The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1864-10-20
EFF. Davis Speech at Macon
GAIA Rebel Wall.

L
Herewith we present the celebrated
speech delivered by JEFF. Davis at Macon,
GA, Sept. 25, 1864. 1t reads like the
| wall of broken heart -
! Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends and Eel
lo,o- Citizens: It would have gladdened my
| heart to have met you in prosperity in
stead of adversity. But friends are drawn
gian who fought through the first revolu-
| tion, [ would be untrue to myself if 1
should forget the State in her day of peril.
What though misfortune has befallen our
| arms from Decatur to Jonesboro, our cause
is not lost. Sherman cannot keep up bis
long line of communication. Sooner or
later he must retreat and when that Gay
| comes, the fate that befell the army of the
French Empire in its retreat from Mos
cow will be re-enacted. Our cavalry and
| our people will harass and destroy his
army as did the Cossacks that of Napole-
on and the Yankee General, like him,
| will escape with only 5ody-guard. How
| can this be the most speedily effected
| By the absentces of Hoods army return
| ing to their posts and will they not p
| Can they see the banished exiles; can
| they hear the wall of their suffering coun-
| trywomen and children and not GOMEZ
| By what influences they are made to stay
away 1t is not necessary to speak. If
there is one who will stay away at this
hour, he is unworthy Of the name Of Geor-
| gian. 10 The women, no appeal is neces-
sary. They are like the Spartan mothers
| of old. l know of one who has lost all her
sons except one, of eight years. She
, wrcte that she wanted me to reserve a
place for him in the ranks. The venera-
BILE General Polk, to whom read the let
| ter, knew that woman well, and said it was
characteristic Of ner but [ will not weary
you by turning aside to relate the various
incidents of giving up the last son to the
| cause of our country, known to me-
Wherever we go, we find the hearts and
hands of our noble women enlisted They
are seen wherever the eye may fall or the
step turn. They have one duty to per-
form-to buoy up the hearts of the people.
| know the deep disgrace felt by Georgia
at our army falling back from Dalton to
the interior of the State. But l was not
of those who considered Atlanta lost when
our army crossed the Chattahoochie I
resolved that it should not; and L then
put man in command who I knew would
strike manly blow for the city, and many
a Yankees blood was made to nourish the
soil before the prize was won. It does not
become us to revert to disaster. Let the
dead bury their dead. Let US, with one
army and one effort, endeavor to crush
Sherman. am going to the army to
confer with our generals. The end must
be the defeat of the enemy.
1t is said that l abandoned Georgi. to
her fate. Shame upon such falsehood-
Where could the author have been when
Walker, when Polk, and when Gen. Ste
phen ID. Lee were sent to her assistance
The man who uttered this was scoundrel
He was not man to save our country
If [ knew that General did not possess
the right qualities to command, would l
not be wrong if he were not removed
Why, when our army was falling back
from Northern Georgia, even heard that
| had sent Bragg with pontoous to cross
into Cuba. But we must be charitable.
The man who can speculate on the misfor-
tunes of his country ought 20 be made to
take up his musket When the war is
over, and our independence won-and we
VIII cstduilSu Jul IiuuCptuu6HCc,- WHO Wlll
be our aristocracy? hope the limping
soldier To the young ladies, would say
that, when choosing between an empty
| sleeve and the man who had remained at
home and grown rich, always take the
empty sleeve. Let the old men remain
at home and make bread. But should
| they know Of any young man keeping
away from the service, who cannot be
made to 60 any other way, let them write
| to the Executive. | read all letters sent
me from the people, but have not the time
to reply to them. You have not many
men between eighteen and forty-tive left.
The boys-God bless the boys ARE, as
rapidly as they become old enough, going
to the field. The city of Macon is filled
with stores, and sick and wounded. 1t
must not be abandoned when threate ned,
but when the enemy come, instead Of cal
ling 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 as sort of Yankee
capital I have heard that one of their
Generals said that their exchange would
defeat Sherman. have tried every means,
conceded everything, to effect an exchange,
but to no purpose. Butler, the beast, with
] whom no commissioner Of exchange would