Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-17
Reported Disaster in North Car
olina.
The Report is not Credited.
AN ADDRESS BY JEFF. DAVIS.

AN ADDRESS BY JEFF. DAVIS.
New York, April 16.
JEFF. Davis has issued an address to the
people of the Southern Confederacy, urg
ing them to devote their agricultural labor
TO the prOduciOn of food. He SAYS that
though the soldiers are on half rations of
meal, there is plenty Of it in the Confeder
acy, but that difficulty exists in its trans.
! pOrtation, which is now about to be RENE
! died. The address contains the following
paragraph: To oppose the invading forces,
composed of levies which have already ex.
ceeded 1900 600 men, we had no resources
but the UnoonqUerable valor of people
determined to be free, and were so 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 furnish arms while for many
months continuation some of our strong
holds owed their safety chiefly to careful
cOncealment of the fact that we were with
out supply of powder for our cannon
Your devotion and patriotism have tri
umPhed over all these obstacles, and called
into existence munitions of war. clothing
and sustenance, which have enabled our
soldiers to illustrate their valor on numer-
ous battle-felds, and to infict crushing de-
feats on successive armies, each Of which
our arrogant foe fondly imagined to bein-
vincible. The contrast between our past
and present condition 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
well organized, and SO thoroughly discip-
lined, armed and equipped as at present.
The season of high water on which our
enemies relied to enable their fleets Of gun
boats to penetrate into our country and
devastate our homes, is fast passing away.
yet our strengholds on the Mississippi still |
bid defiance 10 the foe; and months Of
costly preparations for their reduction |
have been spent in vain
Disaster has been the result of their
every effort to storm Vicksburg and
Port Hudson as well as every attack on
our batteries on Red river, the Talahatchie
and other na7igsble streams.
Within few weeks, the falling of
waters and increasing heats of summer,
will complete their discomfeiture, and |
compel their baffied and defeated forces to
the abandonment Of expeditions on which |
was based their chief hope Of success in
efecting our subjugation.
We must not forget, however, that the
war IS not yet ended, and that we are still
confronted by powerful armies, and threat
ened by numerous fleets, and that the Gov
ernment that control those fleets and ar
mics IS driven to most desperate effort to
effect the unholy purpose in which it has
thus far been defeated. It will use its ut
most energy 10 avert this impending doom
so richly merited by the atrocities it has
committed, the savage barbarities which
1t has encouraged, and the crowning at
tempt TO excite servile population to the
massacre of our wives, daughters and help
less children. With such a contest before
US, there is but one dInger, which the Gov
ernment of your choice regards with ap-
prehension, and to avert this danger it ap-
peals to the never-failing patriotism which
you have exhibited since the beginning Of
the var.