Year: 1871

More About His Speech I'm Selma The


Cause of the Rebellion Not One of the


Dead Issues with Him.


We find in the Selma (Ala.) Press of Saturday
last more complete account of the reception
given JeffersoDIDavs, in that city, than was
contained in the Democratic papers published
there. The Press. which is a Republican paper,
describes the affair and reports Davis speech
thus:-


''Mr. jefferson Davis, President of Memphis
life insurance company, arrived in this city on
Sunday night, from Mont gomery. On Monday
he received many calls and in the evening he
held quite levee in the parlor of Keipps Hotel,
which was attended by large number of ladies
and gentlemen. About IL o'clock a brass band
appeared on Alabama street. in front of the
hotel, accompanied by crowd of two or three
hundred people. The band discoursed The
Bonnie Blue Flag and on the cessation of the
music, loud calls were made for Davis,
Davis In answer to the call the
chief of the fallen Confederacy appeared
the crowd for about ten minutes in a STRAIN OF
impressive eloquence, which told with power
full effect upon his hearers He commenced by
complimentiDg, in general terms, the people of
Alabama. He had always loved them, and now
felt that he could rest in peace with them for
ever. They we're bone of his bone, and flesh of
his flesh. Alabama and his own State of Msss-
slppi we're yet one in principle as they once
had been one in territory. Their people had
sent forth their sons to battle on the same
fields for their rights as States. But, asked the
speaker with bitter emphasis, are they States
now? Yet, proceeding in an exultant
tone, he declared that State sovereignty, al
though defeated in the late struggle, will uti-
mately triumph; its day of success might not
come in bis time, but be would live and die In
the belief that it would surely triumph. He de-
clared that no people on earth had ever suffered
as had the Southern people since the surrender
of the Southern armies, and he loved them for
the fortitude with which they had borne the op-
preston heaped upon them: He had always
been willing to give his life for his people, and
now if any Yankee power wanted his blood to
atone for any action of the Southern people, they
could take 1t. On him the Government had done
its worst, and for himself he cid not care,
but for the sake of the people whom he loved,
he would forbear to express more fully the
feelings of his heart. He never had asked
pardon for what he had done, and he never
would, for he felt that he had done no wrong
Mr.. Davis concluded amid the applause of the
crowd, which had loudly cheered the salient
points of his speech. AS he retired the band
struck up Dixie after which calls we're made
for General Pettus and General Morgan, but no
response was accorded, and the crowd soon after
separated. Mr.. Davis looks to be in fine health"


Commenting editorially upon these utterances
the Press says:--


I'm his brief speech in this city on Monday
night last jefferson Davis reiterated his faith in
the doctrine of State sovereignty, and asserting
his belief in its ultimate triumph. This is the
first occasion of which we have any knowledge
that Mr., Davis has, in public, touched upon the
general political questions that agitate the
country. 1t must be that the recent election in
New Hampshire, the native State of his friend
Pierce, produced an unusual degree
of eXultation in his mind. 1t may
be that the expectation of a
Democratic success in the Presidential
contest of 1872 was strengthened and confirmed
into confidence, and he would no doubt consider
It IS we'll ba e people Of
| the country should know that so distinguished a
champion of State sovereignty as Jefferson
! Davis has not given up hope of the ultimate
triumph of that cause. In its behalf great armies
| have been raised, a gigantic war waged bloody
battles fought, public debt has been piled noun.
| tain high, and widows and orphans created by
| hundreds of thousands-yet it did not succeed.
| But now the chief who championed it, aud who
marsballed its forces, tells the people that he ye
| has confidence in its ultimate triumph. We
| commend these views to the consideration o.
that portion of the Northern press and people
which has been led to believe that the cause o
| the Rebellion is dead issue in the minds o
| leading men at the South"