denominated
raid. If so Shermans march into Gsorgia is q
raid. What should prevent them now, if EARLY was
Withdrawn, penetrating down the Valley and put.
nng complete Gordon of men around Richmond
Ioounselsd With that great and grave soldier, Gen
eral Lse upon all these points My miud roamed
over the whole field.
With this ne can succeed. II one h.if the men
new absent without leave will return to duty, We
can defeat ths enemy. With that hope am gong
to the front / may not realize this hope, but |
know there are men there who have looked death
IA the face too often to despond now. Let no one
distrust and remember that if genius is the beau
ideal, hope is the reality.
The President then alluded to the ol jects for
which the meeting had assembled, and expressed
the hope that the refugees and exiles would he we'll
provided for, Ills remarks were often interrupted