The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1863-08-14
Terms Of Advertising.
Address sf the President


Address IF the President
To the Soldiers Of the Confederate States.
A FTER more than fo,o years Of warfare
~ scarcely eaualled in the h lumber, magnitude,
and fearful carnage of its battles: warfare IN
which your courage and. fortitude have illustrate
ed your country and attracted not only gratitude
at home, but admiration abroad, your elemes
continue struggle in which our final triumph
must be inevitable. Unduly elated with their
recent successes, they imagine that temporary
reverses can quell your spirit or shake your de-
termination, and they are now gathering heavy
masses for a general invasion in the vain hope
that by a. desperate effort success may at length
be reached.
You know too well, my eountrymen, what they
mean by success. Their malignant rage aims
at nothing less than the determination of your
selves your wives, and children. They seek to
destroy what they cannot plumber. They pro-
pose as the spoils of victory that your homes
shall be partitioned among the wretches whose
atrocious cruelties have stamped infamy on their
Government. They design to incite servile in
surrection and light the fires of incendariem
whenever they can reach your homes, and they
debauch the inferior race, hitherto docile and
contented, by promising indulgence of the pilest
passions as the price of ,treachery. Conscious
of their inability to prevail by legitimate war
fare, not daring to make peace lest they should
be hurled from their seats of power, the men
who now rule in Washington refuse even to con-
fer on the subject of putting an end to outrages
which disgrace eur age, or to listen to q sugges-
ton for conducting the war according to the
nsages of civilization.
Fellow citizens, no alterna tive is left yeu but
victory or subiugation, slavery and the utter
ruin of yourselves, your families and your coun-
try. The victory is within your reach. Yeu
need but stretch farth your hands to grasp it
For this and all that is necessary is that those
who are called to the field by every motive that
can move the human heart, should promptly re-
pair to the post Of duty, should stand by their
comrades now in front of the foe, and thus SO
strengthen the armies of the Confederacy as to
ensure success. The men now absent from their
posts would, if present in the field, suffice to
create numerical equality between cur force and
that of the invaders-and when, with any ap-
proach to such equality, have we failed to be
victorious? IbelieEe that but few of those alb
sent are actuated by unwillingness to serve their
country; but that many have found it difficult
to resist the temptation of visit to their homes
and the loved ones frem whem they have been so
long separated; that others have left for tempo
rary attention to their affairs with the intention
of returning, and then have shrunk from the
consequences of their violation of duty; that
others again have left their posts from mere
restlessness and desire Of change, each quieting
the upbraidings of his conscience, by persuad-
ing himself that his individual services could
have no inf aence on the general result
These and other causes lalthough far less dis
graceful than the desire to avoid danger, or to
escape from the sacrifices required by patriot
ism,) are, nevertheless, grieyous faults and
Mace the cause of our beloved country, and Of
everything we hold dear, in imminent peril.
repeat that the men who now owe duty to thell
country. who have been called out and have not
vet reported for duty, or who have absented
themselves from their posts, are sufficient IN
number to secure us victory in the struggle now
impending.
call on you then, my countrymen, to hasten
to vcur camps, in obedience to the dictates Of
honor and of duty, and summon those who have
ahsented themselves without leave, or who have
remained absent beyond the period allowed bJ
their furlough, to repair without delay to theil
respectiye commands and I do hereby declare
that grant general pardon and amnesty to al
officers and men within the Confederacy, now
absent without leave, who shall, with the leas
possible delay, return to their proper posts o.
.<intv- Int NO excuse will be received for any de
law Beyond twenty days after the first puDilca
tioa ii this proclamation in the State in which
the. absentee may be at the date OF the puolca a
ton. This amnesty and pardon shall extend {
ali who have been accused, or who have oeen
convicted and are undergoing sentence Tor 40
. sence without leave, or desertion, excepting on
" those who have been twice convicted Tor de
sertion. ~,
Finally, I conjure my countrywome
wives. mothers, sisters and daughters 81 TN
C onfederacy-to use their all-powerful lnnuen n
in aid Of this call, to add one GROWING sacrinct
to those which their patriotism has so freely an.
constantly offered on their countrys altar ana
to take care that none who owe service IN I'M
field shall be sheltered at home from the dsgracs
of having deserted their duty to their famiiles
to their country, and to their God.
$50 Given under my hand, and the sea-
asEAL Of the Confederate States, at Richmond
this LIST day Of August in the year o.
our Lord, one Thousand eight hundred and sixty
three. S4aFFEhooN ga 40
BY the President:
Up. BrsJAnrs. Secretary Of State.
August 18th, 1868.