Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-08-25
pTessaae Of sea Davis.

during in behalf Of freedom, and the cheer
fulnsss with which they are met which
give assurance Of anal success. he says
Of the Federal evacuation Of the Peninsula;
'sThe vast army which threatened tho cap
itai Of the Confederacy has been defeated
and driven from the lines Of investment
and the enemy, repeatedly foiled in
his efforts for It's capture, is now seeking 10
raise new armies on q scale such as modern
history does not record, to effect that sub.
jugadon Of the South 80 often proclaimed
as on tho eve Of accomplishment"
BE then charges upon the Federal Gov
eminent an manner of atrOcious crimes,
and daguerreOtypes the rebel policy in that
which It attributes 10 the Union army.
Nothing could be more knowingly false
than this paragraph;
''The perhdy which disregarded rights Sc
cured by compact, the madness which
trampled on obligations made sacred by
every consideration Of honor, have been
intensified by the malignity engendered
by dsfeat. 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
yanbon destruction Of property, war
upon non-eombatants, murder of cap
tives, bloody threats to avenge the
death Of an invading soldier by the slaugh-
ter Of uuarmed citizens, orders Of banish-
ment against peaceful farmers engaged in
the cultivation Of the soil, are some Of the
means used by ourruthless invaders to en-
force the submission Of a free people to for
eign sway. Confscation bills of a charao-
ter 50 atrocious as 70 ensure, if executed,
the utter ruin Of the entire population of
these States, are passed by their Congress
and approved by their Executive. The
monied obligations of the Confederate gov
ernment are forged by citizens of the
United States, and publicly advertised for
sale in their cities with a notoriety that
sufficiently attests the knowledge of their
government, andits completely in the crime
is further evineed by the fact that the sol
diers Of the invading armies are found sup
piled with large quantities Of these forged
notes as means OF despoiling the country
people, by fraud, out Of such portions Of
their property as armed violence may fail
to reach. Two, at least of the generals of
the United States are engaged, unchecked
by their government, in exciting servile
insurrection, and in arming and training
slaves for war gainst their masters, citi-
zens Of the oonfederacy. Another has been
found OF instincts so brutal as to invite
the violence Of his soldiery against the
women Of a captured city"
We note elsewhere the retaliatory and
murderOus measures proposed in the
rebel Congress upon the prisoners who are
taken from the federal army In his mes
sage, Davis advocates this policy regard
ing alleged federal Outrages:
Retaliation in kind for many of them is
impracticable, for have had occasion to
remark in former message, that under
no provocation could our noble hearted de-
tenders be driven to wreak vengeance on
unarmed men, on women or on children.
But stern and exemplary punishment can and
must be msted out 10 The mUrdereTs and feLoHs,
who, ,disgraeing the profession Of arms, seek
to make of public war the occasion for the
commission Of the most monstrous crimes" "
He says that the acts passed ut the last
session for general enrolment and con-
scription, "have led to some unexpected
criticism that is much to be regretted -
This is for the benefit of the Richmond ed
itors who have, of late, handled Davis
without gloves and attributed all manner
ofimbecihty to him.
Davis actually says that the credit Of the
Confederate Government remains unim-
paired. After that, anything can be ex-
pected Of him. He admits that the bonds
Of the government are not popular, but
pays but a poor compliment to the dis
elimination Of the people of the South when
he says that they prefer Treasury notes.
He recommends an issue of Treasury Notes
convertible into 8 per cent. bonds, which,
he says, forms q safeguard against serious
depreciation of the currency The rebel
chief does give his people credit for sense
in one particular when he says that no
manufacture of counterfeit notes exists in
the limits Of the COnfederacy, all the coun-
terfeits being imported from the Northern
States. Of course the southerners would
not counterfeit what they knew to be worth
less.
In regard to the rebel army, he says;
1.-THE report Of the Secretary of War,
which is submitted, contains numerous
suggestions for the legislation deemed de-
sirable in order to add to the efficiency
Of the service. invite your favorable
consideration especially to those recon-
mendations which are intended to secure
the proper execution of the Conseript law,
and the consolidation Of companies, batal-
ions and regiments, when so reduced in
strength as 10 impair that uniformity Of or
1 ganiEation which is necessary in the army,
while an undue burthen is imposed on the
| Treasury The necessity for some legisls-
tion for controlling military transportation
in the RAILROADS, and improving their pres
ent defective condition forces itself upon
the attention Of the government, and
trust that you viii be able to devise salts
faetory measures for attaining this pur-
pose. The legislation on the subject oi
general officers involves the service in some
difficulties which are pointed out by tht
Secretary, and for which the remedy sug
gested by him seems appropriate.
"In connection with this subject l am o.
the opinion that prudence dictates somC
prOzislon for the increase Of the army il
the event Of emergencies not now antici
ipated. The psry large increase Of forees re-
Gently called into the field By the RssideNt o
ths United States may render Il necessary here
after to extend the provisions Of the eo1serjp
lag, so as to embrace persons bstiVssa the age
ofthirty;fVe and .forty-fVs years. The vigol
and efficiency Of our present forces, theil
condition, and the skill and ability which
distinguish their leaders inspire the belle
that no further enrolment is necessary, bu
g wise foresight requires that if neces
sity should be suddenly developed during