The New York herald., 1863-12-12

To ras sssATa AND Hoow oe RxrasssSrArwss Cos
psDsRArs SrATns:-
Tho necessity for legislative acsioe arising out OF ths
important events that have marked interval since
your adjournment aud my desire aid your
counsel other matters OF grave public interest," render
your presence at this time than ordinarily
Indeed for obstacles to coovoking you
traordnsry session. and the necessity FOE my tenn
porary from the Of would have
invited you earlier meeting than that axed at the
date OF your adjournment.
Grave befei our after your depart
ure from Richmond Early in July stroDghods at
vcksburg aud Port Hudson, together With their entire
garrisons capitusted to the combined land and naval
forces OF the enemy The important interior position Of
jackson fe', iuo their temporary possession Our
unsuccesstuI assault post Helena followed
later period by the invasion OF Arkansas; ona The
Of from Little Rocl 0a,e TO the eeny the
control o. the important vay sohsch is situated
The resolute spirit OF the people to
tho temporary despondency naturally resulting from
these The gallant troops ably commanded
in tue States beyond tho Mississippi inflicted repeated
defeats on the invading armies 10 louisiana aud on the
coast OF Texas Detachments of troops aod active bodies
OF partsans kept up effective the Mississippi
river as practically 70 destroy its value ss an avenue OF
commerce.
The Determined and sucoessu. defence OF Charleston
against the joint land and naval operaops OF the cucmy
Afforded inspiring example ability 10 repel
attacks OF tho clad heet which they chiefly
rely while the Northen trontier success still
more marked.
Tue able commander who conducted the campaign In
Virginia mined TO meet the threa,ened advance on
Rlchmond-ror wbcn the enemy had made long and
costly atous-by forcing their armies TO the
Potomac and fight In defence Of their own capital aud
homes Transferring tho battle ae; TO thoir own soil
be succeeded in compei,ng Their rapid retire
OF gettysburg Inflicted such severity ot punishment
disabled them tom early renewal OF tho campaign
originally projected Unfortunately the communications
aI.aA f.rr hs..
mentions were interrupted by extraordinary floods
which sweled the Potomac TO ronder impossible
tho fords by which his advance had been raade and he
thus torccd to withdrawal, which conducted
with deberaon after securing large trains o captured
supplies aud with oonstau, but uDaccepted tender OF
battle On than occasion the enemy since
made demonstrations Of purpose TO advance. invariably
followed BY preciptato retreat 70 ntrcnched limos
the approach OF our iorces
The effective check thus opposed to tho advance OF in
vaders ali points such TO afford hope
early expulsion from portions OF tho territory previously
occupied by them when the co"nty painfully sur
prsed by tue Intelligence that the officer command
Cumberland Gap had surrendered that important and
easily deieusibie pass without firing shot, upon the
summons Of force still believed TO have been made
quate 20 its reduction aud when reinforcemoots
were within supporting distance aad had been or
dered TO his aid Tho entire garrsol Including tho
beng s .ns nSa as sooSs Sy me enemy
utich t1d open Eastern Tennessee and SotDcssrn Pr
o,nd to hostile otion' AID oroe ne l..e Of crsmun,
This easy success OF tho cocmy was followed by ad
vance Geuoral Rosecraps into Georgia. aud army
tunty thus aGcsded OF winning the field OF Chicta
mauga Que brilliant decisive victories OF
the This signal defeat OF General osecrans fol-
lowed by retreat into ChattsDooss where his im.
peed position bad the immediate elect relieving the
,sre o the invasion at Other points, forcing
centratou for reisf OF large bodies OF troops with
drawn from tho armies in tho Mississippi Valley and
lated ngainst Tennessee greatly outnumbsred
army encourage tbs eoemy TO attack After long
aud battle n which great carnage was inflicted
him of froops tnerpc1Jy d11ndoned POSITIONS
greu strength, and by d'sorderiy retreat coap,i ne
oomrlani-r 10 ,gttadrac h- forces elss,rlere
cessf. and finally % rer, w,a hsi whoie army
to a position some twenty or thirty miles 20 the
rear. II vs. believed that u the troops who yielded 70
the assault had fought with tho vaor which they had
displayed previous OCCASIONS, aud which was mani.
fescd 10 battle the other parts the ines The
onsmy would have beeo repulssi with very great
slaughter aud our country would have escaped the mis-
fortune the army the modification OF the first defeat
that has resulted from misconduct by the troops 10 the
meantime the army OF General burnside was driven
from all s held positions in E,stern Tennessee aud
forcet TO rctrea, into i,s nirc,ehmeos at Knoxville
where for weeks threatened With capture by
the forces under General Inngstreet No information,
has ve,cAsd Of ne fnoi resuf Of N, operations Of
ccmms0dr, ncr0h 'n'eiitonos has arrived of MS Clh
driu1l frvr fhoi piocs
while therefore, success in driving the enemy
from our soil has not cquacd the pectaiions opnnden
~ cntertansd at the commencement OF the campaign
hts further progress has been checked forced
regret losses 10 1cnDesscs ant Arkansas,
without ground for congratulated successes In Lous
ana and icxas. On IA, Ne Is erhosslod ~ vusu
fori, TO esp,.r. oar Por,' ssi's on ns nesa1-
d,eads ne rcne'ca f rne indomitsble oour.
ago aud ot tho people tho defence Of
their been nobly attested by the unannity
with which the Legislatures of Ntrgina North Carolina
and Georgia recently given expression the popu
lar sentiment and like msni'essticus may be antct
psted from ali the states whatever obstnsny may bs
displayed by tho enemy h,, Desperate sacrifices OF
money life and liberty 10 the hops of eossving us the
sTpercuco Of mankind has too coociusvcy shown the
superior endurance OF those who nghi fo bone liberty
and ladopeodcuce, to permit any doubt OF the result
fosgws .rloss
Iresrc, 10 oform you that thsre has beeo Improve
10 state OF our rotations with foreign countries
In lam laal n.. st,
of European nations from that practical impsrttaty
which alone deserves the OF ucatrsity ard hetr
o,o- ~ ss~e oass has asurrei cAsrocer pos,reiy
,rtvtvdl,
yoa have bc~c,ofore bo,a informed that, by common
uojDesspii odos. tho V,I tyo all sctq1 t,cas Tn,