The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-10-21
SOUTHERN NEWS.
Desperate Speech by jeff: Davis
at Macon.
Rebel Accounts Of Operations
around Richmond.
LEE TOO WEAK TO HOLD HIS
LINES.
Piteous Gail for ReinfOreementS.

TlteOuS 0diE LOT RtlnlOTCcMtNtS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6.-The follow n.
speech. made by Jefferson Davis at Mac n
Ga, Sept. 90. 1864, is extracted from til,
columns Of the Macon Telegraph ard Con
tsderate, Sept. "a:
LADIES AND GgSfLEMEN, PEJsyrs AM
FELLOW OrrlxENs-It would havu glad.
dened my heart to have met you in pros
perity instead of adversely The son OF
a Georgian, who fought through the first
Revolution. would be untrue to myself
if I should forget the State in her hour OF
peril. What though misfortunes have be-
fallen our arms from Decatur to JONES'
boro, our cause is not lost. Sherman can
not keep up bis long line OF communica-
ton and retreat. Sooner or later he must |;
and whom that day comes the fate that
befel the army of the French Empire in
it's retreat from Moscow win be reacted.
Our cavalry and our people will harrass
and destroy his army as did the Cossacks
that of Napoleon; and tho Yankee Cen
efai, like him, will escape with only q
body guard. How can this be the most
speedily effeoteda By the absentees Of
Hoods army returning to their posts; and
will they mott Gan they see the banished
exiles; can they hear the vail Of their
suffering country women and children and
not Gomez BY what influences they are
made to stay away it is not necessary to
speak. If there is one who viii stay
away at this hour he is unworthy the
name Of Georgian. To the women no
appeal is necessary. They are like the
Spartan mothers of old. l know of one
who has lost all her sons. except one of
eight years. She wrote that she wanted
me b reserve a place for him In the
ranks
The venerable Gen. Polk, to whom /
read the letter, knew that woman well,
and said it was characteristic Of her; 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 perform; to buoy up the spirits of
our people. know the deep disgrace felt
by Georgia at our army falling back from
Dalton to the interior of the State. But
I was not of those who considered Atlanta
lost when our army crossed the Chatta.
hoochee. | resolved that it should not,
and | then put man in command who l
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 not become US to revert
to disaster. Let the dead bury the dead.
Let US with one arm and one effort en-
deavor to crush Sherman. l am going to
the army to confer with our generals. The
end must be tho defeat of our enemy. 1t
has been said that abandoned Georgia to
her fate. Shame upon such falsehOOd.
Where could the author have been when
Walker, when Polk, and when Gen. Ste
phen D, Ice was sent to her assistance7
Miserable man. The man who uttered
this was Q scoundrel. He was not man
to ave our country. If l knew that a
general did not possess the right qualities
TO command, would not be wrong if he
was not ssmoved! Why, when our army
was falling back from Northern Georgia, l
even hsard that had sent Bragg with
pontoons to cross it to Cuba. But we
must bs ohariA sble. The man who can
speculate ought to be made to take up his
,nushet When the: war is over and our
iudependenco won,-and we will establish
our indspandence-v will be our aris-
tooracys hope the limping soldier. To
the young ladies' l would say that when
choosing between al 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 can-
not be made to go 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
AZ rapidly a. they become old enough 60
imp to the field. The city Of Macon is
6lled With stores, sick and wounded. 1t
must not be abandoned when threatened,
but when the enemy come; instead of call.
ing upon Hoods army for defence, the old
men must fight, and when the enemy IL
driven beyond Chattanooga, they too Cal
join in the general rejoicing. Your prs;
oners are kept as sort of Yankee capltai
have heard that one of their General
said that their exchange would defea
Sherman. have tried every means, con
coded everything to effect an exchange
but to no purpose. Butler, the beast, wit
whom no Commissioner of exchange woul
hold intercourse, had published in news
papers that if we would consent to the eS
change of negroes, all difficulties might b
removed. This is reported as an effort G
his to get himself whitewashed by holdin
intercourse with gentlemen. If an ez
change could be effected, I don't know bu
that might be induced to recognize But
Ter. But in the future every effort will b
given, as far as possible, to effect the enc
We want our soldiers in the field, and W
want the sick and wounded to retur
rome. 1t is not proper for me to speak {
the number of men in the field, but this
will eay, that two-thiTds of the men are al
sent. some sick, some wounded, but mos