Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-08-22
JEFF DAVIS REBEL SPEECH


The remarks made by Jefferson Davis
At the meeting of the Southern Historical
Society win awaken attention MI over the
country. Coming from the head OF the
confederation which undertook t. destroy
the government. the speech of Mr.. Davis
is quite significant. Whoever reads it
thinks he has been badly treated lay the
government ami that he is DESTROYS of
fighting the battle OVER again under the
''bonny blue flag"
For Imam who deserves the penalty that
attaches 10 the foulest treason to rail al
the government which spared hi life and
allows him To 90 at large, is a tine stretch
of impudence But Davis goes farther
He denies that the South has been con-
quered. This valiant traitor finds cheek
to say to his friends 1--WE have been
more cheated than conquered by the
celebrations of federal Presidents Con-
.gresses and Generals, for there never
''conld have been surrender had we an
''ticipatod what followed aud we would
.'to-day have been free" This i, brave
talk for a man whose armies We're whipped
to death, flying, starved, glad to surren-
der upon any terms, while he himself tried
to escape by Disgusting himself in femin-
inc apparel. The world has long since
concluded that tllc surrender of the South
was one of necessity. that the Southern
troops fought well and maintained the con-
test stubhornly; but il Dayi. i, to be be-
lieyed they might have achieved their
freedom had they moi been cheated. If
the troops that ran from behind the works
at Petersburg, and through Richmond. and
So on al The way 10 The AppamaitoN sur
render. were more cheated than conquer
ed, then We must conclude that people in
general have a very erroneous conception
oil the terms cheated and conquered"
bnt MIR. Davis goes farther than To per-
pe'fa'e the above unbluShing falschood
ne has another object besides having
southern history written according 70 his
views. lie desires 10 shape fn,uro history
|" KEEP awe the resentment OF the south
against the North, to fan the embers Of the
old so that from them new rebellion may
spring up. This.is very lar from keepiuc
the compact with Mr.. Greeley entered in.
to last year, W hich Mir. Davis and the leod.
crs OF the southern democracy were inter.
ested in promoting. The republicans
said il was a fraud when they pre-
tended u clasp hands across tn,
bloody chasn, aud now we sec that W,
We're correct. Mark what Jeli Davis says
'He still had hope ior the South. becaus
whatever the men might be he never ye
chad seen a reconstructed woman, an,
while the men Of the day are mightic
''than the principles for which they ha,
struggled, he yet hoped that the children
who succeeded them would grow up It
perpetuate them and redeem al HAT hat
''been lost.
Now il We ate 10 take Mr.. Davis ~ au'
thority there is something for the North to
do beside passing c0neliat0y resolve, and
shedding tears over the hard condition Of
our southern brethren aud sisters We
must take care that these unreconstructed
women are kept where they can do no
harm tn themselves or their ncighbol s..
wfhie we avoid giving unnecessary offence
we must see that the right is maintained
IN every State, and that the government is
kept IN hands that have never been stained
py reoeiilon' We have been and are in
iorglving spirit towards the people Of the
South, but if their women are tapoht 10
hate us and to bring up their children in
the belief that the government i their