Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-08-12
Address Of the President to the Sol
diers Of the Confederate States.

4 FTER more than two years of war
n fare scarcely equaed In the number, magnitude and
fearful carnage of It's batles-a warfare in which youi
courage and forttude have illustrated your country and at
rasteG only gratitude home, but admiration abroad
=ayaur enemies Continue strusgle1n which our hna u
upi must be inevitable unduyeated with their recen
successes they imagine that Temporary quel
your spirit and shake your determination, md they now
gathering heavy for general invasion IN me vn
hope that by desperate effort success may at length bt
reached .s -.
You know well, my countrymen, whatthcy mean BY
success Their malignant aims ut nothing less thai
the determination of yourselves, your wives and children
They seek destroy what they cannot paer They pro
pose the spois of victory that your homes shall be par
innea among the wrcches whose atrocous cruces hav
stamped infay their Government They design TO IN
cite scle 1nsurecton and light the fires of ncendarisn
whenever they oan reao your homes and they debauch m
inferior race, hitherto dOce and contented, by promising
indulgence Of the vest passions as the price OF eachcry
Conscious Of their inability prevail by Legitimate warfare
dnrng make peace lest they should be hurled from
tfeirscais Of nqTcr, tho men who now rule In Washington
refuse 10 confer the subject Of putting an end
ourages whicdsgrace o,r age, or 10 listen y
for conducting the war according 10 the uspses Of civiza
tion.
Pelow-citzens no alternative left YOU but victory OIL
sbugnton slavery and the ruin Of yourselves, yo
families and y0iIr country The victory Is wlh YOU
reach You need stretch forth your hnnds To grasp t.
For this and all that necessary that those who are called
the icld, by every motive that can move tue humI
heart should promptly repair 10 the post ot duty should
stand By their cocs In front Of the foe, and thus 80
strengthen tile armies Of the COnfecacy rs to insure sue
coss Tho men absent from their posts would pre-
in the field suffice to create numerical eq,iaity ne
tween uur force and that the nvadcrs-and when, with
any npIuc such equality have we failed to be Vlco
rious believe ut hut tw oi tUse absent are actated
v unwnguess their country, but that many have
found difficult resist the temptation 6t visit TO their
homes and fnped ones from whom they have been long
separated that Others have left for temporary attention to
their affairs with the intention of returning, and then have
snnk from the consequences OF their violation 0 duty
that Others asa have left their posts from mere restless
moss and desire of change, each qetng the lpbradlng Ot
Ills conscience by pcrsladlns himself that his individual
service could have no influence on the general result
These and other (aOugh far less dsgraecin than
the desire to avoid danger or 10 escape from the sacrifices
required by patts aFe nevertheless grlerOus faults,
and place the Of beloved country and OF every
thing hold dear In imminent peril repeat that the
who now duty to their country, who have been
called and have yet reported for duty, who have
asonrcd themselves from their posts, sufficient In num-
bcr victory In the struggle impending.
call on you, then, my countrymen 10 hasten TO your
camps In obedience 10 the dictates of honor and duty aud
summon who have nsented themselves without leave
who have remained absent beyond the period allowed
by their rlougs repair without delay to their respect
I've Gnmmands nnd do hereby declare that grant gem
or pardon and amnesty to all officers and men within the
Confedeacy, absent without leave who SHALL with the
least possible delay, return ta their proper posts OF dny
but will be received for any delay beyond twenty
days after the first publication Of this proclamation In the
Sate In which the absentee be At the date OF the pub
caton This amnesty and pardon shall extend to a who
have been accused who have heon convicted and are
undergoing sentence for absence without caye or deseron
eycepng only those who hive been twice convicted oil de-
seft0n.
Finally, coniure my counrywomen-tle wives moth
ers sisters and daughters Of the Conederacyo their
ll-powcrfu influence in aid OF this CALL add
ing sacrifice tnse which their patriotism has so freely
aud constantly offered OH their couny's altar and to take
oarc that none who owe service In the field shall be shell
home from the disgrace Of having deserted their
duty their families, to their country and to their God
Given under my hand and the seal of the Confederate
Stntes, a Richmond, this first day of August, In the
H. 81 year Of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
SiEty-tl;rec. JEFFERSON DAVIS.
BY the Presidents
}. =. BENJAMIN, SecretaryOf State.