The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-05-01

PROCLAMATION BY PRESIDENT JEFFERSON DAVIS
WHEREAS Abraham Lincoln, the president of the Uni
ted States, has by proclamation, announced the in
tention of invading this Confederacy with armed
force for the purpose Of capturing its fortresses and
thereby subverthg its independence and subjugatiug
the free people thereof to the dominion of foreign
power and whereas it has thus become the duty of this
government to repel the threatened INVASION and to
defend the rights and liberties of the people by all the
means which the law of nations and the usages of civil
ised warfare place at its disposal therefore, JEFF
ferson Davis president of the Confederate States of
America, do issue this my proclamation, inviting all
those who may desire by service in private armed YES
sells the high seas to aid this government resisting
wanton and wicked aggression to make application
for commissions letters Of marque and reprsa to be
issued under the seal of these Confederate States
And do further notify all persons applying for let
tiers of marque to make statement in writing, giving
the and a suitable description of the character
tonnage and force of the vessel and the and place
of residence of each concerned therein and the
intended number Of the crew. and to sign said statement
and deliver the to the secretary of State the
collector of any port of entry of these Confederate
States to be by him transmitted the secretary of
State And do further notify all applicants aforesaid
that before any commission letter OF marque issued
to any vessel the thereof and the com
mander for the time being will be required to give bond
to the Confederate States with least responsible
sureties interested III such vessel in the penal sum
of $4,000 if such vessel be provided with than
100 men, then In the penal sum OF $4,000 with cond
ton that tile owners officers and who shall be en-
poyed board such commissioned vessel shall observe
the laws of these Confederate States and the nstruc
tons to them for the regulation Of their conduct that
they shall satisfy all damages done contrary the ten
or thereof by such vessel during her commission and
deliver up the when revoked by the president of
the Confederate States And do further enoin on all
persons holding Office civil and military under the au-
thorty Of the Confederate States that they be vigiant
and zeous in discharging the duties incident thereto
And do, moreover soeInny exhort the good people /
of these Confederate States az they love their country,
as they prize the blessing Of free government, now
threatened in aggravated form by those whose enmity
is more impacabe because unprovoked, that they ex-
ert themselves in preserving order in promoting con-
cord maintaining the authority and efficiency of the laws
and in supporting and ngigorating all the measures
which may be adopted for the defence and by
which, under the blessing Of Divine Providence we may
rope for speedy, just and honorable peace.
- In testimony whereof have hereuntoset my
lis hand and caused the seal of the Confederate
~ States to be affixed this 18th day of April 1
a. n, eighteen hundred and sixty-one
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
R. TooNBs secretary of State,
The governor of North Carolina has convened The
legislature for the lsi Of NAV