The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-07-10
THE CHARGE SUSTAINED.
WASHINGTON, d. c., July list, 1879

WASHINGTON, D. c., July list, 1915.
JOHN n. GRAVES, ESQ,
Oakville, St. Mary's county, Md
Dear ,SU:-Having at last respite from
my professional duties, turn to your long
neglected letter of February eth, wherein
you inform me that controversy has arisen
between you and Mr.. Perry in relation to q
quotation in my Grafton on the life of the
late Honorable Henry Winter Davis, from
il speech of Mr.. jefferson Davis at Steven
son, Alabama, in Feb, 1861, as follows:
"We will carry the war where it is easy
to advance-where food for the sword anG
| torch awaits our armies in the densely pop
ulated cities
You state that Mr.. Perry wrote to Mr.
Jefferson Davis concerning the matter, aDc
enclose me copy of his reply contained il
the ST. Marys Beacon of Feb. 25th, 1879
and then request me to give my authority
for the above quotation.
The fact that Mr.. Davis made many
speeches on his way from Jackson to Mont
gomery is proved by 4 despatch dated Mont
gomcry, February 10Th, 1861, and published
in the New York Herald and New York
Tribune of the next day in the following
language: "The trip of Mr.. Davis from
Mississippi to Montgomery was ono con
"tinuous ovation. He made twenty five
"speeches on the route, returning thanks
"and supplementary greetings to crowds Of
'ladies and gentlemen and military at the
"various depots.' In the same despatch
he is reported to have said, on his arrival al
the Montgomery depot: "The time fol-
compromise is past, and we are now de-
"termined to maintain our position, ano
"make all who oppose us smell Southern
"powder, feel Southern steel" The pre-
else words quoted by me were taken from
Greeley's American Conflict, Vol. 1, page
Ais. The whole passage reads thus: y oul
"Border States will gladly come into the
| "Southern Confederacy within sixty days,
as we will be their only friends. Eng
Gland will recognize us, and glorious fu-
"ture is before us. The grass will grow in
"the Northern cities, where the pavements
"have been worn off by the tread of COM
"merce. We will carry war where it is
"easy to advancc-where food for the torch
"await our armies in the densely populated
| Settles; and though they the enemy may
"come and spoil our crops, we can raise
s'them as before; while they cannot real
"the cities which took years of industry
"and millions of money to build.'
The speech of Mr.. Davis was reported
as made in February, 1861; Greeley's book
was published in 1864; and my Grafton was
delivered on the 22d Of February, 1866
There has been an acquiescence in the
quotation from Mr.. Davis for fourteen
years since his speech at Stevenson, eleven
years since the publication of Mr.. Greeley
book, and nine years since the delivery OF
my grafton. Meantime, grave historians
have endeavored to make up truthfully the
great record of the rebellion; and nearly
all who have sufficiently entered into detail
| to allude to Mr.. Davis speech have adopted
the words thus quoted as genuine. Benson
J. Lossing's Pictorial History of the Civil
War, published in 1866, Vol. /, page 257
contains the following language: "Prepa
"rations were now (Feb'y Is, 1861, made
"for the reception and Inauguration o.
"Davis. He was at his home near Vicks
"burg when apprised of his election, anc
"he fastened to Montgomery on the cir
"cuitous railway route by the way o.
jackson, Grand Junction, Chattanooga
"and West Point. His journey was {
continuous ovation. He made twenty i've
"spceches on the way, all breathing Treason
{" to the Government by whose bounty hi
chad been educated and fed, and whose
claws he had frequently sworn to uphold
In the History of the American Civil War
by John William Draper, published il
1868, Vol. 1, page $50, he says: "Mr
"Davis' views at this time are to be fount
Gin speeches he made in his triumphan
tourney to Montgomery, and in his in
"augural address. In one of the forme
che says: THE Border States will gladl,
"come into the Southern Confederac,
"within sixty days, as we shall be thei
'sonly friends. England will recognize us
"and a glorious future is before us. TIL
"grass will grow in the Northern cities
"where the pavements have been worn OF
.sby the tread of commerce. Foreshadow
cling the manner in which he intended t.
"act, he said We will carry the wa
"where it is easy to advance-where foo
ssfor the sword and torch await our armie
Gin the densely populated cities. TIL
"enemy may come and spoil our crops
"but we can raise them as before; the
90 can not rear again the cities which too
"years of industry and millions of none
"to build 'We are now determined h
"sad, to maintain our position, and max
call who oppose us smell Southern powde
"and feel Southern STEEL" And in tn
American Cyclopedia, published as late a
1874, Vol. ), title Jefferson Davis pag
713, this statement is made: "In hi
"speeches on his way to Montgomery, MI
"Davis expressed himself in a confiden
"manner as sure of ultimate success. |
cone he said: England will recognize us
"and a glorious future is before us. TIL
"grass will grow in the Northern cities
"where the pavements have been worn o.
= "by the tread of commerce. We wi
"carry the war where it is easy to advanc
"-where food for the sword and tore
"awaits our armies in the densely popl
"lated cities. The enemy may come an
"before; they cannot rear again the cite
(Which took years of industry and million
"of money to build. We are now dete
"mined to maintain our position, an