Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-08-10
jeff. Dav is' Message.

We publish the following synopsis
of JEFF. Davis message, delivered be-
fore the Confederate Congress at Rich
mond on the goth inst, more as Gu
riosity than anything else. 1t is very
refreshing to note the conclusions at
which he arrives, and the supposed
fact that any considerable portion of
the North sympathize q with the re-
bellion:
JEFF. Davis message calls attention
to the causes which formed the Con-
tederacy, and says it is now only nec-
essary to call attention to such facts
as have occurred during the recess, and
to matters in connection with the pub
lie defence. He congratulates Con
gress on the occasions to the Confed-
eracy Of the free and equal sovereign
States, mentioning several States, and
says it was deemed advisable to re-
move the several departments and the
archives to Richmond, to which place
Congress has already been removed,
as the seat of Government.
After the adjournment of Congress
the aggressive movements Of the ene-
my required prompt and energetic ac-
ton. The accumulation of the ene-
my's forces On the Potomac sufficient
ly demonstrates that his efforts are di-
rected against Virginia, and from no
point could measures for her protection
be so effectually directed as from her
own capital. The rapid progress Of
the last few months has stripped the
veil behind which the true policy and
purposes Of the Lincoln government,
were previously concealed, which are
now fully revealed. The message Of
their President, the action OF their
Congress at the present session, con-
tesses the intention of subjugating the
seeding States by war, the folly Of
which is equalled only by its wicked
ness-a war, by which it is impossible
to attain the purposed result, and
which, whilst its dire calamaties cannot
be avoided by us, will fall doubly Sc
we're on themselves.
Commencing, i'll March last, with
afectation of ignorance of the seces-
sion Of seven States, which organized
the Confederate government, persist
ing in April in the absurd assumption
of the existence of riot, which was
to be dispersed by a posse conaitatus );
representations that these States in
tended an offensive war, in spite of
conclusive evidence to the contrary,
furnished as we'll by the official action
of the President of the United States
as by the official action of this govern
ment, have succeeded in driving the
people Of those States into the belief
that the purpose of this government is
not peace at nome, but conquest abroad
not the defence of our liberties, but
the subversion of the people of the
United States. Fortunately for the
truth of history, Lincoln's message mi
nutely details the attempt to reinforce
Fort Pickens in violation of the armis-
tice, of which he confesses he had been
informed only by rumors too vague and
uncertain to create attention. The
hostile expedition dispatched to supply
Fort Sumter is admitted to have been
undertaken with the knowledge that
it's success was impossible. The send.
ing of a notice to the Governor O,
South Carolina, Of the intention to use
force to accomplish the object; and
quoting from the inaugural, that there
will be no conflict, unless these States
were the aggressors, he proceeds te
declare that his conduct in the past at
we'll as for the future, was in perform
ance of this promise which could not
be misunderstood.
He charges these States with being
the assallapts of the Union, and states
T that the world cannot misund erstand
+ this unfoQaded pretence. Lincoln pro
poses to make the contest sharp ant
, decisive, and confesses that even a,