Speeches of the Honorable Jefferson Davis, 1858 | Page 9

descendants of Shem,
in whose tents they had come to dwell. They preferred to encounter toil,
privation and carnage, rather than debase their lineage and race. Their
descendants of that pure and heroic blood have advanced to the high
standard of civilization attainable by that type of mankind. Stability and
progress, wealth and comfort, art and science, have followed their
footsteps.
Among our neighbors of Central and Southern America, we see the
Caucasian mingled with the Indian and the African. They have the
forms of free government, because they have copied them. To its
benefits they have not attained, because that standard of civilization is
above their race. Revolution succeeds Revolution, and the country
mourns that some petty chief may triumph, and through a sixty days'
government ape the rulers of the earth. Even now the nearest and
strongest of these American Republics, which were fashioned after the
model of our own, seems to be tottering to a fall, and the world is
inquiring as to who will take possession; or, as protector, raise and lead
a people who have shown themselves incompetent to govern
themselves.
He said our fathers laid the foundation of Empire, and declared its
purposes; to their sons it remained to complete their superstructure. The
means by which this end was to be secured were simple and easy. It
involved no harder task than that each man should attend to his own
business, that no community should arrogantly assume to interfere with
the affairs of another--and that all by the honorable obligation of
fulfiling that compact which their fathers had made.
He then referred to the commercial position of Maine, and spoke of her
brightly unfolding prospects of prosperity and greatness. Many
considered her wealth to consist of her forests, and that her prosperity
would decline when her timber was exhausted--he held to a different
opinion, and thought they might welcome the day, when the sombre
shadows of the Pine gave place to verdant pastures and fruitful fields.
Was he asked, what then was to become of the interest of ship-building?
He would answer--let it be changed from wood to iron. The skill to be
aquired be a few years' experience, would at a fair price for iron, enable
our ship builders to construct iron ships, which, taking into account
their greater capacity for freight and greater durability, would be

cheaper than vessels of wood, even whilst timber was as abundant as
now;--at least such was the information he had derived from persons
well informed upon those subjects.
He expressed the gratification he felt for the courtesy of the Democracy
in Maine, and doubted not that the Democracy of Mississippi would
receive it, with grateful recognition, as evincing fraternal sentiment by
kindness done to one of her sons, not the less a representative, because
a humble member of her Democracy.

Speech at Belfast Encampment.
About the o'clock the troops at the encampment being under arms, Col.
Davis was escorted to the ground and reviewed them. He was then
introduced to the troops by Gen. Cushman, as follows--
Officers and fellow soldiers, I introduce to you Col. Jefferson Davis, an
eminent citizen of Mississippi,--a man, and I say a hero, who has, in the
service of his country, been among and faced hostile guns.
Col. Davis replied as follows--
Citizen Soldiers:--I feel pleased and gratified at the exhibition I have
witnessed of the military spirit and instruction of the volunteer militia
of Maine. I acknowledge the compliment which has been paid to me,
and I welcome it as the indication of the liberality and national
sentiment which makes the militia of each State the effective, as they
are the constitutional defenders of our whole country.
To one who loves his country in all its parts, it is natural to rejoice in
whatever contributes to the prosperity and honor, and marks the
stability and progress of any portion of its people. I therefore look upon
the evidence presented to me of the soldierly enthusiasm and military
acquirements displayed on this occasion, with none the less pleasure
because I am the citizen of another and distant State. It was not the
policy of our government to maintain large armies of navies in time of
peace. The history of our past wars established the fact that it was not
needful to do so. The militia had bee found equal to all the emergencies
of war. Their patriotism, their intelligence, their knowledge of the use
of arms, had given to then all the efficiency of veterans, and on many
bloody fields they have shown their superiority over the disciplined
troops of their enemies. A people morally and intellectually equal to
self-government, must also be equal in self-defence. My friends, your

worthy General has alluded to my connection with the military service
of