Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-28
len: Davis at COIumbln, south Caro-

have given for thirty years to "the great
struggle for the rights of the States" he
exhorts the people to keep up heart, and
then says of those who would favor re-
union:
There are those who like the Israelites
of old, are longing to turn back to the
fesh-pots they have left; aDhO haze thought
there still may hare been some feasible
mode of reconciliation and eUsSl be milling
to rush into a reconstruction of the Union
Such, I am glad to know, do not flourish
on the soil of South Carolina. Such can
not be the sentiments of any man in the
Confederate States, if he will only recol-
lect that from the beginning down to the
present hour, yoltr GoUerRntent has made
eUery effort 10ithin its poz0sr to aUoid a
collision of arms IN the first instance, and
since thon to obtain every possible means
of settlement honorable to ourselves, based
on recognition of our Independence.
He proceeds to declare that he wanted
to send Stephens to negotiate with view
to rebel independence, and admits that for
eign intervention has proved an igats
fatuus
JEFF. evidently thinks it wise to buster
little, and therefore says:
Does any one believe that the Yankees
are to be conciliated by terms of conces-
sion? Does any man imagine that we can
conquer the Yankees by retreating before
them, or do you not all know that the only
way to make the spaniels civil is to whip
them? And you can whip them, if sll the
men capable of bearing arms will do their
duty by taking their places under the
standard of their country, before the veter-
an troops of the North receive the fresh
increment which is being gathered in the
Northern States Now is the good and
accepted time for every man to rally to
the standard of his country, and crush the
invader upon her soil; and this, believe,
is in your power. If every man fit to bear
arms will place himself in the ranks with
those who are already there, we shall not
battle in vain, and our achievements will
be grand, final and complete.
Davis then offers his views on the sub
ject of Convention of the States, evidently
not agreeing with his brethren in the North
as to its possibility.
A plan of negotiation has been offered
for consideration-a plan of negotiations
by States. Well, it is not easy to see on
what terms the States can negotiate. In
the first place, they have no constitutional
power to do so. In the second place, Mr..
Lincoln hes said that he will not negotiate
with them unless they can control the
army, and they can only obtain the power
to control the army by traitorously at
tempting to enter into a treaty contrary to
the Government they have instituted.
But tsuppose this were possible, what are
the terms offered If you will acknow-
ledge your crime lay down your arms, ,eman-
oipate your slaves, and turn over your lead
ers-as they call your humble servant-to
be punished, then you will have permission
to vote together with your negroes upon
the terms under which MI Lincoln will be
graciously pleased to allow you tolive as a
part Of the nation over which he presides
If there be man within the sound of my
voice who contemplates such proposition
/ pity him from the bottom Of my heart
My only wish is that he was North Of the
dividing line He has not the spirit that
animated our fathers, and he is not fit to
exist among the men who are now periling
their lives in the cause in which We are
engaged, for he whJ is so slavish cannot be
trusted with the sacred guardianship of
the widows and orphans of the soldiers
who have died in battle.
Davis then turns his attention to Hoods
army, and makes the following confes-
sions ..
He hopes soon to have his hand upon
Shermans line of communications, and TO
fix it where he csn hold it. And if but a
halfway, one-fourth--of the men to
whom the service has a right viii give
him their strength, l see no chance for
Sherman to escape from defeat or q dis
graceful retreat.
l therefore hope, in view of all the con-
tingencies of war, with all the confidence
which found in the army, that within |
thirty days that army, which has so boast
fully taken 9p its winter quarters in the |
heart of the COnfederacy, will be in search |
of crossing on the Tennessee river.
But while Hood was seeking that ''cross-
ing place." Sherman suddenly sent him
toward Montgomery.
Davis then enters upon vindication of
State sovereignty, and attempts to apollo
gize for seeming interference with the
rights of the State. He says
You who have so long been the advo-
,stes of State Rights, have never raised a
3lsmor against the laws which seem to
invade them, and think, for obvious rea-
ions, you are not like those newborn
lights who, perhaps, are just beginning to
appreciate the great principles of that
reed. You saw laws passed which were
necessary 10 make those States which are
n cooperation effective of the good of the
whole. You understood The nature of the
ompact entered into by the sovereign
states, and you have not been fearful that
he agent or ated by yourselves was likely
o run against that Government forwhich
Ie and you had been so long strug-
ling. Understanding the means of
your State Govern
nent you have not been frightened
y the elsnor of those who do not |
,reathe the pure air of State sovereignty.
Then you have had no difficulty in the or
,anizstion of the three forces incident to
military service. You are in that condition ,
q which your defense must depend upon
Vhst does not belong TO the active forces
f the country. Your battles are fought =
n other fields. You have on the coast i
ONE necessity for what is termed an active
rmy, and should it be incumbent upon
ou to furnish troops from your reserves,
ou have no constitutional scruples, like
Governor Strong, of Massachusetts,, against
marching your militia from the borders of
be State to fight the battles of the cause
4 which you ar engaged. honor you
1r it. 1t is needless for me to argue
uestions here which have been discussed
lsewhere, for here 1 am amcng the disci- {
les of him from whom learned nv les
DDS of State Rights-the great, the i'm
lortal John @. Calhoun"
In every speech which he has made he