Year: 1863




SELMA, Oct l8--President Davis arrived here
and was most enthusiastically welcomed by the citi-
zens en- naGsse. He addressed an immense crowd in
front OF the hotel He congratulated the people on
meeting under such favorable circumstances, and
spoke in glowing terms of the galantry Of Alaba-
mans on every battle f1el6 He said that if the
non conscriptS Alabama will gather their guns, &c,
and go into service by guarding CourtIand and 9TH
er points, threby relieving regular soldiers from the
necessity Of doing this sort of duty such blows may
be dealt the enemy that he will End 1t difficult to
recover from them. In this way most effective aid
can oe gwen to Others who are carrying out the
plans OF the noble Longstreet under the supervision
OF the heroic Bragg. In this way the President is
confident Rosecrans may be crushed to dust, and
1t is only by the foFce of that the Yankees can
be brought to reason and their plans for subu-
CATION defeated. SelfreliaQce and energy is now
our duty. We should not look to Europe for aid
for such is not to be expected


Now our only alternative is to sustain ourselves
with renewed energy and determination, and little
sacrifices on the part of the people, and the Pres
dent firmly believed by next Spring that our invaders
will be driven from our borders. Then the farmers
who are now refugees return to their families and
pursue their business unmolested as heretofore.-
In fact be believes the defeat Of Rosecrans will pract
cally end the war.


The above is the substance Of speech recently
delivered by President Davis at Selma, Alabama





not look to Europe for aid for such is not to 6e e.
peeted" The President knows. If we cannot
drive the Northern troops from our soil, break the
blockade, and compel the federal government by
force Of arms to recognize our independence, then
we must expect to be subdued or if not to continue
the war indefinitely. We have taken this view of
our condition for months past; and Aence we have
urged the most rapid and desperate fighting, and at
the same time, efforts the part of government
to open negotiations TO- secure if possible the
Independence of the Confederate States proper leav
ing West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and Mis-
souri, the public lands and the public property gen.
orally within their limits with the United States
GiUe tho Confederate States proper their indepen-
dence and we shall be satisfied. We would be
glad to have more than this, but not willing
to peril all for advantages that may possibly be OBJ
tained Is not this the voice of reason2


The people were told in 1860 that secession would
be peaceable--that If the Yankees should presume
to fight US, one Southern man could whip five of
them-that our great staple, cotton, would inter
est England and Franco our struggle as to induce
them to interfere in behalf even at the risk of
war with the United States. The prophets have
prophesied falsely. Secession vas not peaceable.-
One Southern man has not whipped FIVE Yankees,
but on the contrary many of those who promised to
do so have not thus far even attempted it, but
avoiding service by every scheme and artifice in
their power; and England and France have not in
terfered mt the contrary, have the statement
of president Davis, who is thoroughly informed on
the subject that aid from them "is not to be ezpect
3D." We have been lighting two years and half,
and we are apparently no nearer our indedendence
then NO ueTe at tho bosinoi"s. Tue states whose
people foresaw that secession would not be peacea-
BILE have borne and destined to bear in yet full
Ter measure the brunt of the war; and surely under
such circumstances they entitled to potent and
controlling voice in the contest But this voice is
denied them, and will be- unless the people demand
at the polls that it be heard and respected Lot the
false prophets retire and if they will not let the
people vote them out Of power.


President Davis, IN . speech delivered in Raleigh
some eight months since, predicted that this would
be the last year of the war. Now he says "by next
Spring our invaders will be driven from our bor-
ders." He was mistaken when he said secession
would be peaceable, and he was mistaken when he
said this would be the last year of the war; but
hope his last prediction will oe yer flied If it should
not be, and if our enemies should continue to en-
croach upon US, our condition "by next Spring"
will indeed be uncomfortable. We would use
stronger word than uncomfortable, if it were pru-
dent to do so. But our opponents entitled to 9
monopoly of the gift of prophesy, whether it be true
or false; and they can say what they please, and
do as they please without subjecting themselves to
the charge of "gving aid and comfort to the enemy"


By the way, we learn that Col. McRae, one of the
candidates for Congress in the Sd District has been
announcing it to tie people as his confident belief
that the Emperor of the French would intervene at
an early day, and thus pave the way to our inde-
pendence. But President Davis says Col. McRae is
mistaken No aid, he says, is to be expected from
Europe. The President knows.