Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-08-12
sairess of the president t, the Soldiers
of tho Confederate States.

of the Confederate States.
After more than two years. of ws!f re
scare ly ,qlallcd in the nuub,r, magnitude,
md iea,fal carnage of its battles 5. %lr:are
in which your courage e::d i r;itu;le Lave y
iustrAtri yonr country and attracted hos only
gratitude at home, but admiration a6fcad,
y,ur enemies continue a struggle in wn!ci
our 6,tal triumph must be inevitable. Un-
dulv e!aiel with their recent successes, they
ima.;ine that temporary reverse can qneiif
your spirit or shake your determination, ana
they are now gathering heavy masses Tor
general invasnl in the vain hope that by d
dcsaarsta effort success may at length be
reached.
You know too well, my countrvmen, whai
thev mesn by success. Their malignant rage
aims st nothing loss th,n the e1termination'
of yourselves, your wives and children. They
seek to destroy what they cannot plumber.
They propose as the spoils of victory that
your homes shall be particioned among tn"
wrGtohes whose atrocious crue!tles havestamp'
ed infamy their Government. They de-
slyn tn incite sorvile insiirrecrun and lisat
the firos OF fnceuaiarisin whenever they can
reach your houses, and they dcbarch Tee in
ferior race, hitherto dccile and contented, o.
promising indulgence of the vilcst passions rs
The price OF ,reachery. Conscious Of their
INABILITY to prevail by gi,inate-wsrlare not
daring to mako p;ace lest they should l,
hurled from their seats Of power, the meu
who now rule in Washington refuse even to
confer on the subject of putting an end 10
outrages which disgrace our age. or TO listen
to suggestion for conducting tie war accor-
l:,,, 80 no Cpx of civiliZa
Fellow citizens, no alteruatiye.is left you
Int victory, or sutjugatiols slavery and the
utter ruin af yourselves your families aad
your country. The victory is within your
reach. You need but stretch forth your
hands to graspit For this and al that is
necessary is that those who are called to the
field by every motive that can move the hu-
man heart, should promptly repair to The post
of duty, should stand by their comrades now
ia front Of tic foe, and thus so strengthen the
armies OF the Conicderacy as to ensure sue
cess. The nan now absent from their posts
would, ifpresspt in the Gsid. suffice to create
numerical equality b%t@een our force and
that of the irvadcrs-and when, with any ap-
proach to saci equality, have we failed ~ be
victorious? l believe that but few Of those
absent are actuated by unwiingness TO serve
-iheir coautry; brt that many have found it
difficult to resist the temptation Of a visit to
their homes and the loved ones from whom
they lave been SO long separated that others
have fett, for temporary. attention TO their
atFaiss with the intention Of returning, and
then have shruak f.cn the consequences OF
their violation of ddty (; tha: :otbers again have
left t4ei, posts from mere resiiesscess and de-
sire of.change, each quieting the upbraiiings
of his conscience, by persaadirg himself that
his individual services could have no Influence
on tine general result.
These and other causes (although far less
diseracetul than the desire to avoEl danger,
or to escape from the sacrifices required by
patriotism, ere, nevertheless, grievous faults,
aud place the cause of our beloved country,
and of everything we hold dear, IN imminent
peril. repeat that the 1nea who now owe
autF 20 their country, who have hecn called
out and have not yet repor'cd Tor duty, or
who have ab.ented themselves from their
posfs, are sufficient in number to secure Us
F:c.ory in tie struggle now impending.
call on you then, my countryrnen, to has.
ten to vour camps, in obedience to the die
tates Of honor and of duty, and summon those
who have -absented themselves without leave,
Or who have remained absent bayond the pc
ri d allowed BY their iurlonghs, to repair wi! h
out delay to their respective commands, and
i do hereby declare that grant q general
nsrdon and amnesty to all officers and men
within the Coufedera;y, now absent without
leave, who shall, with the least possible delay
return tc their proper posts OF duty, but nc
excuse will be received for ary delay beyond
tuenty DAYS after the first publication Of this
proclamation IN the State in which the ab,
sented may be at the date al the publication.
This amnesty aud pardon shall extend to all
who have been accused, or who have been
convicted and arc undergoing sentence for
absence without leave, OR desertion, excepting
ONLY those who have b3en twice convicted OF
.desertiJn
:. Finally, conjure my countrywomen--the
wives, mothers, sisters and daughters of the
Confederacy-to use their ell powerful inHu-
ence in aid of this call, to add one crowning
sacrifice to those which their patriotism has
d, freely end constantly offered on their coun-
try's altar, and to take care that none who
owe service in the field shall be sheltered at
home from the disgrace of having deserted
their duty to their. families, to their country
snd 'to their God.
Given pnder my hand and the seal Of the Con.
fede:s:e States, ct Richmond, this lst
[SEAL] day of August, in the year. of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred aud
sixty.three ,o>,
By the President:
Up BENJAMIN, Secretary of State.
&c The parters throughout the Confede-