The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-12
JEFFERSON DAVIS,

The speech delivered Wednesday, the tenth
instant, at Mississippi City, by ex-President
Davis to the Louisiana Division Of the Assoc
citation Of the Army of Tennessee, on the oc-
casion Of the presentation to him of certifi-
cate and badge of honorary membership OF
the organization, must rank amongst the
highest specimens OF American oratory,
Those who were present and heard with
| their own ears the words as they fell from the
| lips Of the illustrious speaker--who listened
| to the lofty sentiments he enunciated. the
pungent truths he presented. the keen eriti-
| cisms of recent events he made. the noble
tribute he paid to Polk, the fighting Bishop,
to Sydney Johnston and Tilghman. to the
half-starved and ragged soldiers who fol-
lowed them, and to the glorious women of the
Confederaey- remember to the end of
their lives the occasion and the
emotions which were excited In their breasts
by the patriot statesman who has filled so
large n space in his generation, and whose
tongue has not forgotten the magic by which
he once eaptivated the people and controlled
the counsels of the Senate.
In these degenerate days when the doc
trine that success sanctifes fraud has become
prevalent In almost every class of society
when man occupies the Presidency In viola
ton of the right of free election and through
the success of O disgraceful conspiracy: when
creatures such as Eliza Pinkston, Mrs. jerks,
Jim Anderson, Packard and Kellogg, and
their brood of forgers and perjurers have be-
come the ruling spirits In American politics, IL
must fill the hearts Of all Southern men with
VII tr, bn - NJ f..
contrast their former leader still honored and
beloved by them, though driven into retire
ment, and prosecuted for more than ten years
by the whole North with the ferocity of blood
hounds, with the base and dishonored men
who now control the Federal government.
and who have swarmed out OF the dirty Do
litical cesspoos of the last decade.
From one end OF the North TO the other Mr..
Davis has been denounced as rebel and o
traitor; sectional malice has found no
epithets too opprobrious to Destow upon him
advanced in years, poor In fortune, aspiring
to no political preferment, living in unosten-
tatious but dignifed retirement, the mean and
malevolent demagogues and the debased and
cowardly press of the North have abused, |
prosecuted and pursued him with untiring
and never-flagging ferocity. But TO whom
will an impartial generation award the palm
of honor, patriotism and craftsmanship? Will |
posterity confirm the verdict of the trium-
plant North Or will 1t declare that the head
of the Confederacy who led his countrymen
through one of the most heroic struggles In
the annals of mankind, in defense of great
principles which he believed to be right, |
and which the American people are now re-
turning to, was the true patriot, and that
the real traitors TO the constitution and enc
mics of the Republic and OF American liberty
were Grant and the demagogues and conspra-
tors who swarmed in Congress on the fall Of |
the Confederacy. and Hayes, and John Sher-
man, and Matthews and all their tribe, who |
have rolled and wallowed In bribery, perjury |
and fraud until they smell rank In
the nostrils of even these degenerate |
times Mr.. Davis, possessing the deep
and unalterable love OF the Southern
people and the admiration of all peoples,
may serenely submit TO the denuncations of
the North, conscious that the verdict of man
kind will be in his favor, and that history
will hand down his name to all time as one of
the leaders of nations, whose every purpose
WuS w S5LNb ul5 pSJpl5 htlh bueh |
liberties, and who displayed in adversely,
poverty and retirement the same great quail
ties which characterized him when he was
the chosen ruler of a great people and the
leader Of one Of the grandest revolutions of
The world.
We had intended to make some extracts
rom the speech of Mr. Davis, and commend
Them as lessons of wisdom and patriotism to
our people, but we cannot do so now, nor Is 1t
the speech speaks for ITSELF and it
8 worthy of jefferson Davis and his people.
It's combinations Of reasoning with the no
)lest ornaments Of fancy and the incessant
bursting of the fires of the Hottest and most
trdent sentiment, the characteristics of
great mind and great soul, will cause 1t to
,e read through the Union, and render it for
III time lesson and an admonition to a free
people.
HOW THE REPUBLICANS REWARD