Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-12-09
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To n, Ssnas. and House Of Representatives
of the Confederate Stai'

vour Adjournment snd my desire 10 hsve me ~u OF
YOUR counsel other matters Of grave puoho
lender vour presence at this tine more than ordinary
veicore LODGED but for serious Obstacles 10 con
yosipg YOU in extraorjuary session, ana the ~ GO
To- nv own temporfrg abseEce ron the seat OF uo1
eminent. would have invited you to an carrier
thsn that 6xed a. the cate Of your aolourlueu~ !,
g., revsrses befell our arms soon after your &c
rs-tu RON Richmond. EUlY IN July' Gu.
A. Vicksburg and Port Hudson, tose'neE IN 80 "a
tire gar.isols capitalized 20 the cOmomeu lAuu oN
$780, a. ne enemy. The important interior pc
-, - T,,L,, revs fell into their Temporary posses
- a. ,nsrccfs,f assault on the post at Heena,
- fUovsd Id later period by the invasion OF Ar
Ls1s. and tho retreat OF our army from lA'ue MOCK
80 - ,5s enemy toe control Of tee important valley
10 Whoh it Il stua co. -, -. ,,oarior
o. 80 temporary dependency naturally resultng from
these reverses. The gallant troops 60 ABLY command
al in the States beyond the hiss ipP Ihe cd repeat
81 8efes q on the invading armiCs in Louisiana and On
Inc coast Of Texas Dstaolments Of troops and active
podes Of part zas KEEP. up so eff Give war on tue
Ns sppi river practically 70 destroy its value as an
avenue Of commerce.
The determined and successful defence of Charleston
against the join land aud naval operations OF the en-
emy Afforded On inspiring example Of our ability 70 re-
rel the attacks even Of the roD.oad feet on which they
chiefly rely while the northern frontier our success
was still more marked.
The able commander who conducted the campaign
In Virginia determined meet the threatened advance
ON Richmond for which the enemy bad made
Iong ADD costly preparations, By forcing their
armies cross the Potomac and hght IN
defence OF their oEn capital aud homes. Trans
ferripz the battlefield 10 their own soil he succeeded
in compelling their rapid retreat from Virginia aud IN
the hard fought battle Of Gettysburg inflicted such Sc
verify Of punishment as 6 ablCd them from early re-
neEal of the campaign as originally psCjeo ed UniOr-
tunately, tie communications on which our General re
lied for receiving his supplies Of murions were inter
rupted By extraordinary foods, which so sWeIed toe
Potomac as 70 render impossible the fords by which
his advance had been naGe and he thus forced 70
WthdrsWa which was conducted with delioeTanon,
after securing large trains Ct captured supplies, and
with start bus VI accepted tender Of battle. On
more than one occasion he enemy has since made de-
mousiratons Of purpose 70 advance, invariably fol-
lowed BY precpa.s retreat - eltreCehet lines on the
approach Of OCF foyccs
Tho effective check thus opposed 10 the advance Of the
invaders all points to afford hope OF their
early expul ion from portions Of the trOry previous
" occupied BY them, W en- thS country painfully
surprised BY the intelligence that the Cfhcer in
napd Of Cumbsslan4 Gap had surrendered that mpor-
tant and easily deiensble pass without firing thot,
upon the summons Of force still believed 20 have bean
inadequate 70 is reduction, and when reniofeements
with sVpPo ting distance and had been ordered 70
hsRd The entire garrison, including the commander,
being still hse prisoners by the enemy Die TO sug
eest any eGplanauOI Of this disaster, sbcl laid open
Elstern Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia 10 hos
al e operations, and broke tee line Of communication
between hesest Of government and Mdos Tennessee.
This easy Of the enemy followed by al ad-
vance OF Gen. ROseCcsns into georgia, aud our army
EVACUATED Chattanooga and svsed sell Of the oppor
tunity thus Afforded WuLilg, the fell OF Uhicka
manga one the moss brilliant al decisive victories
Ct the war This sgaal deiea. OF Gsnsral RoseeEans
Wss followed by bis retreat illO CHATTANOOGA where bis
imperlsd posiucn had tue mmedi te fleet Of relieving
the pressure Of toe invasion other points forcing tie
eoncenlra;ou for his rei Of large bo.ss Of troops
Withdrawn tom The armies In The Mississippi valley and
in Northern Virginia. The combined oices thus accu
NJ TrBuease- ID preaIlv
ed army % eUCOuags tue enemy % attack. After
long aud severe battle in which great carnage was
la eed him. some OF our troops iag1p cabiy ab3n-
dOned posi- ions Ct great 9Th, and b. dsordery
retreat compelled the commander % Withdrew tie
forces esesnyre successful and ally retire with hs
whole army 70 position twenty or thirty miles 10
the rear / is beheyed that If the troops who yielded
90 tie assault had fought with the vaor Whicn tLey Ld
Ii played previous occasions and Wh ca was nam
fesIed in this oat,e the other parts Of the line the
enemy would have 5eeI repuizsd Eith very great
slaughter and country would have escaped the mis-
fortune and the army the modification Of the FIRST de-
feat that has resulted from miconcu ct by the trOOps-
In the msaaume, the army Of Genera. Burnside was
driven from ali is hsid positions eastern Tennessee
and fore TO reat into ia eauenchuen;s at Kuo1-
vile, wnsle, for some weeks, IL was threatened with
capture BY tle forces under General LODgstrees No
Information has reacaed me Of the dnal result of tue
operations Of ous commander though INTEL gence has
arrived OF his vithdIszsi from that place.
While therefore, our success in driving the enemy
from our soil has not equaled the expectations col
IDENTITY entertained a. the commencement OF the cam
vaizn his furher progress bees checked II we are
fJrced 20 regret losses IN Tennessee AID AkAusas We
are not without ground for cOngratuson on successes in
L0usaIa and Texas On the coast he is exhausted
By vain eJr 10 capture ports, while the north
era frontier ne has u felt pressure and Greads
the reneWa Of invasion. The ndomitable courage and
perseverance, Of the people il defence OF their hones
have been noby stgsJed by the unaninity with which
the Legislatures Of Virgins, North Carolina arc
-. H. A.
sentiment; and Ike mAui'esatons may be aniiciIa ed
from all tha States. Wha.eyer obsunsoy may be dis
played BY the enemy in E desperate sacrifices OF money
lie aud liberty in The hCps OF tns.aTiag Us the eI
psrence OF alkind has 100 concIusiVCy shown the
Superior endurance OF those who tight tor home liberty
and Independence to permit any doubt OF the result
FOREIGN RELAr1oSs.
regret 20 inform you that there has been no i'm
movement in the state Of relations with foreign
countries since my message 10 January last. Ga the
contrary there has been still greater iVsrg nee in the
conduct Of European nations fGOm that practical i'm
partaty which alore deserves tie Of neutrality
and their action in cases, has Assumed cla-ac-
tsr positively unfHendIy.
You Rave heretofore been informed that by com
mon UNDERSTANDING the nitia i've in al action touching
the contest on this continent had been left by for,ign
powers 70 the two great msrume nations OF western
Europe and that the governments OF these nations
had agreed 70 take measures without previous con-
cert Toe result Of these arrangements has therefore
placed il in the power Of either France or England TO
Oostruct AZ pleasure me recognition 20 which the Con-
federacy is justly entitled, 10 prolong the COZ
tinuance Of hostiiuts this side OF the Atlantic il |
the policy Of either could Do promoted by the post
pOnement Of peace Each too, thus became POSSESSED
Of great influence in shaping thsgeneral exercise
neutral rights in Europe, reuder them s1bssrVient
the purpose Of aiding Of the belgsrents TO the
deiIiment OF The other. referred, az your last
sOn 10 some OF the leading points in the course pu-
sued BY p,oiesed neu,rls which betrayed plrtizan
leaning 10 the side Of our enemies, but events have
since occurred which induce e the subject in
greater detail than was then deemed necessary |
In calling to your attention the action Of those |
governmental shall refer 20 the documents appended
70 President Lincon's message, and TO their