Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-08-25
PREsITENT,s TEsSAGE.

uOQlSC4 u III hiA%l Nic itOS ONCD l&AC&. I
PREsI1EET's EEssAGE.
To the Senate aaa House Ell RegrGsentatise.
ofthe Confederate States;
II IS AGAIN our fortune to meet fer devisisc
measures necessary to tho pus!is welfare
whilst eur country is involved in a desola-
ting wa. The suffsrings endured by ssrae
r~ertions of tke people excite the deep Sslici-
tude Of the government and Che sympathy
thus evoked has been heightened By the pa
triotic devotion WITH whish these ssfferinSs
have been borne.
The gallaNtry and good sendaet Of sur
troops, always claiming tas gratitade Of the
country, have bees further illustrated oa
harI.fought fields, marked hy exhihitions Of
individual prewess which era fad but few
paI sllcIs in ancient or raodcrn tinsS.
Our army has net faltored in any of tia
various trials to which it has beenaubjscted
and tho great body Of the people has esntia-
ued to manifest a zeal and unanimity whicA
net only cheer tho battle.staiRed seldisr, bat
give assurance to the friends of censtitu-
tional liberty Of eur fissl triumph IN tas
pen6iAs struggle against dcsPetic usurpatisn.
The vas array which thrsstsRsd ths csel-
tai Of the CSnfederacy hss been defeated and
driven from The lines sf Investment, ana the
enemy, repeatedly foilsa in his efforts for its
eapture, is now seeking to raf*o Rsw armies
en- a scala such as modern history doss net
record, to effect that subjugatian Of thA S"Vth
so often proelaiMed az on tAe evo of accom-
plishmsnt.
The perfay which ~disros&rdsd rights Sc
cured by compact, the madness whieA traa-
nl.d on obligations made sacred by every
---..1u.n4. % h0Actrv Iays no sra IDTG0EJ-
Gea by the maljgnity eHgsRdersd by defeat.
Theso passions bSvo changed the chsraster
Of size hestiiities waged by eur e~nsRaiss, wac
ore hecaraing saiiy lass ragarafnl9f the uss.
gCs Of c~ivilizea war and the dictates OF ha-
wanity. Rspirs aAa vsntsn destruction Of
priyate propertv, war upon nen-csrabatants,
nurder Of c%aptivss, Bloody threats to avengc
the death Of m invading selSiery by the
SLAUGHTER of uKarmsd citizens, orders Of Ban
i.hment against peaceful families engaged in
tho cultivation of the soil, are soEe OF Tho
means used kv eur ruthless invaders to en-
force tho submission of a free people to fer
eign syay. Confscation bills. Of 3 ckarae-
tar so atrscious as to ensure, if executed
the utter ruin Of thG entire population o
these States, are passed By thair Congress
and approved by their Executive.
The moneyed obligations Of the Contedsr
ate Government are forged by ~citizens Of thu
United States, and publisly advertised to
sals in their cities, with a notoriety which
sufficiently sttests the knowledge of thel
g~eyernEsnt; and its csnpiicity in ths GRIM
Is further svincsd by the fact that the sol
Siers Of the invading armies arc touaa sup
piled With large quantities sf these tsrSe'
notes, ts a meaps Of dispoiling the ceUntr,
peoplc by fraud out Of such portions OF thel
prouertv as armed violence nay fail to reach
Two. at least, of-the Generals Of the Unite
States, are engaged, by their GOV
nmen in exciting strviis instruction, an
in armins and training slaves for wariar
against their masters, citizens ct the Contst
eracy. Another has bssn found, OF instinct
so brutal, as to invite the ~vislanca OF his 50
disrV against the wsmen Of q captures city
Yet, the rebuke of civilized naen hsE talle
to eveke from the authorities Of the Unite
States. one mark of Misrepresentation Of h
acts: nor is there any reason to suYpoi
that the conduct Of Benjamin r. Butlsr h'
failed 10 secure from his Government tt
sanction and applause with which it is know
to have heon greeted by the pUslis meetlE
and p~ertioHs of the press Of the Uait'
States. rs inquiries made of the Comma
d.r.in.Chief of tho arHias Of the Unit,
MAKO. MHEIilCI thV %A Wv ASNS y ECAh
Of their military commanders Ret the sant
zion Of that Government, answer has hes
eyaded on the prstsxt that tse inquiry ":
insulting; and no metAod remains for tt
sunnrsHsien oftheEe eRormities but such re
ributiye Justice as il 1Hay be found passjb
to execute.
Retaliation in kind, for many Of them,
imrractissble, for l HAYS had occasion to II
mari in a former message, that under no c
cess Of prevecation could eur noble-heart
defenders be driven 20 wroa6 vengeance
unarrsd men, on wsnlen, or on childrsE.
But stern and exemplary pun!shmentcaA a
must 10 melted eat to the murderers and f
ere who, disgraciHg the profession Of arm
sosk to make Of public war the ocsasion
the cax,nission Of the most monstrOuS Grim
Deeply as we regret the character Of t
conlast into whics we arc about to se fSrs
we must accept it as an alternative which
cent manifestations give Us little hope can
avoided.
The evaporation Of failure has arou'
ia. vsrst passions Of our enemies; , la
portion Of their people, even of their cler
men, now engage in urging an exciting p
ulace 10 the extreme of fsrocity, ana moth
remains hut to vindicats eur rights and
maintain cur existence BY employing agai
our foe every energy and every resource
our disposal.