Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-10-17
Inn. Davis, nInoon speech.

AGU, Davis NhANuM aRDNNh'
There was something so preposterous in
the supposition that a man SO determined,
so sagacious and prudent as jeff Davis is
on all hands conceded TO be, should have
made such a speech as that assigned to
him at Macon, that every intelligent and
candid man pronounced il forgery on the
instant Of its publication in the North. 1t
is known that Republican politicians have
ere this forged Richmond papers; printed
fac similes Of the Enquirer and ErGn'ner,
and circulated them in the North, for the
purpose of efiecting partisan ends. That
this fraud has been repeated in the case OF
the Macon speech, does not admit OF doubt,
It is not only great crime, but a great
folly, TO mislead the people Of the North
in a matterof such vital consequence as
the force and magnitude Of this rebellion.
In truth, the great revolt is still defiant,
and most formidable, In truth, the Con-
Tolerate armies are strong, brave, and re-
solved to conquer In truth, their leaders,
50 far from being dispirited, are sanguinr
that soon or late the independence of the
Southern Coniederacy will be achieved.
1t is right--indeed it is Indispensable
that the people Of the North should know
all this. If the Lincoln programme Of
Dissolution and Subjugation is to be car
ried into practical effect, it is right that
those upon whom the burden of the con-
tlct is to fall should appreciate the mag
ntude of the undertaking, and understand
all its difficulties But from the very be-
ginning of the rebellion, this knowledge
has been kept from them In the first
place the people were assured that it was
but triling insurrection with which they
had to deal, aud that it would he quelled in
ninety days. Since that, we have been told
every day that the rebel hosts were starv-
ing. that they were in mutiny, that they
were deserting, that they were in ali senses
demoralized. But look at the facts as they
exist to-day. Grant, after he has crim-
soned Virginia soil with the blood of a
hundred thousand Uaion soldiers, is still
held at bay before Richmond. Sherman,
after having at terrible sacrifice Of lie OBJ
tained the wholly mcommensurate victory
at Atlanta, is now in imminent peril of
utter destruction Price, almost without
resistance, is marching his victorious army
over subiugated Missouri, scattering the
Union troops wherever he leads his hosts.
This is the situation to-day. Why should
JEFF. Davis have made such u speech as he
is reported to have made at Macon? The
supposition is preposterous He never
uttered it.
In truth, from the very beginning, the
war has been prosecuted with a view TO
Republican success at the ballot-bOX This
awful and most bloody struggle has been
used to keep the Republican party in pow
er. All its vast patronage has been en-
ployed to this end. All its machinery has
been used for this purpose, Its meetings
to promote recruiting have had this object
in view. Furloughs have been granted to
soldiers never except with view to secure
Republican votes. And the daily patches
of lies, fabricated by telegraph agents, and
republished by the daily journals, are de-
vised, carefully and sagaciously, to make
votes and win elections All this is I'M
speakably deplorable, but it is as true as
God lives. When will the people vindi-
cate their intelligence and patriotism?-
They must do so quickly, or allis lost.