The Camden confederate. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-14
"A ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT
TO THE SOLDIERS OF THE CON
FEDERATE STATES.

AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS OF WAR
fare scarcely equalled in the number, magnitude, and
eaul carnage of its battles; warfare in which your
courage and fortitude have illustrated your country
and attracted not only gratitude home, but admra
ton abroad, your enemies continue struggle in
which our final triumph must be inevitable Unduy
eated with their recent successes they imagine that
temporary reverses can quell your spirit or shake
your determination, and they now gathering heavy
masses Tor general invasion in the vain hope that
by aoesporate effort success may at length be reached
You know too well, my countrymeh, what they
mean by success. Their malignant rage aims Mt moth
ing less Than the determination of yourselves your
wives and children They seek to destroy what they
cannot plumber They propose as the spos of victory
that your homes shall be partitioned among the
wretches whose atrocious crueltes have stamped in.
iamy on their Government They design to ipcte
servie insurection and light the fires ofincendarism
whenever they can reach your homes and they de-
bSuch the inferior race, hitherto docc and conteuted
by promising indulgence of the vilcst passions as the
price OF treachcry Conscious of their inability to pre-
vail by legitimate warare daring to make peace
lest they should be buried from their seats of power
the men who now rule in Washington refuse even to
confer on the subject ofputting end to outrages
which disgrace our age, to listen to suggestion
for conducting the war according to the usages of
civilization.
Fellow citizens. no alternative is left you but vic
tory subugation slavery and the utter sn of your
selves, your families and your country The victory
is within your reach. You need but stretch forth
your hsnds to grasp it. For this and all that is ne
ccssary is that those who are called to the field by
every motive that can move tho 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 the Conederacy as to ensure
success. The absent from their posts would
ifpresent in the field suffice to create numerical
equality between our force and that of the invaders
and when, with any approach to such equality,
have we failed TO he victorious? | believe that but
few of those absent are actuated by unwingness TO
serve their country but that many have found it diff
cult to resist the temptation of visit to their homes
and the loved ones from whom they have been long
separated; that others have left for temporary
attention to their affairs with tho ntention of
returning and then have shrunk from the conse-
quences of their violation of duty that others again
have left their posts from restlessness and desire
ofchange each quieng the upbraigs orhs conscience
by pursuadng himself that his individual services could
have no influence on the general result.
These and other causes although far less disgrace.
full than the desire to avoid danger escape from
the sacrifices required by ratriotism) are never
thecss grcvous faults and place the -four be-
loved country, and of everything hold dear in i'm
mimcnt peril. | repeat that the men who now owe
duty to their country, who have been called out and
have not yet reported for duty who have absencd
themselves from their posts sufficient in number
to secure us victory in the struggle now impending
call on you thcn my countrymcn, to hasten to
your camps in obedience to the dictates of honor and
duty, and summon those who have absentcd them
beyond the period allowed by their furoughs 10 re-
Pair without delay to their respective commands and
do hereby declare tn at grant general pardon and
amnesty to all officers ard men within the Confederacv
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 duplication of this proclamation in the
State IN Which the absentee may be at the date of
the publication. This amnesty and pardon shall OK
tend 20 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 been twiccd convicted ofdeScrtion
Finally, conjure my countrywomen-thc wives,
Mothers sisters and daughters of tho Conlceracy-to
use their allpoweru influence in aid of this CALL to
add one crownng sacrifice to those which their patr-
otism has so freely and constantly offered on their
countrys altar, and to take that mono who owe
service in the field shall be sheltered at homo from the