County meeting at Savannah — acknowledgment to Virginia.
At a meeting of the citizens of
Savannah and
Chatham county, Ga., held in the city of
Savannah, on the 19th inst., an acknowledgment of gratitude to
Virginia was made part of the proceedings, and the following resolutions, introduced by
Thomas H. Harden,
Esq., and seconded by
W. T. Thompson,
Esq., were unanimously adopted:
‘
The present being the first occasion since the commencement of hostilities on which the citizens of
Savannah and
Chatham county have assembled in public meeting, we avail ourselves of the opportunity to give expression to our views and opinions of public affairs.
’
We are in the midst of war — a war as unnatural as it is unchristian — a war for our subjugation — forced upon us by the vicious and corrupt Government at
Washington.
Striving for more than thirty years to maintain the inheritance of civil and religious liberty bequeathed us by our noble ancestors of the Revolution, and sacrificing everything, save our honor, in honest endeavors to live in peace and harmony under the
Union formed by our fathers for our welfare and happiness, we have nevertheless suffered injustice and oppression, contumely and reproach from our late Northern confederates, till forced to sunder the ties which bound us under a common government; and calling upon the just Arbiter of the universe to witness the rectitude of our intentions, we have declared ourselves a sovereign, free and independent people, under the
Government of the
Confederate States of America: Therefore,
Resolved, That we maintain, by the help of God, our freedom and independence with all our means, and at any cost or sacrifice which we may be called on to make.
Resolved, That our noble
President, our brave and heroic
Generals and commanders, our devoted and self-sacrificing volunteers, are entitled to the confidence, gratitude and affection of the people of the
Confederate States for their brilliant achievements on the field of battle.
Resolved, That we tenderly sympathize with the fathers and mothers, wives and sisters of the noble dead, whose names, though written in blood, illustrate the brightest pages in our country's history.
Resolved, That we here record our lasting gratitude to the noble men and women were
Virginia for their tender and kind hospitality and care of our sick and wounded soldiers, to those from
Georgia especially.
Resolved, That our thanks are due, and are hereby tendered, to the ladies of
Savannah, for their active energies and noble efforts for supplying the wants and ministering to the comfort of our patriot soldiers, and we bid them God speed in their providence for the soldiers' wants, for which they merit and shall receive our honor and protection.
On motion of
Hon. Thomas Purse, the meeting adjourned.
