Address of Congress to the People cf the
". . v -i "oiuetterwe states.
- Feuow-Citizens : The result f of the
Peace Commission", is known to the
. country, 4 The hope. , of those, who havo
hifhcni belicnd thaf o JhoHorihlcjernm
nation might be put tothewar by negotia-,
uon nvr uern ruueiy uisappointeu., t he
.enemy .'after drawing us into a conference.
uiujiij uiiiiiiinicu ii uy itpisting upon
terms ' which (her well k
never accept.4 Our absolute sorreiuler ahtf
submission to the will of the conqueror are
the only condition vouchsafed by urir-
rogant foe. We are told that if we Will
lay down our arm; and place dor Uvea.
liberty! property and dome ttic institutions
at ike feet f President Linc.L, that be
win uej me rcuai es-upon hit clemen
cy we mut rely to save us from eniver
sal confiscation and extermination!- Yes!
these . are the conditions aeon, which t
people of the, sovereign Ststee composing
me uonn-uertcy ma oe allowed do
what?.;To return into the Union!1 ft win
which they solemnly and deliberately with
drew thenmlvea because their interest and
their honor required it. and' thrir renuer-
nance to which four years of. remorseless
and creel war have served but to intensi
fy 1 Thatke' be to God. who controls and
overrules the countefs of mrn, the baeehty
, . - . . . : . . . . . .
insolence oi ourrnemies, witicn ihey Imp
ea woum intimidate and break the apint
of ur people, is producing the very eon
trary effect ! I From every part.' of the
country there comes up in response ashoat
t mingled indignation and defiance I . '
A noble enthusiasm re-animates eurral
hot army, who have been battling to lug;
lor freedom and independence ! Let as
all be united now. t Let there be no parties
r iaciioui KPiosg a U9i ill rise co tot
heijbt iif the great occasion. Let us all be
willing to spend and be spent in the cause
of Miur country. Let u contribute freely
all that , we have, if need be, t carry on
the war until ur triumph is secured. Let
us Ule Ti sternal oonsel together, and
calmly consider our condition and pros
pects." Such a survey, we believe, must
tend tu re-asure and encourage even the
least sanguine. HV it is true, e
centlv met with seiious disaster. Our
fortitude is being severely tried. We have
Buffered 'mueh, and mutt be piepared to
uuer more, in uiv isate ior wntcn we are
struggling. Is the cause worth the sacri
fice?.,Tu.anver currectlv e must con-
atastty keep intnmd the end fur which we
i : lt-i... i .
arr wnif-uiiing. , ni ii nur uojeci in
th is. war ? The establishment of our jn de
pendence, through which atne are to be
ecurrd the aoverrignty of the States and
the right f eelf-govrroment. What is the
alternative? Our subjugation as a people!
I it poib!e to over-estimate the horrors
f this terrible alternative? Can the im
azinatin : over-color the picture which
would be presented in the event of , our
f4ilen? If wa Tail, not only political
urgrauaimn, out social namiuaiion must
be our wretched lot. We would nHonly
be political vastali, but social serfs. An
enemy that has shown hitosri! destitute of
tne oruinary aensioiuuesoi numan nature.
and whise worst patajona are embittered
and enSamed against as, would aasume the
absolute control of our piditicl and social
destinies. In vain would a proud, though
vanquished, people Imik even for that mer
cy which the conquered receive from a
generous foe. Thokt Stale Rights "which
we have been tasht to priia so dearly as
the greatest bulwarks' of constitutional
liberty, and which, frorn the earliest peri
od of our hUtory, w have so jealously
caarded, would be annihilated. The Con
federate States would bo held as conquered
provinces by the despotic government at
Washington. They would be kept ia sub
jugation by the ettri band of nilttiVy
fower, as Venetia aad Lombard v have
een held by Austria as Poland is'hildby
the Ilussiaa Czar. Nat only would we be
deprived tf eery,oolitlcU franchise dear
U freemen, but aociallr wa weald be de
graded tu the level at alavtsf if, indeed
the refinement of tnslict in our enemies did
net induce them Ueleyate the negro above
his : former master. - Not only "would the
property and'eitates of vanquished Te
beta't be confiscated,' but they would be dP
vided 'and, distributed ahiong ouV Alrican
bndften.s But hy pursue ' jlhe hideous
pieture further ? Southean rainhnod sTti
volts at, the bar Mea of the spectacle pre
sented.4 Can syou Hhink of -it anmored ?
Can propertycan life itselfbl ao dear
to you as to allwwfyou io weigh them :;fr
one raomentgr.st ilegradatiou ao, bject
gioC intsery. aot profound ? u We lo
not; and canoot, believe itIf the proud
memories and triditioos of our first jreai
revolutin do not nevejroa to 'eternal re
flstaace to u6h aonsuinraitionnor the
amPf,'r ouf 'fufetheriajwhawreailed
for the independence they bequeathed, to
u jluring seven long ;yeair of suffering
greaier than we have endured let not the
precious blooa t'iat has been already shed
by bur' bravest and best in, the present
,tro,?crv t to.os fyom ouryet reeking
M 'l Fruitlessly indeed, have
thosa sons and brothers martyrs d liber
ty bled and died; f , we falter now in th?
path which they haye illumined before as!
In the Revolutieo of 75 our armiea and
our people auSVred, far more than we have
done. .Our cities then were almost all ia
the bsnda of the British, aod we. were en
tirely cat o IT from all supplies from abroad,
while oar facilities for. producing them
wcic inuoiieiy ies man iner now arej
Ureene telle as that the battle of Eutaw
was won by men'wlto had scarcely ahoea to
their feet or shirta to their backs. They
protected their shnuiur from being, gall
fd bv the band of their crosa-belb, by
bunches of moss or tafts of grts. , A de
tachwent mirching to Greene'a aisisUBce
pasted through a region swept by both
armies that the wr compelled to soosist
on green pache as their nly diet. There
was scarcely any salt for filteen months,
and when obtained, it had to be used spar
ingly, miaed with hickory ashrts. Wa need
bat allude ; to the terrible winter ' which
Washington passrd at Valley Forge with i
an arny unpaid, half-sUrved and half-naked,
and shoeless to convince u that much
as fir brave soldiers are now enduring,
their fathers, fur a like caue, endured far
more. Washington jA'ifi not then despair.
Lee does not nw !epair of the fia tri
umph of, a righteous ciee. j Why should
we, be doubtful much Ichs despondent
of our ultimate success? ,!4 . ...
The extent of our territry the food
producing capacity of oar soil the amount
and character of ur population are ele
ments of etrenglh which, carelulljf, hH
banded and wisely employed, are amply
olScieot to insure our final triumph. The
I'Sssage f hostile armies through our coun
try, thughirnduciive of cruel suffering to
our people sod great pecuniary log, gives
the enemy no permanent, advantage or
footed. , '
To subjugate a country, its eitil govern
ment must be suppressed by cotitioaing
military frre, or supplanted by another,
to which the inhabitants yield a voluntary
or enforced obedience. The passage of hos
tile armiea through our territory cannot
produce this result, Permment garrisons
would have to be stationed at a sufficient
number tf points to strangle alt civil go
vernment before it could bet pretended,
even by the United States government it.
self, that its authority as extended aver
these States, How many garrisons would
it require? How many hundred thousand
soHiers would suffice to suppress the civil
governments of all the States of this Con
federacy, and to establish over them, even
in name and form, the authority of the
United Stales? Ia a . geographical point
of view, therefore,' it may be asserted that
the conquest of these Confederate States is
impracticable. - -
If we cootider the food-producing ca-
acitv of nor tail we need feel no sport-
lenau nsas to ear ability to feed the pet-
le and iny army we rosy put into me
eld. , It is needless to to. into detail or
ddnce statistics in nroetof this. It Is ob
vious te every we!l -informed mind. At
mougn tne occupation vj
bis rathleu policy of destroying the bar,
vests, granaries' and 5 agricultural imple
ments of' our people, wherever' lie; moves,"
hat undoubtedly diminished thl amount of
oar cereals; atilt. ia yiew of the factthat
in fcvery; State !withduts exception; its ag
ricultural labor has been devoted almut
exclusively toUhe rsislngtof breadstuffs,'
hile,beforethe war U wasi mainly devot
ed tw-hei preduetion of cotton, tobacco
ihi other exports it ia"impf.8iible to doubt
that thre is an ample siSpplfef food in the
CoaBtry i U is true 4hat th!e deportatfon of
our alafeil by the .enemyand the; barba
rous policy ..jut arming them against lis-
a poliey reprobated -bj all 'aathorities flri
ethica or international lav has consider
ably t diminished rour' agrkaftural 5 labor.
But when we reflect that, in! !860j our ex
ports almost entirely the products of slate
labor amounted lo" (f 250.000,000) - two
hndia?dand fifty 'millions ;off dollars,' it
may be safely assumed - that 'pur slaves;
though reduced in ttumbers, are fully equal
Go the task of feeding both the "population
at home and the army in the field.5 Our
transportation, it is true, is defective and
inadequate, but this may be ; infinitely im
proved by more energetic efforts' and'roore
thoroagh and systematic erganizatisn. .We
cannot believe,' therefore, that on our boun
tifel soil, so richly blessed by hatttre, there
iT any danger of our failing in this great
contest-for want of food of feur being
starved into submission to the hateful yoke
nf the conqueror!
1 Bat if we took to the'amountand charac
ter of our population, we see especial rea
son why we should be eBcoaragid to hOpe
forpay, to. be assured of our, ultimate
success.' N"o people of otfr number can be
Mljugated, unless, false and recreant ' to
tiem&elve, their ceiirsge, faith and forti
tude fail them. --'-.- WfJ
' We hate upon our rolls a very large ar
my of Veteran soldiers. ' It is true and it
is a sad troth to confess that the number
present fur duty is , terribly disproportion
ed tw the entire aggregate. ' This is too no
torious for concealment end we have no
desire to conceal anything. .We wish to
speak frankly and truthfully to yon of the
actual condition of things. The number
of absentees from' your armies has been a
fruitful cause of disaster. On many a hard
fought field the tide of success would have
turned oveiwhelminly in our favor had all
been present whom doty required to par
ticipate in the strife. We vrill not stop to
inquire Into the causes of an evil which we
have so math reason to deplore. The
remedy is partly in the hands of Congress,
and it is our province to apply it. But it
ia partly, also; in yours; and we appeal to
you to .'use -it.'-.! Let every good,;eitir.en
frown down open andindiiiantly dis
countenance, all evasion of military duty
whether temporary or permanent no mat
ter hnw plausible the pretext or palliating
ttie reason. j
No duty, in this crisis of our affairs, can
be more imperative than to fight for one's
country, lauiuy ana nome. juei no tauiKer,
deserte'r or absentee without leave, fioa
the army.be tolerated in any community.
Let the reproachful glance of our women,
between whose honor, and the brutal foe
our noble army atanda as a flaming sword.
drive hi in back to the fields With proper
ouicera, unci iiicipiinr, ami an eievatcu
tone of public opinion throughout the coon
try, drserUon and absenteeism in the army
ca'n b4lsrrested,and all men liable to mil'-
itarytj put into, and kept in, the ranks
of eufifilaiei.rf If.this be alfected, we can
maintain in the field, a force laQcieat to
dely subjugation. . v .
But it is in the character of our popula
tion, especially, that we find those ele
ments ot -strength which impress as-with
the conviction that we never can be con
quered Our people are peculiarly milita
ry in their characteristic!. Better soldiers
than those inour army history hat never
shown. They havetndured extreme hard
ship! and lu'ffering with a furtitude. aad
fought against constaatodds with a gallan
try, that has learned the gratitude of their
country and extorted the admiration ef the
weVld. But, ie addition to their milrtary
attnbmer, bar people are pre-eminently cf
.4 .9 y .i. .j. m,(1 ,. h V , t S $lt '
a proud and haughty spirit; and deeply im
bued with the love ofV constitutional free-'
dom." It belongs to their race and lineage;
and,' as Burke long ago remarked j their re
lation to the servile race in 'con tart with
them -has intensified the feeling and inlrest
ed this love of liberty with a sentiment bf
personal privilege! i'o suppose that m peo
pie with auch military, political and icfeial
characteristics will ever voluntarily vubmit
tab ruled; by any other government .than
one of theirowti choice, is too instil ting to
their pride to be entertained fora momeit.
And to doubt their capacity to achieye'in
dependence and maintain themselves a! a
separate Power among ,the tatiobs of,' the ,
earth, is to close oar eyes te all thf teachv .
ings of history to, ignore the irroof srhtoh
oar own forefather! have stamped a pon it!
page's to believe that human nature has
i I . . .L . a . j:i a ' i
cuangcu, or iai wc are a oegeueraie: race,
unworthy desceudents of oar revolutionary
aires!. n t .. .7 -it.; jj .
The appointment by the President of
Gen. Lee as General-in-Chief" has donte
much to restore confidence id the countrr
aod to reiospire Hie army; All feet that
we may aafely repose this-weighty: trast
and responsibility ia that great soldier and
devotedpatriot. i All feet that we may teals
upon him aseurtower of strength. All feel
that hia courage and steadfast purpose,; his
military skill and wise judgment, wilt en- ,
able ' him to wield tour armies with tthe
maximum efficiency and strength-' -i May
God strengthen him for "the great task to
which a confiding people have called him!
j To provide means for carrying on the
war, Coogress has beio- compelled to im
pose poa the coantryys heary bortben of
taxation. Bat, heavy as it Is, it is not tob
heavy'forthe country' Ho "bear, and not
heavier than our wants Imperatively, de
mand, ' It is. Impossible to maintain the
mighty contest in which we are engaged
withovt vast expenditures of money. Mo
ney can only be raised by loans or taxa
tion. Our condition does net enable as te
do the former. :We mast of necessity,
therefore, resort to the latter, x ..We appeal
to you with confidence to submit cheerful
ly to the burthens which- the; defence of
youc country, your homes and'your liber
ties renders necessary.' To contribute ac
cording to his means to that defence is as
miirh an nht!(rtinn nnnn the citizen x it
is to peril his life upon the battle field. ?
Let us, then, fellow-couotrymei, tread
the plain path of duty.r No nation that
has trod it faithfully and fearlessly ever, in
the world's histdry, has stumbled and fall
en. Nations,' says Burke, never are
murdered they rommit suicide." , Let us
not be guilty of the folly and the crime of
self-destruction. : Let us, show the forti
tude, endurance and courage that belong to
our race, and neither the brute force of our
enemy's arms, nor the stbtl poisoa of his
lips, can extinguish the life of this Confed
eracy, breathed into it by the sovereign
States which created it.
The people of the United States are be
coming weary of this vrar.. The foreign
material for. their armies is beginning to
fail them . The mattering of discootent
at the prospect of a further draft open their
home population are beginning to be heard
in their great titles. , The prospect of war
indefinitely prolonged, is , alarming , their
capitalists. Public credit wast, sooner or
later, collapse under the burthen cf expend
ditures, the magnitude of .which the most
skillful financier csnfcol venture te predict.
The debt of the United States is eqbil to
the national debt t England, which hai
been accumulating tincu the revolution of
1633. The interest on thi debt is !ir per
cent., while the, interest on the Enlish
debt is only three nsr cent. It has been,
computed that the interest on the debt of
the United States, together with the amount
necessary to csrry on its Government
(even were the war at an end,) would not
fall much short ef hunirti million per
annum a sura aflirmedte be greater than
the entire annual wealth of the Northern
States. While a people, la self-defence,
may, submit cheerfully to any privations
and sufferings to any sacrifices of treasure
and ef blocJ there is a limit beyond which