Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-04-29
DAVIS DAY.
His Grand Ovation in AL
ALBANIA.
HE MAKES A BRIEF SPEECH
The Elk President of the Confeder
acy Received With Shouts
and Tears.


Especial to The Herald bv the Associated Press. |
MONTGOMERY, April 2s. The city is
full of people, and there is great excite
ment. 1t has been raining almost con-
tinuously since Monday, and about dawn
this morning the down pour was tor
! rent. SO great was the rain aud conse-
qusnt mud that the plan Of having the adj
dresses of Jefferson Davis and General
Gordon delivered at the fair grounds
near the city at eleven o'clock, had TO be
abandoned. II was determined that the
procession should form at two o'clock
and march to the State Capitol building.
Addresses were delivered from the steps
OF the Capitol this afternoon. Mr..
Davis stood upon the same spot upon
which he took the oath as President of
the Confederacy. The procession is
aow forming. An immense concourse
Of people arrived to-day in spite OF
terrific rain this morning. Mr.. Davis has
been very quiet and secluded all day,
receiving only old acquaintances and
special friends. He has no set speech,
and his address to the multitude will be
short.
The route Of the procession to the
capitol was about mile long. The av-
snue is very wide, but the crowd when
it began to move, packed II from one
side to the other. Men, women and
children were packed from the steps to
the front gate Of the capitol, and while
1t was impossible for the great part Of
them to hear, they stood in their places
out Of respect for Mr.. Davis and desire
to see him.
When order had been secured, and for
such vast throng it was the most Or
Derby ever seen here, Mayor Reese adj
vanced to the stage and said; My
countrymen. it is with profound emo
tons that present to you the foremost
type Of Southern manhood, Honorable
Jefferson Davis, ex-President Of the
Confederate States Of America.
Mr.. Davis, leaning on his cane, with
the Federal flag over him and Confeder-
ate veterans before him who had come
hundreds Of miles to hear and nee him,
in q clear, ringing voice, showing the
deep intensity Of his feelings. but with
out tremor or pause, except when inter-
rupted by the shouts Of his hearers,
said: ''My friends, it would be vain il l
should attempt to express to you the
deep qualification which feel at this
demonstration, but know that it is not
personal and therefore feel more deep
| " gratified, because it is o sentiment far
dearer to me than myself. You have
passed through terrible ordeal; war
which Alabama did not seek. When
she felt her wrongs too grievous for
| further federation she sought peaceable
solution; that being denied her. the
thunders Of war came ringing over the
land. Then her people rose in their
majesty. Gray-haired sires and oeard-
less boys early rushed to the front. It
was war which Christianity approved,
| q holy war for defense. Well do re-
member seeing your gentle boys so small,
| to use farmers phrase, that they might
have been called seed corn moving on
with eager step and fearless brow to the
carnival Of death; and have also locked
upon them when their knapsacks and
muskets seemed heavier than the boys.
and my eyes, partaking Of their moth
| ers' weakness, filled with tears. Those
days have passed. Many Of those boys
have found nameless graves. but they
are not dead. They live in memory,
and their spirits stand out as the grand
reserve of that column which is march
ing on with unfaltering step towards the
goal Of constitutional liberty" Zap
pIause.
ut were in vain II l should attempt, -
have already said, to express my graf
itude to you. I am standing now very
nearly on the spot where stood when
took the oath of office in the
year 1861. Your demonstration
now exceeds that which welcomed me
then. This shows that the spirit of
Southern liberty is not dead. Long
aud continued applause.l Then you
were full Of joyous hopes, you had every
| prospect Of achieving all you desired
and now you are wrapped in the mantle
Of regret and yet TINT regret only mani
| tests more profoundly and does not OBJ
| literate the expression Of your senti-
ments. l felt last night As approached
the exchange hotel, from the gallery Of
which your famous orator, William
| L. Yancy, introduced me to the citizens
Of Montgomery and commended me in
| language which only his eIoquence could
yield and which far exceeded my merit,
| / felt, / say again. that was
coming to my home. coming to land
where liberty dies not and serious SEN
timsnts live forever. [Applause.l |
have been promised. my friends. that l
should not be called upon to make a
speech, and therefore Il can only extend
| 10 YOU my heartfelt thanks. God bless
you, one and all, old men and boys, and
the ladies, above all others, who never
faltersd in our direst need. Loud and
long continued applause.
| When he retired the shouts were so
lang and loud that Mr.. Davis had to go
to the front again. He bowed his ac-
acknowledgements and thanks.
Governor 0'Neal, when II was posi-
BILE to be heard, made handsome
speech in reference to the cause of the
| gathering and of the love the people Of
| the right faith feel for the statesmen
and soldiers of the South. and intro
| duced Gen. John B. Gordon, the orator
selected to deliver the address, as in Mr..
Davis feeble condition it was under
stood he could only speak few min
utica Gen. Gordon received grand
welcome. as many soldiers that he had
commanded were present.
| General Gordon speech was received
with the greatest pleasure, and at many
points be was interrupted by the APP
proving shouts of the multitude. His
references to Mr.. Davis and the gran
deur Of his life, especially In the scenes
| depicted in Fortress Monroe, made q
profound Impression and brought tears
to hundreds Of eyes. His tributes to the
soldiers Of both armies and contempt for
| the men who would attempt to detract
| from the valor of either, received long
| continued shouts Of applause.
II was then announced that Mr.. Davis
would receive his friends at the City
| Hall soon after the meeting adjourned.
| When Mr.. Davis and those escorting
| the party had passed through the lines
| and reached their carriages the vast
| thronQ dispersed. As he started from
the Capitol portico the artillery doomed
| forth and fired salute of one hundred
guns. The same scene OF cheering and
waving Of handkerchiefs was enacted as
when the procession moved up the ave-
nne. Mr.. Davis was carried TO the City
Hall where general handshaking was
| INDUCED in, the vast number OF callers
only permitting moment to each. This
ended the days demonstration, and
/ 1t was grand success, the heavy
rain in the morning and after
the speaking. being the only draw
backs. Universal good humor pre-
vailed. There was not hitch in carry
ing out the details. Fully 20. 900 people
were on the streets and grounds. No
political Significance attaches 70 the
meeting. twas an opportunity for thou
sands OF Confederate soldiers and their
wives and children to see MIR. Davis, and
they came accordingly. IL has added
largely to the fund for the bailding o.
the monument.
i The streets are crowded tonight and
thu, hotels are filled to sutIocation. To
morrow will be another big day. The
/ corner stone af the monument Is to be