Washington telegraph., 1863-01-21
Address OF President Davis.

Address Of President Davis.
DELIVERED IN THE HALL OF REPRESENTATIVES.
JACKSON, Mss, Dec. 26, 1862.
After an absence of nearly two years, 1 again
find myself among those who. from the DAYS of
my childhood, have ever been the trusted OBJ
jects of my affection those for whose good l
have ever striven, and whose interests have
sometimes hoped l may have contributed to
suoserve' whatever fortunes l may have
achieved IN life, have been gained as repre-
labored for tine advancement of ber olorv md
honor now for the first time find myself the
lepresentatve OF wider circle of interest !;
W. circle In which the interests of Missis.
sipP, are still embraced. Two years ago,
ne.siy lett you to assume the duties which
uau uevoived ON me as the representative of
VI. .ue new Confsderacy. Ths responsibilities of
TINS position have occupied all my time, and
na'e :elt me no opportunity for mingling with
NY friends IN Mississippi, or for sharing in the
hangers which have menaced them.
iou IN Mississippi have but little experienced
,. ne norrors OF the war. You have seen but
h'ie OF the savage manner in which it is
"sseu oy your barbarous enemies. 1t has
oesh my fortune to witness it in all its terrors
~ part Of the country where old men have
oeen torn from their homes, carried into cap
uvity, and immured in distant dungeons; and
~here delicate women havs been insulted by a
Dru'ni soldiery, and forced even to cook for
Tue uirty Yankee invader: where property has
"esn wantoniy destroyed, the country ravaged,
anu every outrage committed. And it is with
'nese people that our fathers formed union
Snu solemn compact. There is, indeed, a
d'nerencs between the two people. Let no
man hug the delusion that there can be re-
hewed association Between them. Our enemies
are traditiOnless and homeless race: from
the time of Cromwell to the present moment,
they have been disturbers of the peace of the
world Gathered together by Cromwell, from
the boys and fens of the North of Ireland and
of England, they commenced by disturbing
the peace of their own country; they disturbed
Holland, to which they fed and they disturbed
England on their return. They prosecuted
Catholics in England, and they hung Quakers
and witches IN America. Having been hurried
into war with people so devoid Of every
mark OF civilization, you have no doubt won
dered that | have not carried out the policy
which had intended should be our policy
of fighting our battles the fel Is of the
enemy Instead of suffering him to fight them
on ours. This was not the result of my will,
but of the power of the enemy. They had a:
their command all the accumulated wealth of
seventy years: the military stores which had
been laid up du'ing that time They had
grown rich from the taxes wrung from you for
the establishing and supporting their manu-
featuring institutions. We have entered upon
conflict with a nation contiguous t., us IN
territory, and vastly superior to US in numbers.
In the face of these facts. the wonder is not.
that we have done little, but, that we have
accomplished much In the irst year of
the war, our forces were sent into the field.
poorly armed, and were far inferior 20 the
enemy in number. We were compelled2even TO
arm ourselves by the capture ui weapon, taken
from the foe, Oh the battle field. Thus, in every
battle, we exchanged our arms for those of thu.
invaders. At the end OF twelve months of III.
war, 1t Was still necessary tor US to adopt some
exponent TO enable US to maintain our ground
Inc only expedient remaining To US was to call
on those brave men who had entered the SER
Vice oil their cIuntry at the beginning Of the
wzr-supposing that the conflict Wa, to last
bnta short time-to ask them To maintain their
positions III front Of the enemy and to sur
renier for time, their hopes OF svoI. returning
to their families and heir friends. Aud pobly
did ti'ey Respond to the call. They answered
that they we're willing to maintain their posi-
ton. and To breast the tide vi invasion but
II was not just that they shoaid stand alone
lhey Isksd that the men whv had sta ed ut
nome, who had thus far been sluyrar,ls in
the cause, should be forced, likc,yi.r To- meet
the enemy From this, resulted the law OF
Congress which Is known a- the ,.ou.,riutin,,
act-~hlch declared ali men, f,un, thu. ,,,,. of
eighteen To that of thirty live, To h. Iio,,. p,
enrolment In tho Confederate service Ir.,,r.,
that lhere has been some prejudice excited
ag~ins' tois ACT and that II has been suhi,.cte ed
IL, h.r- l...r t.t- Il.
~ p".sher cfi'icism than II deserves Aud
here l may say that an erroneous ;,nnr.-.;,,,,
appears TO prevail Ill regard to this act. II i.
no disgrace TO be brought iuto the army h,.
CONSUMPTION. There Is 10 NOR, -, -
expect from the citizen. voluntary s,rv;..a :;
the array than to expect voluntary labor -,
tue pubic roads, or the voluntary payment Of
axes b~t these thing. We do not exp,c,
we assess The property of the citizen we ap-
punt YAK atherers: VIII. should we not like
wise uls'rioute equally the labor. and enforce
equaIiy 'he ooilgation of defending the country
Io'" It's ehenies l repeat that it t. no dis
eiAee " any one to be conscripted but il is
eioiy ior those who do not wait for the con-
scrip,ioh- Thus resulted the CONSUMPTION act ::
anu 'hehce arose the necessity for the exemp-
tloh act. That necessity was met: but when
1t was FOUND that, under these acts. enough
inen were not drawn into the ranks of the army
'" MA nv purposes intended, il became nee
eS'"'y " pass another CONSUMPTION act. and
"no'neI exemption act 1t is only OF this latter
.ha' oeslre now to speak. Its policy was 70
leave Al home those men needed to conduc,
the administration. and those who might be
requireu to support and maintain the lad ustry
OIL tue country: in other words, to exempt from
ihil'sry service those whose labor employed
III other avocations, might be more profitable
10 the country and to the government, than in
the ranks of the army
am told that this act has excited some dis.
content, and that it has provoked censure fai
more severe than it deserves. 1t has beer
SAID that it exempts the rich from military
service, and forces the poor to fight the attle,
OF the country. The Poor do. indeed, fg ht tn,
battles of the country. 1t is the poor who saw,
nations and make revolutions But is it true.
that III this war the men vf property hav,
shrunk Fl ON the ordeal of the battle field
Look through the army, and cast your eye,
upon the manned heroes of the war whom OF
meet in the streets and in the hospitals: re-
member the martyrs of the conflict, and | an
sure You viii find among them, more than 9
fair proportion drawn from the ranks of meu
| OF property. The object of that portion of tn,
act which exempts those having charge o
twenty or more negroes, was--not to draw an,
distinction of classes, but simply to provide :
force, in the nature of a police force, snfficen
to keep our negroes in contr0l. This was tn.
sole object nf the clause Had il been other