American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-08-22
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

welfare, whilst our country IS involved
in desolatiDg war. The suderings
endured By some portions of the people
excite the deep solicitude of the Govern
ment: and the sympathy thus evoked
has been heightened by the patriotic de-
votion with which these sufferings have
been borne.
The calantry and good conduct of our
troops, always claiming the gartitude Of
the country, have been further Illustrated
an the hard fought fields. marked by
exhibitions of individual powers which
can find but few parallels in ancient or
modern times.
Our army has not faltered in any Of
the various trials to which it has been
subjected, and the great body of the
people has continued TO manifest zeal
and unanimty which not only cheer the
battle-stained soldier, but give assurance
60 the friends of constitutional liberty of
cur final triumph in the pending strug-
Ole against despolic usurpation.
The vast army which threatened the
capital of the Confederacy has been de-
feated and driven from the lines of in
veslment, and the enemy, repeatedly
foiled in his efforts for It's capture, is
now seeking to raise new armies, on a
scale such as modern history does not
record, to effect that subjugation Of the
South so often proclaimed as on the eve
of mp!ishment.
The perfidy which disregarded rights
secured by compact, the madness which
trampled on obligations made sacred by
every consideration of honor, have been
intensified b. the malignity engendered
by defeat. These passions have changed
the character of the hostilities waged by
our enemies, who are becoming daily
less regardful of the usages of civilized
war, and the dictates of humanity
Rapine and wanton destruction of pri-
waite property, war upon non ombatants, /
murder OF captives, bloody threats to
avenge the death of an invading soldiery
by the slaughter of unarmed citizens, I
orders Of Punishment against peaceful /
families engaged in the cultivation of the I
soil, are some of the means used by our
ruthless invaders to enforce the submits /
sion of free people to foreign sway I
Confscation bills, of character so
ltrocious as TO ensure, if executed, The |
after ruin of the entire population Of
hese States. are passed by their Con-
,ress and approved by their Executive.
The moneyed obligations of the Con-
eJerate Government are forged by cit
zens of the United States, and publicly
advertised for sale in their cities with a
lotoriety which sufficiently attests the
of their Government and its
omplicity in the crime is further evinced
" the fact that the soldiers of the invad-
~ armies are found supplied with large
uantities of these forged notes, as a
leans of despoiling the country people
y fraud out of such portions of their
roperty as armed violence NAV fail to
each. Two, at least, of the Generals
f the United States are engaged I'M ,
hecked by their Government, in exciting
ervile instruction, and in arming and :
aiming slaves for warfare against their !
Iasters, citizens of the Confederacy. {
mother has been found of instincts so t
ruta as to invite the violence of his "
,ldery against the women of captured /
ty. o
Yet, the rebuke of civilized men has d
iiled to evoke from the authorities Of q
lie United States one mark of disapproba- f
on of his acts nor is there any reason
suppose that the conduct of Benjamin o
Butler has failed TO secure for his u
overnment the sanction and applause :,
it'll which it is known to have been
'eeted by public meetings and portions o.
the press of the United States. To ll
quiries made Of the Commander in ~
hlef of the armies of the United States, in
hetber the atrocious conduct of some of s.
cir military comm andants met the e.
notion of that Government, answer has ~
en- eNaded, on the pretext that the IN or
Try was insulting and no method re- CO
aims for the suppression of these enor q
tiles but such retributve justice as il r,
ly be found possible to execute. 81
Retaliation in kind. for many of them, re
impracticable, for have had occasion itI
remark in former message that I'M 90
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