, 1862-04-17
Jeff pavisIs Last Msssaea.

time 70 time to give to Congress information of
the state Of the CoHfedeFacy, and recommend
for their consideration such measures as be shall
Judge necessary and expedient have to com
municate that since the message at the last ses-
sion Of the Provisional COngress, events have
demonstrated that the Government had attempted
more than it had power successfully to achieve.
Hence in the effort to protect, by our ar MS, the
whole territory Of the Confederate Stats, sea
board aud inland, we have been so exposed as
recently n encounter serious disasters When
the Confederacy was formed, the States compris-
ing it were 10 the peculiar character Of their pur
suits, and misplaced confidence In their former
associates, to great extent destitute Of the means
for the prosecution Of the war on 50 gigantic
scale as that to which Il has attained.
The workshops and artists were mainly to be
found In the Northern States, aud one Of the
first duties which dev0Ived upon this Govern.
msnt was 70 establish the necessary manuiaeto-
ries, and, in the mean time, to obtain, BY pur-
chase from abroad, as far as practicable, what
ever was required for the pubic defense. No
effort las been spared to effect both these ends
aud though the results have not equaled our
hopes, il is believed that an impartial judgment
will, upon full investigation, award to the vari.
Gus departments Of the Government credit for
having done all which human power and fore
sight enabled them to accomplish.
The ValOr and devotion Of the people have
not only sustained the efForts Of the Government
but have gone far to supply its deficiencies. The
active state oi military preparations among the
nations in Europe in April last, the date when
our agents FIRST went abroad, interPosed unavoid
able delays in tile procurement Of arms, and the
want Of = navy has greatly Impeded our efforts
to import military supplts Of oil sOrtA
have hoped Tor several days to receive the
othcial reports In relation to our discontinue at
RGAUoke Island and the iall Of Fort Donaldson
Tney have not yet reached me, and ! am there-
fore unable 10 communicate " you such inEOr.
nation Of past events, and consequences result
ing frOm theIn, as wOu d enable Ine tO make re-
Gu. lamentations founded upon the changed cOh.
dIIOn which they have produced. Enough Is
known Of the surrender Of RUanoke Island to
mIke US feel that It was dee ly Illuminating, hOw.
ever imperfect may have been the preparation
Or dcfsncr. The hope is still entertained that
our reported lOSs<s at Fort b, na dsOn have been
greatly exaggerated, inaSm0ch aS am not onIy
unwilling but unable 10 believe that large army
Of our people have surrendered without . des-
perate effort 10 cut their way through the in
Vesting forces, whatever may have been their
numbers, anu to cndeavOr TO make q junction
with other divisions Ot the army. But b. tile
absence Of that exact information, which eau
only be afforded by Official reports, il would be
premature to pass judgment, and ny own Is re.
served, ~ trust yours Eil be, until that intor.
nation Is received. In the meantime strenuous
efforts have been made 70 throw forward rein
tUrcrmentS to the arlnes ut positions threatened
and cannot doubt the bitter disappOintments
we have borne, by neTving the people to still
greater exertions, will speedily secure results
more accordant with our just expectations and
AZ favorable to our cause rs those which marked
the earlier period Of the war.
The repOrts Of the Secretaries Of War and
Navy will exhibit Ihe mass Of resources for the
conduct Of the war, which We have been enabled
to accumulate, notwithstanding the very serious
difficulties against which we have cOntended
They afford cheering hope that our resources,
limited e. they were Of the beginning Of the
contest will during It's progress become deveI-
Oped 10 such an extent as fully to meet our iu-
ture wants The policy Of enlistment for short
terms, against which have steadily contended
from the commencement Of war, has in my judg-
ment contributed 10 no ImmateTial degree 10 the
recent reVeTses which We have suffered, and even
now renders !: difficult 10 furnish you an accu.
rate statement Of the army.
When the war first broke out, many Of our
people could with difficulty be p,rsuad,d that 1t
wou I'd be long or serious. IL vas not deemed
possible that anything so insane as persistent
still less that the deluSOn could 50 Ear prevail
70 give to the war the vast proportions which il
has assumed. The people, iRCredulous Of long
war, were naturally avsrse to lnng eBliStments
and the early legislation Of Congress rendered
it impractical to obtain volunteers for q greater
pr I'd than twelve months.
Now that il has become probable that the war
will be continued through u series Of years, our
high spirited and gallant soldiers, while generally
re-enlsting, are, from the fact Of having entered
the service for q 'ort time, compelled in many
instances 10 20 home to make necessary arrange
ments for their families during their prolonged
absence. The quota Of new regiments for tile
war, called for from the different States, are in
rapid progress Of organization. The whole body
Of new levies and re-enlisted men will probably
be ready 10 the ranks within the next thirty days
But, in the meantime, il is exceedingly difficult
10 give an accurate estimate Of the numbers Of
our forces in the field.
They may, in general terms, be stated at 400
regiments Of infantry, with proportionate forces
Of cavalry and artillery, the details Of which will
be shown in the report Of the Secretary Of War.
! deem II proper to advert to the fact that the
process Of furloughs and re-enlistment in pro-
gress for ths last month, had so far disorganised
and weakened our forces as to impair our ability
for successful defense; but ] hereby congratu-
late you that this evil, which had seen and was
PowerleSs TO prevent may now be said to be
subslG italy At an end, aud that We shall not
again, during the war, be exposed to seeing our
strength diminished by this fruitful cause Of dis
aster-shOrt enllstments.
The people Of the Confederate States, being
principally engagsdin agricultural pursuits, were
unproyided al tie cOmmenceInenf Of hOStilities
with ships ship-yards, materials for ship build
inr of Il iilsd nicn and spAnapn in slffi-
cient numbers to make the proper creation VI q
navy p' actical task, even Il the required ap-
rrupriationS hal been nade for the purpOssG
Notwithstanding our very limited resources,
however, the report Of the Secretary will sE
hihie To Won a safisfactoFV prouortion IN pFUpara