Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-03-06
ANOTHER MESSAGE FROM JEFF.
DAVIS.

Davis has sent in most extraordinary mes
sase to the rebel Congress, "inlpbediencs," as
he says, "to the Constitutional provision re-
curing the President from time to time to
aiveto Congress information Of the state ofthe
country" The whole tone of the message is
singularly respondent, and in marked con-
tsast to the former naughty Nominations OF
Ihe Rebel Chieftain. 1t is in substance a
, confession Of weakness, Generalization, and
ultimate defeat 1t fully confirms oil the pre-
aictions Of the North in respect to the speedy
subjusasion Of the insurgents, and the resor-
alton of the Union. Foreign nations will
learn from this doleful exhibit Of the rebel
condition that there exists not the slightest
ground for the recognition Of the "Confed-
srscy." Is seperate and independent ma
ionality upon any recognized principles OF
International law.
The initial paragraph of the message con-
sains the following damaging admission;
II have to communicate that since the
Message at the last session ofthe Provisional
Congress, events have demonstrated that the
Government had attempted more than Il hqa
1sscer successfully 10 achieve. Hence IN the
effort to protect, by our arms, the phole terrato.
~ Of the Confederate States, seaboard and
inland, we have been SO exposed as recently
to encounter serious dh asters.
What effect such humiliahng confession
~ this will have upon the already broken
spirits Of the Southern people, we can well
conjecture. In the outset Of the rebellion,
the leaders protested that the South could
not only successfully defend its territory, but
that the conquest Of the Northern States
would be an easy matter. Their armies
were no, to remain upon the Potomac; they
were not even to content themselves with the
capture OF the Federal Capital, and the oc-
eupation Of Baltimore, and the whole OF
MARYLAND, but the seat of operations in the
feld was to be transferred TO the banks of the
Susauehanna aud the Hudson, and the
Southern troops we're to plumber the city of
New York, and plant the I" rattle-snake flag
upon the old " Cradla Of Liberty in Boston
1t was under the influence and spur OF such
insane expectations, that the Southern heart
was fired, and which caused the rebellion
to assume such formidable proportions. But
after fair trial of strength in the field, with
every advantage Of position and numbers
upon their side, they find themselves beaten
back at all points by armies they have here'
tofore affected to despise; and now comes
the admission from their commandment chief
that the government of the Coniederacy
is unable to protect the whote territory of the
Confederate States" We must infer from
this that Davis regards reconstruction and
amaterial abridgement of the present bounda-
ries Of the Confederacy as necessary
II is an admission that the rebels are not
strong enough to hold Missouri, Ken lucky
Tennessee and Virginia! 1t is an implied
invitation to his rebel cohorts to tall back tc
the line Of the +" Cotton States proper
The message goes on to state that thu
Confederacy has been Ito great extent
destitute of the means to prosecuted the war
on 80 gigantic a scale as that to which it has
attained" JEFF. says "the workshops and
artizans were mainly in the North" Efort
L l. 49, 4 %,
ment to !" establish manufactures" but thu
results have not yet equaled our hopes,
though the government "has done all which
human power and foresight enabled them t.
accomplish That is to say, the government
has done its best and failed
Passing to consideration of the recen
rebel reverses, jeff. says that " enough
known of the surrender of Roanoke Islam,
to make US feel that it was deeply humitidt
sng" He thinks the reported losses at For
Donelson have been greatly exaggerated
inasmuch as am not only UNIV illing but un
able to believe that a large army OF our peo
pie have surrendered without desperate
effort TO cut its way through the investing
force" But JEFF. is probably " able " to be
lieve tidy this time, however unwilling
he may be. Strenuous effort, have bee
made TO throw forward reinforcements to tn
armies at positions threatened" but wit
what success the message is ominously silent
though JEFF. expects great results.
The message condemns the policy Of en-
listment for short terms, which Davis says h,
has steadily resisted from the outset II
Ands il difficult to give correct statement {
the military force. " They may in gener'
terms, be stated at four hundred regiments
infantry, with proportionate forces of cavalr
and artillery" But it is not stated wheth'
the regiments are full or not. There is r
doubt that this is a grossly exaggerated stat
ment. Thousands of enlistmen.s are expi