The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-11
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
continued from Frst PaGeJ

1eys UT, .,sinanIeu in early manhood you have
fean faithful to every trust imposed upon
van ~ the people Of the country. lApplausel
And We believe that In the future the time i
.st,at.ss man woman and child in the country.
from one end to the other Applause.
JEFFERSON DAVIS,
tba hero of the Confederacy, then delivered
the following address.
The gratitude felt for your kindness, and
fhe appreciation OF the honor you have con-
farred are doubly dear to me. Dear as an ex-
preston Of your friendship and esteem, ana
NIT less denr as an exponent OF the nagnhhm-
sty III those who have much OF sorrow ana
nneriffce to remember in connection with the
period Of my administration.
The history OF the world ls ttli on examples
where rewards and hOnOrs and public appre.
entf0n have waited on the successful, ana
where condemnation followed failures; with
little discrimination In either case as to the
merit or demeTt OF the conduct applauded or
condemned. To you, my eountIymen, belongs
the distinction Of presenting an exception to
She rule.
You come to-day TO confer badge and or
aleron one endeHred to you by our common
misfortune. and especially regarded by you
because he has been the particular object Of
Che hate and unwearying SANDER OF his and
your enemies, ! ON cordially thankful Tor
this kindness and proud to be enrolled In M
association Of men whose opinions and friend
ships do not veer with the changing tides Of
fortune Your organization was appropriate;
II not needful, to preserve the memories ana
cherished brotherhoods OF your soldier life,
nud cannot be Objectionable to any, unless 1t
le to one who holds your services to have
been In an unworthy cause, and your conduct
such 40 called for repentance and forgiveness.
The weary march, the picket, the ill-supplied
ramp, the henrt~dppressing hospital, as well
MS the battlefield afford numerous occasions
BE- call forth the generosity and fidelity Of
soldier friends and Of all the tenderest men,
Dries and closest and strongest ties these are
perhaps the most enduring. But to sancttty
these friendships there must be pride as well In
the cause as In the conduct The veteran
who shoulders his crutch TO show how fields
were won must not be ashamed of the battle
Id which he was wounded To higher natures
success Ia not the only test of merit And
sou, my friends, though you were finally I'M
successful, have the least possible cause to
regret the tlHg under which you marched or
Che manner in which you upheld 1t. Under
proyocatlon the bitterest and 9ft-repeated,
yours was never the policy OF retail iatlon.
While your homes were laid waste and your
families often left destitute, the peaceful home
of an enemy suffered not at your hands. Nor
had The non-combatants cause TO tremble at
your coming. either In their body or estate
There were some who were not with our
marching armies that advocated raising the
black flaR, but you preferred TO share your
calteen with the wounded enemy, and
your half ration with hungry prisoner.
fnended this exhibition of magnanimity on
the part Of our soldiers in q general order,
and remember with pride the chivalry which
called II forth. II were needless TO recall the
instances Of cruel and humanity conduct OF the
enemy towards the Rged men and helpless
women and children Of our land; If it were
possible 10 forget, II were well such acts were
forgotten. The noblest have most power TO
forgive, and the meanest are most reyengeful.
The first Is best able to return good for evil
EfiHE Durt and ytlitr 1pf
shows how well you were able to meet the re-
uulremeut,
Az an original question, the prOpriRty Uf
exercising the State right of secession in 1861
was at least debatable but the course pur-
sued by the Federal government after the
war had ceased, yindCates the judgment of
those who held separation to be necessary for
the safety and freedom Of the Southern
States. The unsuccessful attempt to 5epa-
rate left those In power TO work their will, as
IL had been manifested when they first got
control Of the government. The events are
too recent 10 require recapitulation, and the
ruin they have wrought, the depraylty they
have developed, require no other memorial
than the material and moral wreck which the
country presents.
Permit me to say of the contrOverted ques-
tiOn of secession by o State from the Union,
of which 1t was q member by compact vol
unfairly made, that my faith in that right as
an Inherent attribute of State sovereignty,
was adopted early in life, was confirmed by
the study and observation of later years, and
has passed, unchanged and mistaken, through
she severe ordeal to which it has been sub
Sected.
without desire for political future only
anxious for the supremacy of the truths on
which the Union was founded, and which !
believe to be essential to the prosperity and
the liberties of the people, 1t Is little to assume
that shall die, as l have lived, firm In the
State rights faith
la other times and places ! have discussed
4he right OF State to withdraw from the
Union, and will not repeat the argument on
this occasion.
Suffice IL to say the historical facts from
which the right Is deducble can only be over
thrown by the demolition Of the principles on
which the governmental our fathers was or
kaained and established. The independence
and sovereignty of the State carried with 1t
tine obligation OF the allegiance Of the citizen
To his State. To refuse to defend it when in
Vaded would be treason. To respond to its
call and 20 forth with those who chung the
banner on the outer wall, was legal duty
and obligation to his home, and all it held
dear: alike binding on the father the brother,
the son and the citizen. The propriety, of en-
gaging In war is question open to debate;
but, when 1t has been entered on, to shrink
from Its trials and responsibilities ts crime,
which In all ages has been denounced by the
patriotic and the brave.
lii is questionable whether war Is ever justi-
Fable except for defense, and then 1t Is surely
s duty No calling or condition in life eXempts
the citizen from service where his cOuntrymen
think he can be useful. Thus the good Bishop
Polk reasoned before entering the army, after
solemn meditation and prayer for he told
me, before doing 50, that ne regarded the war
as pro GYis ct focts and that his calling re-
quired rather than excluded him from serving,
wherever and however he was most needed
This holy man, with pious thought, buCkled
on his sword, and how herolcally he bore him.
self on many battle-tieds, you, the survivors
Of the Army Of Tennessee, can best bear wit
ness. Throughout his arduous service he
continued his ministerial functions, instruct
ing, as we'll by precept as example, while,
ever mindful of Him in whose hand Is the
destiny of man, he prayerfully invoked Gods
favor on the righteous cause he rtghteously
supported. When he fell on the field of battle,
slain, like pious Abel, by his brother, the
earth never drank nobler blood than his, and
no purer spirit ever assembled to the Father.
Martyrdom has generally been accepted,
and surely with reason, as proof of the sane
tity of the cause for which the martyr died.
Time would not serve to enumerate even a
.AIA IL