True Democrat., 1863-02-25
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To Me Senate and House of Representatives of

Io ute Senate and House of Representatives. oj
 he Confederate States:
 At the date of your last adjournment the preparation of the enemy for further hostilities had assumed so menacing an aspect as to exs cite i'll some minds apprehension of our ability to meet them with sufficient promptness to avoid serious reverses. These preparations were completed shortly after your departure from the seat of government, and the armies Of the United States made simultaneous advances on cur frontiers, on the western rivers and on the Atlantic coast in masses 80 great as to evince their hope of overbearng all resistance by mere weight of numbers. This hope, how ever, like these previously entertained by our foes, has vanished. In Virginia, their fourth attempt at invasion by armies whose sure sue cess was confidently perdicted, has met with decisive repulse. Our noble defenders mder, the consummate leadership of their general, have again, at fredericksburg, inflicted on the forces under Gen. Burnside, the like disastrous overthrow as had been previously suffered by the successive invading armies commanded by Generals Mcdowell, Mcclellan and Pope.
 In tue west obstinate battles have been fought with varying fortunes, marked by frightfal ear mage on both sides but the enemv's hopes of decisive results have again been bafled, while at Vicksburg another formidable expedition has
 
 side and severe damage to the assailing forces. On the Atlantic coast the enemy has been una ble to gain a footing beydhd the protecting shelter of his fleets, and the city of Galveston has just been recovered by our forces, which succeeded not only Ill the capture of the .garri> son. but of one of the enemy 8 vessels of war; which was carried by boarders from merchant river steamers. Our fortified positions have everywhere been much strengthened and i'm proved. affording assurance of our ability to meet, with success, the utmost efforts of our enemies in spite of the magnitude ot prepara- ton for attack
 review of the history of the two years of our national existence affords ample cause for congratuation and demands the most fervent expression of thankfulness to the Almighty Fla ther who has blessed our cause. We are justi- fled in asserting, with pride, surely not nn- becoming that these Confederate States have added another to the lessons taught by history for the instruction of man; that they have ats forded another example ofimpossibility of sub> jugating a people determined to be free; and have demonstrated that no superiority of nun bers or available resources can overcome the resstence offered by such valor in combat, such constancy under suffering and such cheer ful endurance of privation as have. been con- spicuously displayed by this people in defense. of their rights and liberties. The anticipations with which we entered into the contest have now ripened into a conviction which IS not only shared with us by the common opinion of ncu- tral nations, but is evidently forcing itself up on our enemies themselves. If we but mark the history of the present year by resolute per severance in the path we have hitherto pursued; by vrtuous effort in the development of all our resources for defense; and, by the continued exhibition of the same uniatering courage in our soldiers and able conduct in their leaders as have distinguished the past, we have every reason to expect that this will be the closing year of the war; This war, which, in its in. cepton, was waged for forcing us back into the union, having failed to accomplish that purpose, passed into second stage in which 1t was at tempted to conquer and rule these States as de pendent provinces. Defeated in this second design, our enemies have evidently entered ups on another, which can have no other purpose than revenge and thirst for blood and plunder of private property. But however implacahle they may be, they can neither have the spirit nor the resources required for the fourth year of struggle uncheered by any hope of success, kept alive solely for the indulgence of merce> nary and wicked passions, and demanding so exhaustive an expenditure of blood and money as has been hitherto imposed on their people. The advent of peace will be hailed with joy Our desire for 1t has never been conceaied.- Our efforts to avoid the war, forced on it was, by the lust of conquest and the insane pas sions of our foes, are known to mankind. But earnest as has been our wish for peace and great as has been our sacrifices and suiferlngs during the war, the determination Of this peo pie has with each succeeding month become more unalterably fixed, to endure any stifferings and continue any sacrifices, however prolonged,
 II ...l. o,,14 eregnty and independence of these States shall have been triumphantly vndcated and firmly established.
 In this connection the occasion seems not unsuitable for some reference to the relations between the Confederacy and the neutral pow- CTS of Europe since the separation of these States from the former union.'
 Four of the States now members of the Con- federacy, were recognized by name as indepenl dent sovereignties in treaty of peace, coneu ded in the year 793, with one of the two great maratime powers of western Europe, and had been, prior to that period, allies in war of the other. In the year ITS they formed union with nine other States under articles of Con- federation. Dissatisfied with that union, three of them, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia, together with eight of the States now members of the United States, seeded from 1t in l799, and these eleven seeding States formed sec- ond union, although by the terms of the ar ticles of Confederation express provision was made that the first union should be perpetual. Their right to secede, notwithstanding tbis pro- vision, was neither contested by the States from which they separated, nor made the subject of discussion with any third power. When, at later period, North Carolina, acceded to that second union and when, still later, the other seven States, now members of this Coz sfederacy, became members also of the same union, 1t was upon the recognized footing of equal and inde. pendent soverei gnties, nor had 1t then entered into the minds of men that sovereign States I could be compelled by force, to remain mem- bers of confederation into which they had en- tered of their own free will, if, at subsequent period, the defense of their safety and honor should, in their judgment, justify withdrawal. The exper ence of the past had evinced the flu, tity of any remuneration of such inherent rights, and accordingly the provision for perpetuty contained in the articles of confederation of ITS was omitted in the constitution of 1779.-I When, therefore, in 1861, eleven of the States again thought proper, for reasons satisfactory | to themselves, to secede from the second union, and to form third one under an amended l constitution, they exercised right which being | inherent, required no justification to foreign | nations, and which international law did not permit them to question. The usages. of inter course between nations do however require that official communication be made to friendly |