The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-07-02
The Speech that Jefferson Davis
Ought 70 Have Made.

IS The Speech that Jefferson Davi
Ought 70 Have Made.
d. EprroRs CLARION 1 have just seen p re
e cent specimen Of paper published At okoloaa
Mississippi called the Chickasaw Messenger
with comments upon the imprompt.
: speech made ex President Davis ii the lat
4 meeting Of the Press Association al Pa=eagoula
Il Every one that heard the speech seemed I.
4 like 1t bur the Messenger does no. ike it At all
q says it exceedingly ill-time.' and object,
10 it very extensively and promiscuouslv.
Now, Mr.. Editor. really believe | could
= have made a much better speeeh-or at leas
: one that would have better pleased the
:, the Messenger / had been in Mr.. Davis,
n place. lie might, Tor instance. have spoken
, as follows
MY friends am happy to meet you under
the Tag ot this great glorious, reconstructed
g Republic. Time was when l might have con
: graduated You on assembling yourselves to-
gether a. MissisSippians, but that time has
: passed We have all learned the folly and
the danger oil cherishing any special affection
Tor our own State or our own section ANY
? such feeling serves only To pander To the de
; Iusive doctrines of State-rights, which have
caused u much trouble in the past Far be
II from me to encourage any such here-ies in
the future. myself was once led astray by
these dalnnable theories, but | was IN error
and have long since truly and heartily repent
ell.
/. We submitted these questions. fellow citi-
fzens, Ia the arbitrament Of the sword and the
sword has decided that we were all wrong.
What remains for US but to accept the de-
clslon and confess our folly? The State OF
Mississippi Is nothing more than county, Or
] aggregation of counties, of this one, great in
Invisible, indissoiuble union. The union de
I mandS all our our powers, faculties. and atfec-
tons; 1t Is altogether wrong to encourage
+ anything sectional a sentimental attach
ments to particular State. Such feeling con-
talns within itself the genius OF secession re
bellion, and everything else that Is dangerous
and wicked
4 was very sorry to hear my friend Major
Barksdale speak, he did just now, OF what
he calls the dark period that prevailed for some
years after the late war. 1t Is true it was
dark IN some sense, but 1t was 4 very necessary
and wholesome sort of darkness. We had
been rebellious children against the authority /.
of most patcrnal Government ia word (
which the reporters Will please spell with a I
big O. and ii was absolutely necessary to /
chastise and put us in the dark corner I'M
til all the seeds OF sedition were eradicated
i myself am striking example, fellow (
citizens, OF the clemency of this great and I
good Government-the best the sun ever
shone upon. was rebel and a traitor 1t
Is true, was no worse than the rest of YOU!
but you invited me To be Your leader and |
accepted the invitation, instead OF setting Won
good example by going over TO the other
side. Ii had done So, / might now have
been President OF the United States for ahe
third or fouth term. Bat | foolishlv pre-
terred to accept the trust you imposed upon
me and to become the CHIEF OF your rebellion
1t was very wrong and very wicked | was
imprisoned and tortured for it. bat / deserved
de. flsfA
have been too good for me, but here | am
thanks to the gracious benignitv Of the Gov ;
eminent against which | rebelled-aliro. and |
permitted to counsel you all To repent, as
have done
Gentlemen Of the press, l regret that so ;
many OF you slow TO be reconstructed and
still mlslead the people by preaching the old =
exploded theories OF State sovereignty, con +
5tltutIonai seIi-government, and all that sort
OF thing. You are wrong, gentlemen: YOU are
you out OF harmony with the a
lmes- Some lew OF you, am happy to say. :
are more enlightened and progressive. BE
wise, and follow the noble example set YOU by !
he Chiekasaw Messenger, the - -, and 7
1ne or two others. Denounce that viIlianous 7
'Bourbonlsm," for which so many OF YOUR :
brethren fought and fell-for which some OF :
Fou carry shattered bodies and mutiIated mem =
'ers-and show yourselves to be practical and
ensble men.
GAS for you, my fair countrvwomen. while
banking you for grazing this assembly with j.,
our presence, candor compels me to say that
our persistent fidelity to the memories and =
OF the past gallantry alone forbids !
ne to call 1t your inyeterate cussednes5 in
ehaIf OF the traditions of the RebeIlion-is v
olng vast deal of harm to the country II
Iou are aware that, with all their graces and
lrtues III private lie, your sex have always in
cen mlschiet-makers in public affairs. from N
telen OF Iroy"down to Mrs. Mashaln-not 10 q
peak o. yet more modern instances. You u
ere always the most efficient supporters OF -.
he lost cause. How many lives have been -
ost-how many bodies maimed-through -
our influence! Suppose that. instead of
your husbands and brothers and
'Vers IN their rebellion, you had prevailed
n them to leave the country or take to th, ia
Gods They might now be living and thriv- am
~. Some OF them might even be United !o'
tates Deputy Marshals? Let us hope thar liz
, sentimental notions of honor or duty will e.
lnder You from teaching your children that
lelr fathers made 4 great mistake fiust-as |
'niess dId) Iii taking part in that unfortu-
ate rebellion.
My friends | have been accused of disaf
cuon with regard to the new constitutional SD
nendments. There is not a word Of trutb no
the charge On the contrary | am con "a p
need that the true principles OF the Consti- -,
Iion We're never understood until they wer, son
tiled by the 18th, l4th, and 18th amend u
enls In TACT il was no Constitution nj all the
III they were adopted, and the wonder is the
:" the country got along without them for l
many years. l declare to YOU that I wouId mo
: all the rest of that instrument wiped ont He
existence, rather than lose one lot or tittle ley
those invaluable provisions They consti-
e the very pith and marrow OF our political
stem.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is our misfor serN
le not our fault, that we are Mississippians I'LL
Is a sad thing to belong to State which
: not only the blot of reputation, but that exc
rebellion, on her escutcheon 1t is sad To 10 .
nix how many of our brethren and kindred ter;
re fallen in behalf of that wicked and III
molly rebellion But, poor fellows they Har
ught they were right Let Us level the L. f
tn over their remains, efface their names the
m our memories, erase their errors from l..
records, and teach our children to abhor on
IT faults and escape their fate" NEE
'ow Mr.. Editor, | submit it to vour GOOD fdr q
gment and common sense, whether this so c,
lid not have been much more patriotic t syaa
tic, prudent, and sensible speech than that Adv
eh the Ex-President actually made at spec
cagoula | am it would have been ~, a.
e satisfactory to the Chicago Inter-Ocean. whel
Times, and the Chickasaw OF r.
senger, OF Okolona. Is it not pity that and
'ident Davis had no opportunity OF con- of wi
ing me about it before he spoke? ait IN
LoNGsHoREATAN of de
folIol
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