Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-07-22
In the same despatch he il reported
TO have said, on his arrival at the Mont

10 have Aid, on his srrival at the Mont
gomery depot:
''The time for compromise u past,
and we are now determined to MAIN
tain our position, and make all who op-
pose us smell Southern powder, feel
Southern steel"
The precise words quoted by me were
taken from Greeley's American Con-
flict, vol. l, p. AS. The whole passage
reads thus:
"Your Border States win gladly come
into the Southern Confederacy within
sixty days, as we will be their only
friends. England viii recognize us,
and a glorious future 10 before U.S.
The grass viii grow in the Northern
cities, where the pavements have been
worn off by the tread Of commerce.
We will carry war where it is easy to
advance-where food for the sword and
torch await our armies in the densely
cities; and though they (tho
enemy may come and spoil our crops,
we can raise them as before; while they
cannot rear the cities which took years
of industry and millions of money to
build"
The speech of Mr.. Davis was report
ed as made in February, 1861; Gree
ley's book was published in 1864; and
my Grafton was delivered on the 22d
Feb'y, 1866. There has been an ac-
quiescence in the quotation from Mr..
Davis for fourteen years since his speech
ut Stevenson, eleven years since the pub
lication of Mr.. Greeley's book, and nine
years since the delivery Of my oration.
Meantime, grave historians have endea-
vored to make up truthfully the great
record of the rebellion; and nearly all
who have sufficiently entered into de-
tail to allude to Mr.. Davis speech, have
adopted the words thus quoted as gen.
nine. Benson J. Lossing's Pictorial
History Of the Civil War, published in
1866, vol. l, 257, contains the following
language:
preparations were now (Feb'y IS,
lS6l,) made for the reception and in
ausuration of Mr.. Davis. He was at
his home near Vicksburg when apprized
Of his election, and he FASTENED to
Montgomery on the circuitous railway
route by the way Of Jackson. Grand
Junction, Chattanooga, and West Point
His journey WAS u continuous ovation.
He made twenty-five speech on the way.
all breathing treason to the Government
by whose bounty he had been educated
and fed, and whose laws he had fire.
quently sworn to uphold"
In the History of the American Civil
War, by John William Draper, pub
lishcd in 1868, vol. l, P. $50, lie says /:
"Mr. Davis views at this time are to
be found in speeches he made in his
triumphant journey to Montgomery,
and in his inaugural address. In one
Of the former he says: The Border
States will gladly come into the South
ern Confederacy within sixty days, as
We shall be their only friends. Eng
land will recognize us, and q glorious
future is before us. The grass will
grow i'll tue Northern cities, where the
ravements have been worn off by the
tread Of commerce. Foreshadowing
the manner in which he intended to act,
be said: we will carry the war where
it is easy to advancc-where food for
the sword and torch await our armies
in the densely populated cities. The
enemy may come and spoil our crops.
but we can raise them rs before; they
cannot rear again the cities which took
years Of industry and millions of money
TO build. We are now determined be
said, to maintain our position, and
make all who oppose us smell Southern
powder and feel Southern STEEL"
And in the American Cyclopedia,
published as late as 1874, vol. 5, title
jefferson Davis" P. 7l3, this state
ment was made:
"In his speeches on his way to Mont
gomery, Mr.. Davis expressed himself in
q confident manner as sure Of ultimate
success. In one he said, England will
recognize us, and q glorious future 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 the war where it
is easy to advance-where food for the
sword and torch awaits our armies in
the densely populated cities. The en-
emy may come and spoil our crops, but
We can raise them as before; they can
not rear again the cities which took
years of industry and millions of mon
ey 90 build. We are now determined
to maintain our position, and make al
who oppose us smell Southern powder
and feel Southern STEEL"
OF course had no personal knowl.
edge of the correctness of the report Of
the speech attributed to Mr.. Davis; and
could only verify what he said at Ste.
venson as any other historical fact, by
tho testimony Of others. Mr.. Greclel
was generally accepted Is the best an
| tLority on the carrcnt events Of the n
lellion, AMI deemed Lis book as am
PIE justification for citing the words il
ouasfiou Tha >nt,rsa sine, p,,rSnsd Il,