The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-15 00:00:00

MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT DAVIS.

The following is the full text of President Jef-
ferson's message, a summary of which has already
appeared :

" To the Senate and House of Representatives
of the Confederate States,—

"In obedience to the constitutional provision re-
quiring the President from time to time to give to
Congress information of the state of the Confede-
racy, and recommend for their consideration such
measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient,
I have to communicate that since the Message at
the last session of the Provisional Congress events
have demonstrated that the Government had at-
tempted more than it had power successfully to
achieve. Hence, in the effort to protect, by our
arms, the whole territory of the Confederate States,
seaboard and inland, we have been so exposed as
recently to encounter serious disaster. When the
Confederacy was formed the States comprising it
were in the peculiar character of their pursuits, and
a misplaced confidence in their former associates, to
a great extent destitute of the means for the pro-
secution of the war on so gigantic a scale as that
to which it has attained. The workshops and ar-
tisans were mainly to be found in the Northern
States, and one of the first duties which devolved
upon this Government was to establish the neces-
sary manufactories, and in the meantime to obtain
by purchase from abroad, as far as practicable,
whatever was required for the public defence. No
effort has been spared to effect both these ends, and,
though the results have not yet equalled our hopes,
it is believed that an impartial judgment will, upon
full investigation, award to the various departments
of the Government credit for having done all which
human power and foresight enabled them to ac-
complish.

"The valour and devotion of the people have not
only sustained the efforts of the Government, but
have gone far to support its deficiencies. The active-
state of military preparations among the nations of
Europe in April last, the date when our agents first
went abroad, interposed unavoidable delays in the
procurement of arms, and the want of a navy has
greatly impeded our efforts to import military sup-
plies of_all sorts.

" I have hoped for several days to receive the
official reports in relation to our diseomfitura at
Roanoke Island and the fall of Fort Donnelson.
They have not yet reached me, and I am therefore
unable to communicate to you such information of
past events, and P-onBeanc.neeP reSUitinG from them,
as would enable me to make recommendations
founded upon the changed condition which they
have produced. Enough is known of the surrender
of Roanoke Island to make us feel that it was deeply
humiliating, however imperfect may have been the
preparation for defence. The hope is still entertained
that our reported losses at Fort Donelson have been
greatly exaggerated, inasmuch as I am not only un-
willing, but unable, to believe that a large army ofour
people have surrendered without a desperate effort
to cut its way through the investing forces, what-
ever may have been their numbers, and to endeavour
to make a junction with other divisions of the army.
But in the absence of that exact information which
can only be afforded by official reports it would be
premature to pass judgment, And my own is re-
served, as I trust yours will be, until that informa-
tion is received. In the meantime strenuous efforts
have been made to throw forward reinforcements
to the armies at positions threatened, and I cannot
doubt the bitter disappointments we have borne by
nerving the people to still greater exertions, will
speedily secure results more accordant with our
just expectations, and as favourable to our cause as
those which marked the earlier period of the war.
" The reports of the Secretaries of War and Navy
will exhibit the mass of resources for the conduct of
the war which we have been enabled. to accumulate,
notwithstanding the very serious difficulties against
which we have contended. They afford cheering
hope that our resources, limited as they were at the
beginning of the contest, will, during its progress,
become developed to such an extent as fully to
meet our future wants. The policy of enlistment
for short terms, against which I have steadily con-
tended from the commencement of the war, has, in
my judgment, contributed in no immaterial degree
to the recent reverses which we have suffered,
and even now renders it difficult to furnish you as
accurate statement of the army. When the war
first broke out many of our people could with diffi-
culty be persuaded that it would be long or serious
It was not deemed possible that anything so insane
as a persistent attempt to subjugate these States
could be made—still less that the delusion could so
far prevail as to give to the war the vast proportions
which it has assumed. The people, incredulous of
a long war, were naturally averse from long enlist-
ments, and the early legislation of Congress rendered
it impracticable to obtain volunteers for a greater
period than 12 months. Now that it has become
probable that the war will be continued through 0,
series of years our high-spirited and gallant sol-
diers, while generally re-enlisting, are, from the
fact of having entered the service for a short time/
compelled in many instances to go home to make
necessary arrangements for their families during
their prolonged absence. The quotas of new regl
meats for the war, called from from the different
States, are in rapid progress of organisation. The
whole body of new levies and re•enlisted men will
probably be ready in the ranks within the next 30
days ; but, in the meantime, it is exceedingly dift
cult to give an accurate statement of the number 01
our forces in the 'field. They may, in general
terms, be stated at 400 regiments of infantry, with
proportionate forces of cavalry and artillery, the
details of which will be shown by the report of the
Secretary of War.

I deem it proper to advert to the fact, that the
process of furloughs and re-enlistment
.in progress
for the last month had so far disorganised and
weakened our forces as to impair our ability for
successful defence ; but I hereby congratulate Sou
that this evil, which I had foreseen, and was
powerless to preveni, may now be said to be sub"
stanlially at an end, and that we shall not
again, during the war, be exposed to seeing our
strength diminished by this fruitful cause of (115
aster—short estimates

" The people of the Confederate States, being
principal►y engaged in agricultural pursuits, were
unprepared, at the commencement of hostilities.
with shipyards, materials for shipbuilding, or skilled
mechanics and seamen in sufficient numbers to make
the prompt creation of a navy a practical task' even