New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-11-20
NUMBER 22l.

Lne war, but nave invaded hef for the purpose of
attacking the Confederate States: outraees of the
most despotic character have Been perpetrated
upon her people; some of her most eminent eiti-
zens rave been seized and borne away to langnish
m foreign prisons, without knowing wno were their
accusers Or the specific charges made against
them, while Others have been forced to abandon
their homes, families and property, and seek
refuge In distant lands. -
Finding the Confederate States were about to be
invaded through Kentucky, and that the people
after being deceived into mistaken security, were
u,narmed ,e aud in danger of being subjugated by
tne Federal forces, our armies were marched in
mat state to repel the enemy and prevent their
ocsIgahon ni9 Ion oi certain strategic ponts, which
Noutl nave gwen them great advantages in the
contes, step which was justified not Only by the
necessities OF defence on the part Of the Con.
federate States, but also by a desire to aid the
people Of Kentucky 1t was never intended by
the Confederate Government TO CONQUER or caerce
the people Of that State, but on the contrary it
was declared by our Generals that tbey wonld
withdraw. their troops if the Federal Government
would do likewise. Proclamation was also made
Of the desire to respect the neutrality Of Kentucky
and the intention to abide by the wishes of her
people as soon as they were free to express their
opinion. These declarations were approved BY
me, and should regard It as one of the best eli.
fects of the march Of our troops into Kentucky if
it should end in giving to her people liberty of
choice, and free opportunity to decide their own
destiny, according to their own will. The army
has been chiefly Instrumental in prosecuting the
great contest in which we are engaged, but the
navy has also been effective in full proportion to
its means. The naval officers deprived, to great
extent, Of an opportunity to make their. prafes
sional skill available at sea, have served with
mendable zeal and gallan.ry on shore, and ugou
the inland waters, further detail of which will be
found in the report Of the Secretary of War.
1nthe transportation Of the mails many difficult
ties have arisen. which will be found fully devel.
oped in the report of the Postmaster General The
absorption of the ordinary means of Transportation
for the movement ct troops and military supplies,
the insufficency of the rolling stock Of railroads
for the accommodation cf business resulting both
from military operations and the obstruction of
water communication, the presence of the enemy's
fleet the failure and even refusal of contractors to
comply with the terms of their agreements the
difficulties inherent inaugurating so vast and COM
plicated system as hatwhich requires postal SER
vice for every town and village in territory SO ex
tended as ours, have all combined to impede the
best directed efforts of the Postmaster General,
whose zeal, industry and ability have been taxed
to the utmost extent. Some of these difficulties
can only be overcome by time and improved CON
dition Of the country, and by the restoration of
peace, but others may be remeded by legislation
and your attention is invited to the reeommenda.
department. 80
The condition of the treasury will doubtless be
subject of anxious inquiry on your part. / am
happy to say that the financial system already
adopted has worked well SO far, and promises
good results for the future To the extent that rea
sury notes may be iesued, the Government ia en-
.abled to borrow money without interest and thus
facilitate the conduct of the war. This extent is
measured by the portion of the field of circula-
ton which these notes can be made to occupy.
The proportion of the field thus occupied depends
again upon the amount of the debts for which they
are receivable. Not only to the Confederate and
State Governments. but also to corporations and in-
dividuals, are payable in this medium; large
amount of it may be circulated at par, there is
every reason to believe but the Confederate
treasury note is fast becoming such medium.
*lott -I,oN
ibe into Confederate stock bearing per cent. in
terest at the pleasure of the HOLDER ensures them
against a depreciation below the value of that
stock, and no considerable fall of this value need
be feared SO long as the interest shall be pune.
tually paid The punctual payment of this inter
est has been secured by the act passed by you at
the last session imposing such rate of taxation as
must provide sufficient means for that purpose for
the successful prosecution of this war; 1t is indis-
pensable that the means of transporting troops
and military supplies be furnished far as posi-.
BILE in such manner as not to interrupt the com
merCial intercourse between our people, or place
check on their productive energies. For this end
the means of transportation from one section OF
our country to the other must be carefully guarded
and improved, and this should be the object OF
anxious care on the part OF the State and Confed
crate Government, so far as they may have power
over the subject. We have already two main sys
tens of through transportation from the North tc
| the South--one from Richmond along the sea
| board and the other through Western Virginia Il
| New orleans. Inc lnlfu might De secured by com
| pletng link of about forty miles between Dan
| vile, in Virginia, and Greensborough, in Nortl
| Carolina. The construction of this c2mparatiyel,
| short line would give US a th ough route from
North to South in the interior of the Confederate
States, and give us access to populat ton and. t
/ military resources from which we are now in
great measure debarred. We should increase
greatly the safety and capacity of our means fo
| transporting men and military supplies.
If the construction of this road should in the
| Judgment of Congress- as it is in mine, be nds
pensable for most successful prosecution of tht
war, the action of the Government will not be re
strained by the constitutional objections which
would attach to work for commercial purposes
and your attention is invited to the practicabilitJ
| of securing its early completion by giving thu
| needlul aid to the company organized for its con
struction and administration. five husband ou
| means and make Judicious use Of our resources
| it would be difficult to fix a limit to the periot
-during which we could conduct war against thi
adversary whom we now encounter. The yer,
| efforts which he makes to Isolate and invade IL
| must exhaust his means whilst they serve to com
plete the circle and diversity of the productions
| our industrial system. The destruction which ht
seeks to effect by arms becomes daily more ant
| more palpably impossible; not only do the causes
which induced us to separate still exist in full force
but they have been strengthened, and whateve
| doubt may have fingered in the minds of any ha
been completely dispelled by subsequent events
| If instead of being dissolution of league
| were indeed a rebellion in which we are engaged
we might find ample vndication for the cause W
| have adopted in the scenes which are now hein
| enacted in the United States.
| Our people look with contempt and astonsl
| ment on those with whom they had been so re
| Gently associated and they shrink with derisio
| from the base idea of renewing such connection
| when they see a President making war without tn
| assent of Congress-when they behold Judge
| threatened because they maintain the writ 0
| habeas corpus, so sacred to freemen--when the.
see justice and law trampled under the armed hee
of military authority. and upright and innocen
| women dragged to distant dungeons upon tn
edict of despot--when they find all this tolerated
| and applauded by the people who had been in tn
| full enjoyment Of freedom but few months ago
| they believe that there must be some radical in
compatibility between such people and them
| selves.
With such people we may be content to liy
at peace, but the separation is final, and for tn
independence we have asserted we will accept nj
| alternative. The nature of the hostilites whic
they have waged against US must be characterize
as barbarous wherever it is understood. The
have bombarded undefended villages without Civ
ing notice to women and children to enable the1
the period when they might surprise them mos
efIectually whilst asleep and unsuspicous of dan
ger. Arson and rapine, the destruction of privat
houses and property and injuries of the mos
| WantOn character, even upon non nCombatants
| have marked their forays; although we ought t.
have been admonished by these things that the,
| were disposed to make war upon us in the mos
| cruel aud relentless spirit, yet we were not pre-
| pared to see them fit out large naval expedition
with the confessed pdrpose not only of plunder
1