The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1861-07-31
M q s S a G @
PRESIDENT JEFFERSON DAVIS.

|
To the Congress efMe
Confederate STATES Of America.
GEsTLEsES:-My message addressed to
You at the commencement Of the..session con.
tanned such fall Information Of the state Of
che Cnnfederacy as to render it unnecessary
that ! should now do more than call your at
tention to such important facts a. have oc-
Cured during the recess. and 10 matters con-
nected with public events.
have again to congratulate you or the ac-
cessisns OF new members to eur C0nfedera-
tiaa Of free. equal. and sovereign States.
Our ever loved and hoRored brethren Of
North Carolina and Tennessee have consum-
mated actien fsreseen and provided for at
your last session, and have had the grati6-
catien of annaancing by proclamation, in
conformity with the law. that these States
we're admitted into the Confederacy.
The people Of Virginia. alse, by majority
previously unknown in her history, have rat
flied the acton of her Convention, and unit
ed h.r fortunes with ours.
The States Of Arkansas, North Carolina
and Virginia have likewise adopted the per-
msRent Constitution of the Confederate
States. AMI no doubt is entertained Of its a.
depiisn by Tennessee at the election to be
held early next month.
deemed it advisable to direct the reno
'sl OF the several Executive Departments,
with their archives, to this city, to which
yon had removed the seat Of Government.
Immediately after your adjournment, the
aggressive movement Of the enemy required
prumpt and energetic action. The aceumu-
,,ion vi his forces on the Potomac sufficient
" demonstrated that his efforts were 20 be d.
: : rected against Virginia, and from no point
u could the necessary measures for her defence
! and protection be so efficiently directed as
from her own capitol. The rapid progress
J of events for the last few weeks has fully suf-
: |, feed to strip the veil from behind which the
|. ! true pniicy and purposes ot the Government
! 81 the Cnited States had been previously con-
cealed; their odlous features now stand full
= y revealed. The message of their Presi-
! dent. anI the action Of their Congress during
;, The present month. confess the intention OF
suhjusating these States BY a war, whose fol-
ly j. eqlaiied only BY It's wickedness-a war
! by which il is impossible to obtain the pro-
I" posed result; whilst its dire calamities.
!. not to be avoided BY US. will fall with double
" severity on themselves. Commencing, in
= March last, with the affectatiOn OF ignoring
- the secession OF the seven States which first
~ organized this Government; persisting, IN
= April. in the idle and absurd assumption of
= the existence Of riot, which was 10 be dis
3 ptrsed by posse c0mifatus, and continuing
~ successive months the false representation
thai these States intended offensive war, in
'e spite OF the conclusive evidence TO the con-
a. t,ary, furnished as well by official action as
!, by The basis on which this Government is
'" consti uted, the President of the Unisd States
Is and his advisers succeeded in deceiying the
people uf thase States into the belief that the
~ purpose ut this Government was, not peace
al home. but conquest abroad; not the de-
" fence OF its own liberties, but the subyersion
of those ni the people oil the United States.
The sere. Of maneuyres BY which this i'm
pse..ian vas created aud the art with which
they were devised. and the perfdy with
wh,cIi they were executed. we're already
known 10 YOU, but you could scarcely sup
ee pu.rJ that they would be openly svowed. and
~ their success made the subject Of boast and
d. self.laudaiion in an Executive message.
Fortunately Tor the truth Of history, hsr-
~. ever, the President Of the United States de-
It. tails with minuteness the attempt to rein
Tor force Fnrt Snmpter, in violation Of an armls-
ee tice Of which he eonfesses to have been in
r. formed, hut "only by rumors too vague an&
nr uncertain 70 6r attention" the hos,ile erpe6i
n iiva despatched TO supply Fort Sumter 10 sd.
he mit,-d 10 have been undertaken with the
lknowlr,lge that its success was impossible.
~ The s-nding ~ notice TO the Governor Of
he spuih Carolina Of his intention 10 use farce
VI 10 accomplish his object, aud then quoting
fran h.. inaugural address the assurance thar
there could be no conflict unless these States
aere aggressive. and we were the aggress-
or; he proceeds 10 declare that his conduct.
a. iu> related by himself. was the pertona-
ance uf this promise, /" so free from the pow
er oi ingenious sophistry, as that the world
he ,huuld not be able to misunderstood il" and
IN ii defiance of his Osn statement that he gave
70, noricr Of the approach sf the hostile fleet, he
~ charges these States with becoming the as
gn ,alIan'. Of the United States, "wiihout q gun
nj IL sight ur in expectancy TO return their Ere.
&c save only the few IN the iort.' He is, indeed,
ht fully justified 10 saving that the case "is SO
~ free lrun the power o. ingenious sophistrS
te that the world will not be able 20 misunder.
ng stand H." Under the cover of this unfounded
ng pretenee th.t the Confederate States are the
a.saiiants, that high functionary, after ex-
pressing his concern that some foreign na
=. tions 'had so shaped their action as il they
{. supposed the early destruction Of eur nation
Or Al Uninn was probable" abandOns all lurthe.
he disguise, and proposes TO make this contest
nj short and decisive one, "by placing at the
~ control of the Government for the work, az
4, IIrast 10000 men aud s4OO, 900. .00u." The
in Congress, cuncarrng 10 the doubt thus init.
or mated as TO tie sulhciency Of The lorce de
Vi msndpd. has increased il 10 halt million 0
:. men. This enormous preparation IN mes
D. and money for the condaet Of the war on a
scale more gigantic than an, which the New
world ever witnessed, is a disiinct ayowal
By in the etes uf civilized men that the United
al states are engaged is a conflict with great