The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-26
ME6DA0E OF
pRESIDEUT JxFTE18OU DAVE
OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES

C1HVedWan Neess' ..
In obedience to the sonst!tutional provision
rsouiripg the President, feom tine - tme.
to give 70 the Congress informatish OF ing
state of the Cen federscy, ana recon moHo =
their confederation such measeres - % sneAI
Judge necessary and sxpsdient, have 20
comm unicate. that since my message 1t the
iast session Of the Provisional Oongrees'
events have demonstrated that the Govern
ment had attempted more tAan ~ nao ~.
successfully to achieve. Hence, IN me exert
10 protect. by our arms, the whole Of the ter:
ritory Of the Confederate States. seaboate
and inland, We have besn % exposed g re-
Gently % encounter serious o,sa'r or: S.asss
com posing it were, by the peculiar oharAe.
tor Of their pursuits, ana . misplAcco
confidence In their former aseociatee. 70
for the prosec u ton Of tho war on 50 gigantic
a scale as that which 1t has attainco. 1ne
workshops and artisans were nanny " 20
found in the Norther Statesi AZ o1e y. sno
ment was to O. tablish tho necessary m1au-
factories, and in the meantime TO obtain, ey
Dnrch ase from abroad, . . Tar ~ pracucapies
whatever wss required l0t - -, d.ct ho tS sh.ss
ends: and, though the results have not equal
led our hopes, it Is believed that an impair
tial judgements will, upon full investgauon,
award 10 the various departments OF the
Gove1nment credit for having done all which
human power and foresigh enabled them to
accom- liSh.
The yalOr and devotion OF tno PooPio 1oV0
not oniv sustained the efforts OF the Gov
eminent. but have como far to supply its
deficiencies.
among the nations OF Europe IN ApIiI las!'
the dale when our agents first went ABROAD,
interposed unavoida BILE delays In the pro-
curemsnt of arms, and the want OF navy mas
greatly impsded our efforts to import MILL
Iary supplies of all sorts.
l have hoped for several days to receive
official Reports in relation to our diecomhture
at Roanoke Island, and the fall OF Fort Don.
eison They have not yet reached me, and !
am, therefore, unable 70 comm onicate 10 you
such Information OF those events and the
conseouenc COS resulting from them, as would
enable me to make recommendations founded
upon the changed condition which they have
produced, Enough Is known OF the surren-
der Ut Roanoke Island to make US feel IT, at it
was deeply humiliating, however impeffe feet
may have been the preparations for defence.
The hope is still inter tanned that our report.
I'd losses at Fort Donelson have been greatly
exaggerated, inasmuch as l am not only
unwilling, but unable 10 believe that a large
army OF our people have surrendered with
out a desperate effort to cut their way
through in yestlnR forces, whatever may nave
been their mum bers, and to endeavOr to make
junction with other divisions OF the army.
But in the absence OF thatexact information
winch can only be afforded by Official reports,
it would be premature to pass judgment. ana
my own is reserved, as trust yours WILL %,
un I'll that information Is received. In the
mean time, strenuous EFFORTS nave neeh ~ aoe
to throw forward rein iOrcem-nts 10 the ar
m les at the positions threatened, and / can
not doubt that the bitter disappOintments we
have borne, by nerviug the people TO still
greater exertlOns, will speedily secure results
more accordant with our Just expectation,
and as favorable to our cause as those winch
marked the earlier periods OF the war.
The reports Of the Secretaries OF War ana
the Navy will exhibit the mass OF resources
for the conduct OF the war which we nave
70 Unit hofa md
ing the very serio US d.mcuIues against WHICH
we have commended.
They fjrd the cheering hope that our re-
sources, limited as they were At the begin.
ming OF the con test will, during Its progress,
become developed TO such an extent as fully
to meet our future wants.
The policy OF enlistment for short terms,
against which 1 have steadily esntended
from the commencement Of the war; has,
in my judg contributed in NO imma.
terial degree to the recent reverses which
we have suffered, and even now render
it difficult to furnish you an accurate state
ment OF the army. when tho war nrst
broke out many Of our people could with
difficulty be persuaded that IL would be long
or serious. It was not deemed possible that
anything 80 insane as persistent attempt
to subjugats these States could be made;
still less that tho delusion would 80 far pre-
vail as to give to the war the vast proportions
which 1t has assumed. The people, lpcredu-
lous of a long war, were naturally 1verse TO
d.
Congress rendered it impracticable to obtain
volunteers for a greater period than twelve
months. Now that 1t has become robable
that the war will be continued through q
series of years, our high. spirited and gallant
soldiers, while generally re-enlisting. are,
from the fact of having entered the service
for a short term, compelled In many in.
stances to 60 homo to make the necessary ar.
rangemenU Tor their families during their
prolonged absence.
The auotas of new regiments for the war.
called for from the different States, are in
rapid progress of organization. The whole
body OF new levies and re- enlisted men VIII
probably be ready in the ranks within the
next thirty days. But, in tho meantime, 1t
Is exceedingly difficult to give an accurate
staten emit of the mum Der OF our forces in
the field. They may, in general terms, be
stated a four hundred regiments Of infantry,
with proportionate force of cavalry and ar.
tillery, the details Of which will be shown
by the report OF the Seer etary OF War. l
deem i. proper to advert to the fact that tho
process Of furlonghs and re enlistment In
progress for the last month had SO far disor.
ganized and weakened our forces as to I'm
pair our ability for successful defence; but
which / had for eseen and.was powerless to
prevent, may now be said 10 be substan tally
at an end, and that we shall notagain during
the war be exposed to seeing our strength d.
m nished by this fruitful cause OF disaster
short enlistments.
The people Of the Confederate States bean &
principally engaged in agricultural pursuits,
were unprovided at the commencement Of
hostilities with ships, ship-yards, materials
for ship butlding, or skilled mechanics and
seamen in sufficient numbers, to make the
prompt creation Of navy practical task
even If the required appropriations had been
very limi ted resources, however, the report
Of the secretary will exhibit to you salts.
factory progress In preparation, and Ger.
tainty Of early completion Of vessels OF a
hsr n ri N which VI ma A.
IDENTIFY rely for contestiDg the Wanted con.
troll Of the enemy over our waters.
The financial system devised by the wis.
dom of your predecessors, has proved AIDE.
quate TO suppl ing all the WANTS Of the Gov.
ernment, Notwithstanding tho unexpected
and very large increase of Expenditure 70.
suiting from the great augmen tation In the
necessary means Of defence. The report Of
the gratifying fact, that we have NO floating
debt; thai the credit Of the dovernm emit is
unimpailsd an that the total expenditure
of tho Cover ment for the year, has boon, In
round numbers, one hundred and seventy
miliione Of dollars; less than oRe.third Of
the sum uss :ed by the enemy, in his vain
effort 10 conquer ue-less than the value of q
single article Of export-ths cotton crop Of
the year.
The report of the Postmaster General will
show the condition OF that Department to DO
steadily fmpro ving-its revenues Increasing &,
and already affording the assurance that 1t
will be self. sustainin at the date REQ uired by
the Uonetitu ton, while affording ample mail
facilities for the people.
In the Department Of Justice, which In.
cludes the Patent Office and Public Prin ting,
some legislative provisions Will be required,
which will be specifically stated In the report
of %he head Of that department. Invite the
attention of Coogr TO the duty of organ.
Ting q eupreme Court of the Confederate
States, In accordance with the mandate OF tho
Constitution.
l refer you to my N essage communicate to
the Provisional Congress in Novembe last
for such further Inform alton touching the
condition of public affairs ~ 1t might be
useful to lay bsf0re you; the short interval
which has since elapsed not having pro-
duced any material changes In that condi-