Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-06-10
Jefferson Davis Oratory.

address by ferson Davis. made iu the
New Orleans Opera House 10 aid Of the
Historical Society:
The other side has written and is writ.
ing the history of the cause. We want
to preserve ours also. thati the future
historian by comparison of both may
evolve that fair statement which proba.
bly, no contemporary could make. I
would frankly acknowledge that would
misirust the man who served in the Con.
federate cause il be was capable Of Civ
Jog disinterested ac,ount of il. II he
had any heart, he must be on his own
side. want our side OF the history
l. may be like the other. but we don't
take exactly an equal view Of it. But
the two will be compared BY some Que
who comes after US, who will do justice
to our cause and our people. You ell
know it would be needless for me to
speak of it; how thoroughly unprepared
we were when We engaged 10 war-with-
out money. without name among the
nations. without credit. without prs::;.
sions, without arms, without ammuni-
ton and without factories 20 make t.;
we went 10 relying solely upon brave
hearts.
The uuanimi,y of our people and the
heroism of our soldiers have caused the
admiration of ,be world. Generally they
know the disad advantages under which We
fought; they know the achievements
with which our soldiers covered them
selves With glory. but there is much that
is not kaowD. You may ask the school,
boy 10 the lowest form who commanded
at the Pass of Thermopyle aud be can
tell you. But. my friends. are there
not many of this audience who, il asked.
could not tell who commanded at Sabine
Pass! Aud yet tell you that the bat
tie OF Sabine Pass was more glorious
than that OF Thermopyle. Who remem.
beIs how the ironclad feet came steam
ing up the river with nothing to oppose
it but mud fort, armed with field guns
and held by fort5-two men; how It's
commander was asked by comrade what
vas to be done. and suggested that they
better retreat, and how this gallant man
said: 1--WE will never retreat !" How
they shook hands with each other ADD
said We will fight to the death ! "
How the iron clads came stealing in aud
were repulsed BY that gallant little army
Of forty-two men! This was 10 1868.
Now, who knows of Bowling I Aud
yet this Dowliug hold higher than
LeoDidas. Ii is such events rs these
that We must preserve. They will be
lost. x Il depends upon you,
friends, whether the South will have
them or not. whether you will give your
children q true statement of the deeds OF
their fathers, aud the principles that
actusted them. The other side will
then understacd US, and it is to be hop
ed that the time is not far distant when
the offensive epithets only too common
to-day. which deile the English language
will DE blo,ted out of toe Nortberu vo-
csbulary. We are not revepgeful. The
fact is. the Southern people sre not capa-
Bile of haste, aud | will tell you Why /
think so. Hate is the child Of fear, and
brave men do not hate like towards.
| Neither a,e brave men ever so cruel
so with you to d,aw from those who
can testify on both sides Of the case that
we did everything 10 our power to as
sist those taken prisoners during the
war; We tried to release them we tried
to exchange them aud I want those
facts to go down to posterity. 80 that
our children's children cannot have the
name of Andersonville thrown with OPP
probriuus epithets 10 their faces. 1t is
false. utterly false. that our people ever
did treat prisoners with cruelty, and I
want the fact shown, as it can be shown.
You can get witnesses who we're prison.
ers you can get the men who. when
prisoners. were paroled, went to WASH
ington to get relief. were denied audi
ence aud had the honor to come back to
prison.
You can get these men to testify that
il they we're not treated as well as they
might hare been, there we're physical
causes there we're climatic causes; We
were wanting in supplies We were
wanting 10 medicines, aud we're waiting
10 the food to which they were sceus-
tomed-even medicine vas made Q cou-
traband. How could We supply them
1t is all the vilest SANDER that ever was
perpetrated. 1t Is here where the His
torical Society can assist US and il you
susceed 10 giving such an Impulse to
the Organization as will preserve the So
ciety aud increase its asefuloess. you sill
have another claim to the gratitude Of
your couutrymen.