Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1863-05-20
Address TO the People OF the Confed.
crate States,

thNAt cthkNat
In compliance With the request Of Con.
sress contained ia resolutions passed on
the fourth day o. the current month, In.
woke your attention TO the presen, eondi-
lion and future prospects, Of our country
and 10 the duties which pelIfotiim Imposes
on rs all during iiis great strngglt for our
| homes aId cur liberties.
These resolutions arc in the follow Ing
language:
JOINT RtsoirTioNs RELATING TO THE rk0-
npcTIOS OF PoRyIsIoNs.
7 WHEREAS, strong Impression prevails
through the country that the wer now be.
ing waSed against the r'Sp!e of the Con.
tederate states may terminate during the
present yea-; aud whereas this impression
Is IeSiIns many patriotic citizens TO en-.
gage largely in tho production of cotton
and tobacco, which they would not other
wise de- and whereas, in the opinion of
Congress, IL is OF the utmost importance,
no, only with view to the proper subsis.
tcnce OF our armies, but FOR the interest
aud welfare Of all the people, that the ng.
ricul,urNl labor'of the country shoud DC
employed chiefly in the production Of a
supply Of food 10 meet every contingency
! Therefore,
Re,oired, by the Congress of the COufed
/ crate States Of AmericS, That it is the de-
liberase judgement Of Congress that the
people of these States, while hoping for
/ peace should look to prolonged war as the
only condition prOfTered by the enemy sbor,
OF subjugationi that every preparation nee.
cssary to encounter such war should be
7 persisted in, and that the ainpleat supply
of provisions for armies and people should
be the first object Of all agriculiurists;
wherefore, lis earnestly recommended that
the people, instead of planting cotton and
tobacco, shall direct their agricultural labor
mainly to the production of such crcI NJ
/ will insure sutiiciency, thereby with true
patriotism, subordinating the hope of gain
10 the certain good Of the country.
SEC. 2. That the President is hereby re-
qucstcd to issue n proclamation to the peo.
pie of these States, urging upon them the
necessity of guarding against The great per-
lis of short crop of provisions, and set
ting forth such reasons therefor as his iudg-
ment may dictate.
Fully concurring in tho views thus ex-
pressed by the Congress, | confidently APP
pea! TO your love Of country for aid in car
rying into effect the recommendation of
Senators and Re presrntatires.
We have reached the close of the second
year Of the war, and may point with Just
pride to the history of our young Confed-
eracy Alone, unaided, We have met and
ovcrthrOwn the most formidable combina-
ton of naval and military armaments that
the lust Of conquest ever gathered together
for the subjugation of Il free people. We
began this struggle without single gun
aflOat, while the resources OF our enemy
enabled them TO gather fleets which accord
ing to their official list, published in August
last, consisted of 427 vessels. measuring
840066 tons and carrying 3,26S guns. Yet
we have captured, sunk, or destroyed
number Of these vessels, including two large
frifGtcs and one steam sloop-of- war while
four Of thoir captured steam gunboats are
now in our posse ssion,s adding TO the
strength of our little navy, which is rapid.
Is gaining in numbers and efficiency. To
oppose Invading forces composed of leyies
which have already exceeded thirteen hun
dred thousand men, we had no resources
but the unconquerable valor Of n people de-
termiued 10 be free; and we were 80 desti-
tute Of military supplies that tens of thou
sands Of our citizens were reluctantly re-
fused admission into the service from our
inability to provide them with arms, while
for many months some Of our important
strongholds owed their safety chiefly TO
careful concealmcnt, of the fact that We
were without supply Of powder for our
cannon. Your deviation and patriotism
have triumphed over all these obstacles,
and called into existence the munitions OF
war the clothing and the subsistence which |
have enabled our soldiers to illustrate their |
yalor on numerous battle fields and to in +
fict crushing 9efeats on successive armies, |
each Of which an arrogant foe fond!y imag.
ined to be lnvincibe.
The contrast between our past and pres-
ent col diton is well calculated to inspire
full confidence in the triumph Of our arms.
At no previous period of the war, have our
forces been SO numerous, so we'll organized
and so thoroughly disciplined, armed and
equipped, MS at present. The season of
high water, on which our enemies relied to
enable their fleets Of gunboats to penetrate
into our country and tevnstate our homes
is fast passing away. Yet our strongholds
on the Mississippi still bid defiance to the
foe, and months of costly preparations for
their reduction have been spent in vain
Disaster has cen the result Of their every
effort to turn or TO storm Yicksburg and
Port Hudson, as well MS OF every attack on
our batteries on the Red River, the Talla-
aatchie and other navigable streams. With
N few weeks the falling waters and the
increasing heat Of summer will complete
heir discontinue, and compel their baffled
md defeated forces to the abandonment of
expeditions on which was based their chief
lope Of succcssin n effecfing our subjugation
We must not forget, however, that the
var is not yet ended, and that we are still
by powerful srmies, and threat
ned by numerous fleets, and that the Gov I
rument which controls these fleets and
rmies is driven in the most desperate ef- l
orts to effect the unholy purposes for which c
I has thus far been defeated. II will use {
Is utmost energy to avert the impending {
Dom, go fully merited by the atrocities IL /
as committed. ard the crowning infamy q
ils attempt to excite c servile population &
D the massacre Of our wives, our daughters 4
nd cur helpless children. b
With such contest before Us there is P
ut one danger which the Government Of '
ur choice regards with apprehension, and d
avert this danger II appeals TO the never P
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