The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-06-08
HON. JEFFERSON DAVIS IN
AUGUSTA, GA.
His Reception and Reply to Hon.
III. w. billiards Address
of Welcome.


of Welcome.
From a long account in the Atlanta Con-
stitution We obtain the following regarding
the reception and speech of ex-President
Davis at Augusta, Thursday evening. There
was considerable enthusiasm at the depot,
after which. in company with III. w. Hill
lard and Gen. McLaws and Stovall, Mr..
Davis rode to the Planters House. Mr.. Da-
Wis was at once taken up stairs to one of the
parlors, and held reception of a few min-
utes. for everybody wanted to speak TO aRd
shake the hand Of the beloved leader.
HOW HE LOOKED.
Near the doorway the ex-President stood
with several distinguished citizens, who in
troduced their fellow-townsmen as they
approached. How did he look? after the
trials of ten years, which would have killed
any ordinary mortal. AS the visitor enter
ed the room, his eye rested upon the gentle
men near the entrance. The central figure
of the group is tall but thin man, straight
as an arrow, and with more the port and
bearing of soldier than statesman,
though his manners are most winning and
graceful. and every conner is Immediately
put at his ease. A handsome shaped head,
covered with thick irOn-gray hair, (strange
this Is, Tor few men in America sport natural
hair after fifty.) The face is thin and mar
row and the cheeks are sunken somewhat
but the forehead is high and intellectual,
and the nose, slightly aquiline, is delicately
chiseled. The lips drawn rather closely to-
gether, denote the extraordinary firmness
and resolution Characteristic of the man.
The chin is covered with beard, and, in addi-
ton To a goatee, he has allowed beard to
grow upon his cheeks,and closely trimmed
mOustache is sported upon the upper lip
The beard is like the hair, "a sable streaked
with silver" The hands are narrow and
symmetrical, and the fingers taper and aris-
tocratic. His whole appearance denotes the
highest nervous organization, Ombined
with wonderful quantity of brain power.
Always unostentatIouS in in his attire, Mr..
Davis wore last night a neat but unpreten-
ding suit of gray-the color reminding one
of the cloth worn by the soldiers of the
Lost Cause.
THE SUPPER.
The reception lasted for some ten or fif-
teen minutes, and then Mr.. Davis retired to
thirty or forty invited guests, sat down to a
supper prepared for them, at which there
was neither wine-drinking or speech-mak-
ing.
THE sERENADE.
Soon after nine O'Clock brass band came
in front Of the hotel and played several
pieces appropriate to the occasion. At
about half past nine o'clock Mr.. DaTis, ac-
companied by Hon. III. w. Hilliard and 9TH
ers, appeared upon the piazza of the build
ing, an immense crowd having collected
beneath. The music ceased, and Mr.. Hill
lard spoke as follows, frequently being in
terrupted by bursts of applause:
HON. H. W. billiards SPEECH.
Mr.. DAVIS We are here to welcome
you. / do not know that any higher trib-
ute can be paid to any man than that which
we offer to you this evening. You hold no
office. on can confer no patronage. You
can advance no mans fortunes. You are
resting for night from your journey. But
you see around you those who come to offer
you the unbought tribute of their respect
and admiration. Whatever opinions may
be entertained by men in regard to the
merits ofthe mighty struggle through which
these States have just now passed, every
one must honor you for the manner in which
You have borne yourself in the midst of the
contest and since. You were always faith
full to the trust committed to you. 1t is but
Just to you and to the great cause you rep
resented to say, that no man ever bore him.
self more heroically through the storm of
war than you did, while it lasted and no
man ever bore himself with more dignity
under disaster and the ruin of grand cause
than you have done. You have emulated
the courage and the constancy of the illus
trious man who met the whole power of
imperial armies, without being moved from
his steady and resolute attitude of defiance.
William the Silent, whose motto was
'sSerene in the midst of the surging pillows"
And since the war ended, you have ut
tered no vain regrets nor indulged in futile
resistance to power.
Marius seated upon the ruins of Carthage,
deplored his broken fortunes. You have
quietly submitted your fortunes to history.
History will vindicate you.
| well remember when ! met you for the
first time. We took our seats in he Con-
gress of the United States from neighboring
States-you from Mississippi, l from Ala
bama. You sat on the Democratic side of
the House, and l took my place with the
Wings. Divided as those two great parties
we're. both were patriotic. Both respected
the Constitution; neither party aSpired to
the overthrow of constitutional liberty;
neither party sought to crush the States;
neither party undertook to construct great
central deSpotism. But when a faction rose
into power and placed its representatives in
the seat of Executive authority, all was
changed. | do not enter into the history of
the events that followed. knew that you
were not rash Yol did what you could to
save the Republic, to promote peace. But
when the Southern States made their de-
claration of independence, and constructed
a common government for their defense.you
were called to the post of authority, of dan
ger and of duty.
do not now propose to review the dread
drama that closed in the overthrow of the
Southern cause. 1t is the cause of consti-
tutional liberty, and will yet triumph.
| am instructed to welcome you to the
inequalities of the city of Augusta.
Mr.. Davis replied as follows:
MIR. DAVIS SPEECH.