The Portland daily press., 1864-10-11
SpErnH or JEFF. DAVIS.
A Talk to the People Of Ma00n-The
Rebel Chief Dismal

oo' ..o,ort of a speech delivered in that city
~ MS ,he nreyious day by JEFF. Davis. The re-
nor, Is evidently an imperfect one, but anthem
tic as far as it goes;
Ladies' and Gentlemen, Friends and Eel
low citizens: L. would have gladdened my
heart to have met you in prosperity instead OF
adversely. But friends are drawn together IN
adversely. The son OF Georgian who fought
through The first revolution, l would be I'M
true to myself ii should forget the State IN
her day OF peril. What though misfortune
has befallen our arms from Decatur TO Jones'
boro, our cause is not lost. Sherman cannon
keep up his long line OF communication, anu
retreat sooner or later he must; ana wheu
that day comes the fate that Deiel Inc army VI
the French Empire in It's retreat from ~ N's
| COW will be reacted. Our caVaiiy anu oul
neoole win harass and destroy his army as
| did the Cossacks that of Napoleon; and the
Yankee General, like him, will escape with
oni., hodv Guard. How can this be the most
.a'.d;I,, objected? By the absentees of Hoods
ornv returpipg to their posts; and will they
not5 can they see the banished exiles; can
thew hear the wall OF their suffering country
women and children and not come 2 By
what influences they are made to stay away it
is not necessary to speak. If there is one
who will stay away at this hour he is unWor-
thy the name OF Georgian. To the women
no appeal is necessary. They are like the
Spartan mothers of old. know OF one who
has lost all her sons, except one of eight
years. She wrote that she wanted me to re
serve place for him in the ranks. The ven
cradle General Polk, 10 whom l read the let
ter, knew the woman well, and said it was
CHARACTERISTIC OF her; but l will not weary
you by turning aside to relate the various in
cidents of giving up the last son to the cause
- N m WhQraunr xro
90 we find the hands and hearts of our noble
women enlisted. They are seen wherever the
eye may fail or the step turn. They have one
duty to perform; to buoy up the hearts OF
our people. l 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 Chattahoochee. re-
solved that it should not, and l then put in
command man who knew would strike
manly blow for the city, and many Yankees
blood was made to nourish the soil before the
prize was won. 1t does net become us to re-
vert to disasters. Let the dead bury it's dead
Let us, with one arm and one effort, eLdeavor
to crush Sherman. / am going to the army to
confer with our generals. The end must be
the defert of our enemy. 1t has been said
that abandoned Georgia to her fate. Shame
upon such falsehood. Where could the au-
thor have been when Walker, when Polk,
when General Stephen ID. Lee was sent to
her assistance. Miserable man. The man
who uttered this was scoundrel. he was
aot man to save our country. Ii knew
that general did not possess the right quail
ties to command, would not be wrong if he
was not removed? Why, when our army was
falling back from Northern Georgia, even
heard that had sent Bragg with pontoons to
cross to Cuba. But we must be charitable.
fhe man who can speculate ought to be made
70 take up his musket. When the war is over
and our independence won-and we will es
Cablish our independence-who will be our
Iristocracy? / hope the limping soldier.
To the young ladies l would say that when
| choosing between an empty sleeve and the
nan who had remained 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
lway from the service, who cannot be made
| 20 go any other way, let them write to the
Executive. / read all letters sent me from
he people, but have not the time TO reply to
them. aa 8o
You have not many men between eighteen
and forty. five left. The boys-God bless the
)oys-are as rapidly as they become old
enough going to the field. The city of Ma
ION is filed with stores, sick and wounded
It must not be abandoned when threatened
i
ipon Hoods army for defence, the old men
must fight, and when the enemy is driven be-
yond Chattanooga, they too can join in the
general rejoicing. Your prisoners are kept as
sort of Yankee capital. l have heard tina,
one OF their generals said that their exchange
would defeat Sherman. l have tried every
means, conceded everything to effect an ex-
:hange, but to no purpose. Butler, the beast
With whom no Commissioner Of Exchange
UOuid h0in infQrpOurso had .Dhlichad in the
newspapers that If we would consent to the
exchange of negroes, all difficulties might be
removed. This is reported as an effort of his
TO get himself whitewashed by holding inter-
| course with gentlemen. 1t an exchange could
| )e effected don't know but that l might be
Induced to recognize Butler. But in the flu
ture every effort will be given, as far as posi-
BILE, to effect that end. We want our soldiers
in the field, and we want the sick and wound
| ed to return home.
1t is not proper for me to speak of the
| lumber OF men in the field, but this will say,
| chat two thirds of our men are absent, some
lick, some wounded, but most of them absent
| without leave. The man who repents and
goes back to his commander voluntarily, ap-
Deais strongly to executive clemeney. But
suppose be stays away until the war is over.
and his comrades return home, and when ev-
cry mans history will be told, where will he
shield himself? It is upon these reflections
that rely to make men return to their duty,
but after comforting with our generals at head
quarters, if there be any other remedy it shall
be applied. love my friends, and forgive
my enemies. srf.is. r.-.as ..sss-sa
1 have been asked to send reinforcements
from Virginia to Georgia. In Virginia the
disparity in numbers is just as great as it is in
t4eorgia. Then have been asked why the
army sent to the Shenandoah Valley was not
/ ent here. 1t was because an army of the en-
| emy had penetrated that valley to the very
gates of Lynchburg, aud Gen. Early was sent
to drive them back. This he not only success
July did, but, crossing the Potomac, came
yellnigh capturing Washington itself, and
forced Grant to send two corps of his army to
protect it, This the enemy denominated a
raid. Ii SO, Sherman's march into Georgia is
raid. What would prevent them now, il
Early was Withdrawn, from taking Lynch
burg, and putting complete Gordon of men
around Richmond? counselled with that
great and brave soldier, Gen. Lee, upon all
these points. My mind roamed over the
whole field. With this we can succeed: IF
onehalf the men now absent without leave.
will return to duty, we can defeat the enemy.
With that hope am going to the front. 1
may not realize this hope, but know there
are men there who have looked death in the
face too often to despond now. Let no one
| despond. Let no one dstrust, and remember
If genius is the beau ideal, hope is the real
| ity." +
The Charleston Mercury says:
We make no comments upon this speech !:
but we cannot refrain from expressing our
profound regret that such d speech should
nave been said to have been delivered by the
Cnlei Magistrate of the Confederate States,
iof we cannot make up our minds that he de-