Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-03-06
Message Of Jefferson Davis to the Rebel
Congress.

BALTIMORE, February 2S.
To The Senate and House Of Representatives. Of the Con-
| federated Staies:-
! In obedience to the Constitution and pro-
vision requiring the President from time to
time to give TO, Congress information Of the
STATE of the Confederacy, and recommend to
their consideration such measures as he shall
judge necessary and expedient, / have to com
municate that since my message at the last
session Of the provincial congress, events have
demonstrated that the government had at
. tempted more than it had power successfully to
achieve Hence n the effort to protect by
our aryns the whole territory Of the Confeder-
ate States, Seaboard and inland, we have been
SO exposed as recently to encounter serious
disasters.
When the Corfederacy was formed, the
States comprising it we're in the peculiar char
acter of their pursuits aud misplaced conf
dence in their former associates to great
extent, destitute of the means of prosecution
of a war on so gigantic scale as that which
it has attained, the workshops aud articles
were mainly to be found in the northern States,
and one CT the first dutes which devolTed upon
this government was to establish the necessary
manufactures, 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 equaled
orr hopes it is believed that an impartial judg
ment will upon full investigation, award to the
various departments of the government, credit
for having done all which human power aud
foresight enabled them to accomplish.
The Valor and devotion of the people have
not only sustained the efforts of the govern
ment but have gone far to support its defcien-
cies The active state of the military prepar-
tons iu armihg the nations OF Europe 10 April,
the date when our agents first went abroad,
inteFposed unavoidable delays 10 the procure
menc Of arms, and the want of a navy has
greatly impeded our efforts to import military
supplies of all sorts.
l had hoped for several days to receive
official reports in relation to our discontinue
at Roanoke Island and fall of Fort Donelson.
They have not yet reached me, and l am,
therefore unable to communicate to such in-
formation of the past events and consequences
resulting from them as would enable me to
make recommendations founded upon the
changed condition which they have produced
Enough is known of the surredner at Roanoke
Island to make us feel that it was deeply
! humiliating however imperfect may have been
the preparations for defence, the hope is still
entertained that our reported losses at Fort
Donelson have been greatly exaggerated, mas
much as l not only nnwillingly, but unable to
believe that large army our people have sur
rendered without desperate effort to cut
their way through, and investing forces, what
ever may have been their numbers, and to
endeavor to make q junction with other di-
visions of the army but in the absence of
that exact information, which can only be
afforded by official reports, it would be prema-
ture to pass judgment, and my own is reserved.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.