The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-01-23

istration. their property and their peace
and personal security are TO be endanger-
ed. There has never been airy reusona-
blc cause for such npprehenslons. In
deed, the most ample evidence 10 The
contrary has all the while existed, amt
been open to their inspection. IL u
found IN nearly all the published speecl''
Is of him who now addresses you. do
but quote from one of those speeches
when declare that ! have no purpose
directly or indirectly, 10 Interfere WIN
the institution of slavery IN the States
where it exists. ! believe | have no law
full right to do so; and have no incllna.
ton to do so. Those who nominated go"
elected me. did 50 with full knowlede"
that had made this and many similar
| declarations, and had never rcennic't
! them. And, more than this, they placed
in the platform for my acceptance, aud
rs a law 10 themselves and to mo, the
clear and emphatic resolution which !
now read:
"RcSoicei, That the maintenance in
violate of the rights of the States, and
especially the right of each State to or
der and control lis own domestic inslltu-
tons according 10 Its own Judgment eS-
clusiyely, is essential to that balance OF
powers on which the perfection and en-
durance of our political fabric depends
and we denounce the lawless invasion hS
armed force of the soil of any State or
Territory, no matter under what preteXt,
as among the gravest crimes.
! Nor was this declaration of the want
of power or disposition to interfere with
| 4 Ia a -
peace. Bolh before and after the actual
commencement Of hostilities, the Presl-
dent of the United States repeated IN
formal official communication to the Cab
inets of Great Britain and France, that
he was utterly without constitutions
mower to do the act which he has Just
committed. and that in no possible event.
whether the secession OF these States re-
shifted in the establishment of separate
| Confederacy or in the restoration OF the
Union, was there any authority 10y virtue
of which he could either restore dlsai-
fected State to the Union 10y force al
arms or make any change in any OF lts
institutions. refer especially for verlh-
cation of this assertion. to the despatch
es addressed 10y the Secretary OF State o.
the United States under direction OF the
President, to the Ministers Of the United
States at London and Paris, under date
of 10th and odd April, 1861.
The people of this Confederacy then
cannot fail to receive this proclamation
as the fullest vindcation Of their own sa-
gacity in foreseeing the uses 20 which the
dominant party in the United States m
tended from the beginning to apply their
power, FOR car they cease to remember
with devout thankluness, that it is to
their own vigilance in resisting the hrst
steathy progress Of approaching despo-
tism, that they owe their escape from
consequences now apparent to the most
, sceptical. This proclamation will have
another salutary effect in calming The
fears of those who have constantly evinc'
ed the apprehension that this war might
end by some reconstruction OF the Ola
Union or some renewal OF close political
relations with the United States. These
fears have never been shared 10y me, nor
have ever been able to perceive on
; what basis they could rest. But the proc
lamation affords tiye fullest guarantee OF
the impossibility of such result: it has
established state of things which can
lead to but one of three possible conse-
ouonces; the determination OF the slaves,
the exile of the whole white population
from the Confederacy, or absolute and
total separation of these States from the
United States.
This proclamation is also an authentic
statement by the government of the
United States of its inability to sublugate
the South by force Of arms, and as such
must be accepted by neutral nations,
, which can no longer find any justiiico-
ton in Withholding our just claims to
formal recognition. 1t is also in effect an
intimation to the people OF the North
that they must prepare to submit TO
separation now become inevitable, for
, that people are too acute not 10 under
stand that q restoration of the Union has
been rendered forever impossible by the
adoption of a measure which, from It's
very nature neither admits Of retractlon
, nor can co.eXist with union.
: Among the subjects to which your at
tention will be specially devoted during
the present session, you will no doubt
deem the adoption Of some comprehen-
sive system of finance as being OF para
mount importance. The increasing pub
lie debt, the great augmentation in the
volume Of the currency with its necCssa-
ry concomitant of eXtravagant prices Tor
all articles OF consumption, the want OF
revenue from taxation adequate to sup
port the public credit, all unite in admon-
ishing US that energetic and wise leglsIa-
ton alone can prevent serious embarrass-
ment in our monetary affairs. 1t Is my
lao n ('nnIpH-
eracy will freely meet taxation on a scale
adequate to the maintenance OF the pub
lie credit and the support OF their gov
ornment. When each family is sending
forth its most precious ones to meet cx-
posture in camp and death in battle, what
ground can there be to doubt the dispo-
sition to devote a 1.-THE Oi its income and
more il more be necessary, to provide the
government with means for ensuring the
: comfort of its defenders? II our enc
mics submit to an excise on every COM
modify they produce and to the daily
presence OF the taX-gatherer, with no
higher motive than the hope OF success in
their wicked designs against us, the sug'
gestion Of an unwillingness on the part
Of this people to submit to the taxation
| necessary for the success of their defense
is an imputation on their patriotism that
few will be disposed to make, and that
none can justify.
3 The legislation Of your last session in.
tended to hasten the funding Of out
standing Treasury notes has proved bene-
fetal as shown by the returns annexed to
the report Of the Secretary Of the Treas.
ury. But it was neither sufficiently
prompt nor iar.reachng to meet the full
extent of the evil The passage Of some
enactment, carrying still further the poll,
cy of that law by fixing q limitation not
later than the lst July next to the delay
allowed for funding the notes issued prior
to the LIST December, 1869, will in the
opinion of the Secretary. have the effect