Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-08-14
PROCLAMATIONS.
TO TILE SOLDIERS OF THE CONFEDE-
RATE STATES.

RATE STATES.
After more than two years Of warfare
scarcely equalled ill the number, magnitude
and fearful carnage of its battles; warfare
in which your courage and fortitude have Il
Illustrated your country and attracted not only
gratitude at home, but admiration abroad,
your enemies continue Il struggle in which
our final triumph must be inevitable Unduly
elated with their recent successes, they imagl
inc that temporary reverses can quell your
spirit OF shake your determination, and they
are now gathering heavy masses for general
invasion, in the vain hope that by desperate
effort success may Ut length be reached
You know too well, my counrymen, what
they mean by success. Their malignant rage
aims ut nothing less than the determination
Of yourselves, your wives and chill ren. They
seek to destroy what they cannot plunder.-
They propose as the spells of victory that
your homes shall be partitioned among the
wretchos whose atrocious cruelties have
stamped infamy on their government. They
design to incite scrvilc instruction and light
the fires Of incendiarism whenever they can
reach your homes, and they debauch the inte-
rior race hitherto docile and contenteI, by
promising indulgence of the vilest passions as
the price Of treachery. Conscious Of their i'll
ability to prevail by legitimate warfare not
daring to make peace lest they should be
hurled from their seats of power, the men
who now rule i'll Washington refuse even to
confer on the subject of putting all end to
outragcs which disgrace our age, or to listen
to L suggestion for conducting the war accord
ing to the usagcs Of civilization.
Feliow-citizens, no alternative is left YOU
bu. victory, or suhjugation, slavery and the
utter ruin of yourselves, your families and
your country. Tho victory is within your
reach. You need hut stretch forth your hands
| TO grasp it. For this and all that is necessary
| is that those who are culled to the field by ev-
| cry motive that can move the human heart
| should promptly repair to the post Of duty,
should stand by their comrades now in front
Of the foe, and thus SO strengthen the armies
Of the COnfederacy as to ensure success. The
men nVw absent from their posts would if pres
| ont in the field suffice to create numerical
| equality between our force and that oil
| the inyadcrs-and when with any ap-
proach TO such equality have we failed to be
victoriousY l believe that but few of those
| absent are actuated by unwillingness TO serve
| their country but that many have found
it difficult to resist the temptation of visit to
their homes and the loved ones from whom
| they have been so long separated that others
have LETT Tor temporary attention to their az
| fairs with the intention Of returning, and then
have Shrunk from the consequences Of their
| violation VI duty; that others again have left
| their posts from mere restlesSncss and desire
of change, each quieting the upbraidings of
his conscience, by persuadnS himself that his
| Individual services could have no influence on
the general result.
These and other causes although far less
digraceful than the desire to avoid danger, or
| to escape from the sacrifices required by patri-
| otism,) are, nevertheless, grievous faults, and
place the cause of our beloved country, and of
everything we hold deur, in imminent peril
repeat that the men who now owe duty to their
country, who have been called out and have
not yet reported for duty, or who have absent
ed themselves from their posts, are sufficient in
number to secure Us victory in the struggle
now impending.
call on you, then, my cournrymen. to hasten
to your camps, in obedience to the dictates Of
houor and OF duly, and summon those who have
absented themselves without leuve who have
remained absent beyond the period allowed by
| their turioughs, to repair without delay to
their respective commands, and | DO hereby
declare that grant a general pardon and
amnesty to I'LL officers and men within the
Confederacy, now absent without leave, who
| shall, with the least possible delay, return to
their proper posts Of duty, but no excuse will
| be received for any delay beyond twenty days
after the first publication Of this proclamation
in the State in which the absentee may he at
the date CT the publication. This amnesty
and pardon shall extend to all who have been
| accused, or who have been convicted and are
undergoing sentence for absence without
leave or dcsertion, excepting only those who
have been twice convicted Of deeertion.
Finally, conjure my counuywomen-the
| wives mothers, sisters end daughters of the
Contederacy-to use their all-powerful inhu-
ence in aid Of this call, to add one browning
sacrifice 10 those which their patriotism has so
freely and constantly afforded on their coun-
| trv's altar, and tc take care that none who
| homo from the disgrace OF having deserted
their duty to their families, to their country,
and 10 their God,
. ~ Given under my hand and the Seal
.,, J of the Confederate States, ut Rich
SEAL mond, this lsaNlk5 - August, in the
- year Of our E0fd one thousand eight
hund rcl and sixty-three.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
By the, President:
J. p. BESJANIH,
Secretary Of State.
August3-taugo0.
sG5-The papers throughout the Confederate
| States arc requested to copy this proclama-
ton ct the earliest moment and for twenty
days thereafter, and send their bills to the
Private Secretary of the President.