Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-21

message or Jeffersen DAVIS 60 the
Rebel Congress.

have befallen the Confederate arms since the ad q
journment of Congress. He finds little consola-
ton in the defence Of Charleston. the operations
in Pennsylvania, and some minor affairs in Louis
lana, aud Texas. 49, - s .--ss.r .s--.
Speaking Of the surrender of Cumberland Gap
to Gen. Burnside, he hints at treason The bait
tie of Chickamauga is considered one of the most
brilliant and decisive victories of the war" OF
the fight With Gen Grant, he says:
AFTER a long and severe battle, in which great
carnage was inflicted on him. some of our troops
nexplicablv abandoned positions Of great strength
and by dsorderly retreat compelled the com
mander to withdraw the forces elsewhere sue
cessful. and finally to retire with his whole army
to a position some twenty thirty miles TO the
rear IL is believed that If the troops who yield
ed TO the assault had fought with the valor which
they had displayed on previous occasions. and
which was manifested in this battle on the other
parts of the line. the enemy would have been re
pulsed with very great slaughter, and our coun
try would have escaped the misfortune and the
army the modification of the first defeat that has
resulted from misconduct by the troops"
This retreat of Bragg compelled Longstreet to
fall back from Knoxville.
-fssr,s FOREIGN RELATIONS.
On this pointithe message says: vfner
al regret to inform you that there has been no
Improvement in the state of our relations with
last. On the contrary, there has been a still
greater divergence in the conduct of European
nations from that practical impartiality which
alone deserves the name of neutrality, and their
action, in some cases, has assumed character
positively unfriendly.
you have heretofore been informed that, by
common understanding, the initiative in all action
touching the contest on this continent had been
left bv foreign powers to the two great maratime
of Eur0nA nd hat he
ments of the two nations had agreed to take no
measures without previous concert. The result
of these arrangements has, therefore, placed il
in the power of either France or England to OBJ
struct at pleasure the recognition to which the
Confederacy is justly entitled, or even to prolong
the continuance of hostities this side of the
Atlantic, if the policy of either could be promo
ted by the postponement of peace Each, too,
thus became possessed of great influence in SO
shaping the general exercise of neutral rights in
Europe as to render them subservient to the pur-
pose of aiding one of the belligerents to the det
riment of the other referred, at your last ses-
sion, to some of the leading points in the course
pursued by professed neutrals. which betrayed a
partisan leaning to the side of our enemies; but
events have since occurred which induce me to
renew the subject in greater detail than was then
deemed necessary"
The message then r-ecapitulates the action of
England in reference 20 the observance of the
blockade, and discusses at length the validity of
that action under international law In this con-
nectiOn it saws:
1.-The intimatiOn that relations with these States
would be discreditable because they are slave.
holding, would probably have been omitted if the
official parsonage who has published it to the
world had remembered that these States were,
when colonies. made slaveholding by the direct
exercise of the power of Great Britain, whose de-
tendencies they were, and whose interests in the
slave trade were then supposed to require her
colonies should be made sl4vehodng''
IL is complained, also, that England has acted
unfairly in permitting the Federals to obtain sup
plies in that country. while denying the same
privilege 60 the rebels.
The course of France is thus referred to.
alt is not in my power to apprise you to what
extent the Government of France shares the
views unreseryedly avowed by that of Great
Britain, no published correspondence of the
French Government on the subject having been
received. No public protest nor opposition, how
ever, has been made by his Imperial Majesty
against the prohibition OF trade with US, imposed
on French citizens by the paper blockade of the
United States although have reason TO believe
that an unsuccessful attempt was made on bis
part to secure the assent of the British Govern
ment to a course of action more consonant with
the dictates of public law and with the demand $
of justice toward Us"
As to the right of the rebels to claim recogni-
ton as nation the message says: ees----.-
For nearly three years this Government has
exercised unquestioned jurisdiction over many
millions of willing and united people. 1t has met
and defeated vast armies of Invaders who have
in vain sought its subyersion. Supported by the
confidence of its citizens. the Confedsracy has
lacked 10 element which distinguishes an indie
pendent nation. according to the principles Of
public law. Its legislative executive and Judi
cial departments. each in its sphere. have per
formed their appropriate functions with regu-
lariIy as undisturbed as in a time of profound
peace. and the whole energies of the people have
been developed in the organization of vast ar
mics, while their rights and liberties have rested
secure under the protection of the courts of JUS
tice. This Confederacy is either independent or
it is a dependency of the United States, for no
other earthly power claims the right to govern
it. Without one historic fact on which the pre-
tension can rest, without one line or word of
treaty covenant, which give color to title,
the United States have asserted, and the British
Government has chosen to cOncede that these
sovereign States are dependencies of the Govern
ment which is administered at Washington.
Great Britain has accordingly entertained with
that Governments the closest and most intimate
relations, while refusing, on its demand, ordinary
amlcable Intercourse with US; and has, under ar
engagements made with the other nations of Eu-
rope, not only denied our Just claim of admission
into the family Of nations, but interposed pas
sive though effectual bar to the acknowledg-
ment OF our rights by other powers. So soon as
it bad become apparent, by the declarations OF the
British Ministers in the debates of the British
Parliament. in July last. that Her Msjesty's Gov
errmeDt was determined to persist indefinitely in
course Of policy which. under professions OF
neutrality, had become subserveut to the designs
of our enemy, felt it nv duty to recall the Com
missi0ners formerly accredited to that Court,
and the correspondence on the subject is sub
mitted to you"
President Davis sees no remedy for all these
evils. Hesays;
liam we'll aware that we are unfortunately
without adequate remedy for the injustise which
We have suffered at the hands of powerful ma
ton, at iuncture when entire resources are
absorbed in the defence of our lives liberties and
Independence. against enemy possessed OF
greatly superior numbers and material resources
Claiming no favor. desiring nos aid. conscious OF
our own ability to defend our own rights against
the utmost efforts Of an iniuriate foe, we had
thought il not extravagant to expect that assist
ance would be withheld from our enemies. and
that the conduct Of foreign nations would be
marked by genuine impartiality between the
belligerents. Is was not supposed that pro-
fessed neutrality would be so conducted as to Jus
tify the Foreign Secretary Of the British nation
in explaining, in correspondence with our enc
mics, how the impartial observance of neutral
obligations By her Majestys Government ha,
thus been exceedingly advantageous to the cause
of the more powerful Of thc two contending par
ties The British Government NAV deem thi:
war favorable occasion for establishing. BY the
temporary sacrifice Of their neutral rights, a pre-
cedent which snail justify the future exercise o.
those extreme belligerent pretensions that their
naval power renders so formidable"
t FINANCES.