The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-02-16

Var Meetings In Richmond.
Public meetings were held in the
African Church, Richmond, Va. on the
9th and 9th Of this month. JEFF Davis
was present on the 9th, and made q
flaming war speech, in which he utter
ed number Of bold sentiments, evi-
IDENTITY with view to screw up the
courage of his hearers, and exhibited,
as usual, the arrogance of the negro
driver The enemy, said he, who had
treated the proposition of our Commits
sion with contumely, will be taught
! that she was, indeed, talking with his
masters" HE Davis spoke always
of two countries. Mr.. Lincoln spoke
of common country. He could have
no common country with Yankees"
He concluded by promising that Grant
should be taught lesson, and that it
might 'soon be shown that Sherman
march through Georgia was his last
The rawlings of this man, we opine,
will not alarm any one seriously
He has INDUCED in them so often since
his famous threat at Stevenson in 1861,
to "carry the sword and fire north,
where there was material to destroy,
that they have become q subject Of
mirth.
The meeting adopted characteristic
resolutions, in one of which it is said,
we, citizens here assembled, do spurn
with the indignation due SO gross an
insult, the terms on which the Presi- |
dent of the United States has profered
peace to the people of the Confederate
States
Messrs. Stephens, Campbelland Hun
ter, the pseudo peace commissioners.
were announced to address the emeeting
on the 9th. Mr. Hunter only appear
ed, and he entertained his hearers with /
a long inHammatory harangue, in which |
he perverted the objects of the war on
the part Of the Government and es
sayed to stir up the passions and pre-
judices of the people. He concluded !
by saying
"He himself had faith. He pre-
! tended to see no signs in the skies; no /
portents on the earth, but he believed /
there was a righteous God who presides /
over the affairs of men and nations, and |
who will not suffer the right to fall !
and wickedness toprosper Our army /
will be able to conquer in the end |
Let no man give place to dependency |
If he has gloom, let him hide il. With /
faith, and diligence, and courage we /
shall assuredly triumph at last"
Mr. ShafTers, Speaker of the Virginia
House of Representatives, followed, |
announcing that they were enacting |
anew the history of the past that the |
effort to negotiate with the Yankees |
had reused the community as by |
the electric shock. As soon as it |
was heard, every man avowed
fresh resolve to conquer and support /
the cause of his country with renewed |
zeal. The fires of 1861, he said, were
burning, and brightly as ever, and they
are burning up not the croakers but /.
croaking; not the doubters but doubt
ing. The reconstructionists are all
gone the men who had forgotten that
there was something better than peace
are cured now.
Judah P Benjamin, the rebel Secre
tary of State, also spoke The chief
point of his speech was an earnest ap-
peal to the rebels 10 use the negroes as
soldiers. Said he:
There are in the South six hundred
and eighty thousand black men of the
fighting age and capable of being made
fighting men. Let US say to every ne
gro who wants TO 90 into the ranks,
go and fight and you are free" Don't
press them, for that Will make them
run away, and they will be found fight
ing against us instead of for US As
yet but one side IS told The Yankees
can beat US from the beginning to the
end of the year at making bargains
Let stop the negro from running over
to Sherman by saying. IF YOU 20 over
to the Ianks you will get your freedom,
but you will perish off the earth, for
you cannot live in that cold climate
Fight for your masters, and you shall
have your freedom without incurring
any other danger Let as promise the
negro in good faith that if he will fight
for Us he shall have his freedom A
voice: Lets Try it. = Yes, let's try it.
He (the speaker) had never lived IN
any other but a slave country, and like
most of his audience, doubtless, had
his black mamma nurse but he would
willingly give Up al for the attainment
of independece.
Hon. John A. Gilmer Of y C., next
addressed the meeting. He was for
fighting TO the last, and 90 lsoled his
audience with the remark
We must trust in our cause and in
God, and unite iii hearty support OF
our Government A long pull, and
strong pull, and a pull all together, and
tell you, said he, we are in no danger
Speeches were also made by Messrs
Barksdale, of Miss, McMullen, of Va,
Semmes, of La, and Others.
After the speakers had expended
their gas, the following preamble and
resolutions were adopted
WHEREAS, Whilst the existing war
between the United States and Con
federate States has been, and still is, a
war of conquest on the part cf the
former, it has been waged by the lat
ter in defense OF life, liberty ana prop
erty, and to secure the right Of self
government for the people; and
WHEREAS The President Of the Uni.
ted States has recently declared that
there is no Government or authority.
either State or Confederate, within the !
Confederate States, with which ho can
make any terms, and that there can
be no peace until the Confederate
States shall lay down their arms and 8
submit to the authority Of the Govern d
ment Of the United States, and accept
the laws of the same, some OF which
threaten our people with all that Is de q
sFsa fr,,r sk-.,y.fsnn enA all ffof A. I