Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-04-22
Address to the People of the Confede-
rate States.


gress. contained in resolutions passed on
the fourth day of the current month, in.
woke your attention to the present condi-
ton and future prospects Of our country,
and to the duties which patriotism impose
on US all during this great struggle for our
homes and our liberties. These resolutions
are in the following language:
JOINT RESOLUTION RELATING TO THE
PRODUCTION OF PRovIs1oNs.-Whereas,
a strong impression prevails throug b the
country that the war now being waged a
gainst the people of the Confederate States
may terminate during the present year and
| where's, this impression is leading many
patriotic citizens to engage largely in the
production of cotton and tobacco, which
they would not otherwise do; and whereas,
in the opinion of Congress, it is of the ut
most importance, not only with a view to
the proper subsistence of our armies, but
for the interest and welfare Of all the peo-
pie, that the agricultural labor of the coun-
try should be employed chiefly in the pro.
duction of supply of food to meet every
contingency. Therefore,
Resolueel, Jy the Congress Gf the Con-
tederate States of America, That it is the
deliberate judgment of Congress that the
people of these States, while hoping for
peace, should look to prolonged war as the
only condition profered by the enemy short
| of subjugatiou that every preparation ne
cessary to encounter such war should be
persisted in, and that the amplest. supplies
of provisions for armies and people should
be the first object of all agriculturists
wherefore, it is earnestly recommended that
the people, instead of planting cotton and
tobacco, shall direct their agricultural la
Dor mainly to the production Of such crops
as viii insure suficiency of food for all
classes and for every emergency, thereby,
with true patriotism, subordinating the
hope of gain to the certain good of the coun-
try.
| SEQ. 9. That the President is hereby
requested to issue proclamation to the
people of these States, urging upon them
the necessity of guarding againstthe great
perils Of short crop of provisions, and
setting forth such reasons therfor as his
Judgment may dictate. 8, :,
Fully concurring in the views thus ex-
pressed by the Congress, I confidently ap.
peal to your love of country for aid in car
rying into effect the recommendations of
your Senators and Representatives.
We have reached the close of the second
year of the war, and may point with just
pride to the history of our young Confede-
racy. Alone, uuaided, We have met and
| oyerthrown the most powerful combination
of military and naval armaments that the
lust of conquest ever gathered together for
the subjugatiou If free people. We be.
gan this struggle without single gun a.
float, while the resources of our enemy en-.
ahled them to gather fleets, which, accor-
ding to their official list, published in Au-
gust last, consisted of 427 vessels, measu.
ring SAC, 0S6 tons, and carrying {, ,26S guns.
Yet we have captured, sunk or destroyed a
number of those vessels, including two
large frigates and ono steam sloop.of.war,
while four of their captured steam gun-boats
are now in our possession, adding to the
strength of our little navy, which is rapid
ly gaining in numbers and efficiency. To
oppose invading forces, composed Of leVies
which have already exceeded thirteen hun
dred thousand men, we had no resources
but the unconquerable valor of people de-
termined to be free; and we were SO desti-
tute of military supplies that tens of thous-
ands of our citizens were reluctantly refused
admission into the service from our inabili.
ty to provide them with arms, while for
many months some of our important strong
holds owed their safety chiefly to careful
concealment Of the fact we were without q
supply of powder for our cannon. Your de-
yotion and patriotism have trlumphed over
all these obstacles, and called into existence
the munitions of war, the clothing, and the
subsistence which have enabled our SOL
diers to illustrate their valor on numerous
battle. fields, and inhict crushing defeats on
successive armies, each of which an arro-
CANT foe fondly imagined to be invincible.
The contrast between our past and pres
ent condition is we'll calculated to inspire
full confidence in the triumph Of our arms.
At no previous period of the war have our
forces been so numerous, so we'll organized
and SO thoroughly disciplined, armed and
equipped, as at present. The season of
high water, on which our enemies relied to-
enable their fleets of gun-boats to penetrate
into our country and devastate our homes,
is fast passing away. Yet our strongholds
on the Mississippi still bid defiance to the
foe, and months of costly preparations for
their reduction have been spent in vain
Disaster has been the result of their every
effort to turn or to storm Vicksburg and
Port Hudson, as we'll as of every attack on
our batteries on the Red River, the Talla.
hatchie and other navigable streams
Within few weeks, the falling waters and
the increasing heats of summer will COM
plete their discontinue, and compel their
baff1ed and defeated forces to the abandon
ment of expeditions on which was based
their chief hopes or success in effectipg our
subjugation. ....
We must not forget. however, that the
.a4 .e.and nnd that ,ua ara still