Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-12-16
Nortb- Gatbllaa 5tananrb
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To the Senate and House of Representatives

70 the Senate and House of Representatives
Of tho Confederate States
The necessity for legislative action, arising out Of
be important events that have marked tho interval
ince your adjournment, and my DESIRE to have the
id of your counsel on other matters Of grave public
Interest," reader your. presence at this time more
han ordinarily welcome. Indeed, but for serious
Obstacles to convoking you in extraordinary session.
md the necessity for my own temporary absence
rom the seat of government would have invited
you to earlier meeting than that fixed at the date
If your adjournment q -...-..
Grave reverses befeil our arms soon after your
departure from Richmond. Early in July, our
strongholds at Vicksburg and Port Hudson, togeth.
err with their entire garrisons cap tulated to tho
combined land and naval forces of the enemy. The
important interior position Of Jackson next fell into
their temporary possession. Our unsuccessful as
sault on the post at Helena was followed at later
Of our army from Little Rock gave to the enemy
the control of the important valley in which it is
situated.
The resolute spirit of the people soon rose sups-
rior to the temporary dependency naturally result
ing from these reverses The gallant troops SO ably
commanded in the States beyond the Mississippi, in
ficted repeated defeats on the invading armies in
Louisiana and on the coast of Texas. Detachments
Of troops and active bodies of Iartsans kept up SO
to destroy Its value as an avenue of commerce.
The determined and successful defence of Charles
ton against the joint land and naval operations of
the enemy afforded an inspiring example of our abil-
ty to repel the attacks of the iron clad fleet on
which they chiefly rely while on the northern from
tier our success was still more marked.
The able commander, who conducted the cam
paign in Virginia determined meet the threaten
ed advance on Richmond, for which the enemy had
made long and costly preparations by forcing their
armies to cross the Potomac and fight in defence of
their own capital and homes Transferring the bat
tie field to their own soil, he succeeded in compel.
ling their rapid retreat from Virginia, and in the
verify of punishment as disabled them from an early
renewal Of the campaign as originally projected
Unfortunately, the communications on which our
general relied for receiving his supplies of munitions
were interrupted by extraordinary floods, which so
swelled the Potomac as to render impossible the
fords by which his advance had been made, and he
was thus forced to a withdrawal, which was con-
Quoted with elaboration, after securing large trains
of captured supplies, and with constant and Tn.
accepted tender Of battle. On more than one occa-
sion the enemy has since made demonstrations of
purpose to advance, invariably followed by precip-
tae retreat to entrenched lines on the approach of
our forces.
The effective check thus opposed to the advance
Of the invaders at all points, such as to afford
hope OF their early expulsion from portions of the
territory previously Occupied by them, when the
country was painfully surprised blythe intelligence
that the officer in command of Cumberland Gap had
surrendered that important and easily defensible
pass without firing of shot upon the summons of
force still believed to have been inadequate to its
reduction, and when reinfo.cements were within
supporting distance and had been ordered to his aid
The entire garrison including the commander being
still held prisoners by the enemy, am unable to
suggest any explanation of this disaster which laid
open East Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia to
hostile operations, and broke the line of commune
cation between the seat of government and Middle
Tennessee
This easy success of the enemy was followed by
an advance of General Rosecrans into Georgia, and
our army evacuated Chattanooga and awaited itself
of the opportunity thus afforded of winning on the
field of Chickamauga one of the most brilliant and
decisive victories of the war. This signal defeat Of
General Rosecrans was followed by bis retreat into
Chattanooga where his imperilled position had the
immediate effect Of relieving the pressure of the in
vason at other points, forcing the concentration
or his relief, of large bodies of troops withdrawn
from the armies in the Mississippi Valley and in
Northern Virginia. The combined forces thus &C
,umula1ed against US in Tennessee so greatly out
numbered our army as to encourage the enemy tc
attack. After long and severe battle, in which
treat carnage was inflicted on him, some Of oul
troops inexpicably abandoned position of grea
strength and by disorderly retreat compelled the
commander to withdraw the forces elsewhere sue
cessful, and finally to retire with his whole army
% positions some twenty or thirty miles to the
II Is believed that if the troops who yielded to the
assault had fought with the valor which they haG
displayed on previous occasions and which was
manifested in this battle on the other parts Of the
IN the enemy would have been repulsed with very
Ttkt slaughter, and our country would have
escaped the misfortune and the army the NORTH
cation of the first defeat that has resulted from mis-
conduct by the troops. In the meantime, the army
Of General Burnside driven from all its field po
itions in Eastern Tennessee, and forced to retreat
into its entertainments at Knoxville, where, fol
some weeks, it was threatened With capture by the
forces uSder General Longstreet No information
sas reached me of the final result of the operations
flour commander, though intelligence has arrived
VI his withdrawal from that place.
While therefore our success in driving the enc
uy from our soil has not equalled the expectations
confidently entertained at the commencement Of thu
campaign, his progress has been checked. If w
are forced to regret losses in Tennessee and Arkap
sas, we are not without ground for congratulatior
On success in Louisiana and Texas. On the Sc,
coast he is exhausted by vain efforts to capture ou
,orts while ON the northern frontier he has in turf
felt the pressure and breads the renewal ofinvason
The indomitable courage and perseverance of the
bly, attested by the unanimity with which the Leg
isatures of Virginia, North. Carolina and Georgi
have raaontly given expression to the popular sen
timeht; and like manifestations may be anticipates
from all the States. Whatever obstinacy may b
displayed by the enemy, in his desperate sacri
fees of money, life, and liberty in the hope Q
.nslavins us, the experience of mankind has to-
conclusvely shown theSuperior endurance Of thos
Who fight for home. liberty and independence to per
III orv douht of the result
FINANCES.
The state of the public finances is such as to de
mand your earliest and most earnest attention.
aeed hardly say that prompt and eficacous rem
edv for the present condition of the currency i
necessary to the successful performance of tn
functions of government. Fortunately, the re
sources of our country are so ample and the spiri
Of our people so devoted to its cause that they
ready to make anv necessary contribution. Relic
10 thus entirely within our reach, if we have tn
.sisdom to legislate in such manner as to render
available the means at our disposal.
At tho commencement of the war; we were fa
from anticipating the magnitude and duration o
the struggle in which we were engaged. The mos
sagacious foresight could not have predicted tina
If tho Markham Deon1a would TeaC