The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-04-17
BY TELEGRAPH
TO THE
EVENING PAPERS.
JEFF. Davis to his Subjects.


New YORK, April Is.
jefferson Davis has issued an address to the
people of the Southern Confederacy, urging
them to devote their agricultural labor TO the
production of food. He says although the
soldiers are on half rations of meat there is
plenty of ii in the Confederacy, but that diff
Guilty exists in its TRANSPORTATION, which is
about to be remedied.
The address contains the following para
graphs:
We have reached the close of second year
Of war, and may point with just pride to the
history of our young Confederacy. Alone,
unaded, we have met and oyerthrown most
formidable combinations Of naval and military
ornaments We began the struggle without
a single gun afoat. Yet we have captured,
sunk or destroyed a number of vessels, includ-
ing two huge frigates and one steam sloop-of-
war, while four of their captured steam gun
boats are now in our possession, adding to the
strength of our little navy, which is rapidly
gaining in numbers and efficiency to oppose
invading forces, composed Of levies which al
ready exceed 100000 men.
We had no resources but the uncomfortable
will of people determined to be free, and were
so destitute of military supplies that 10000 of
our citizens were reluctantly refused admit
lance into the service from our inability to
furnish them with arms, while for many months
the continuation of sope of our strongholds
owed their safety chiefly TO the careful con-
cealment of the fact that we were without
supplies of powder for our cannon. Your de-
votion and patriotism triumphed over all these
obstacles and called into existance munitions
Of wal, clothing and substance, which enabled
our soldiers to Illustrate their valor on nume-
rous battlefelds, and infiict crushing defeats
on successive armies, which our arrogant foe
fondly imagined invincible.
The contrast between our past and present
condition is well calculated to inspire full con-
fldence In the triumph OF our armies. At no
previous period OF the war have our armies
been so numerous, SO well organized and so
thoroughly disciplined, 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 de-
vastate our homes, is fast passing away. Yet
our stronghods ON the Mississippi still bid de-
fiance to the foe, aud months of costly prepara-
tons have been spent in vain. Disaster has
been the result of their every effort TO storm
or burn Vicksburg or Port Hudson. as well as
every attack on our batteries on Red river,
Tallahatchie and other navigable streams
Within few weeks the falling of the waters
and the increasing heat of the summer will
complete their discontinue and compel their
baffied and dispirited forces to abandon ex-
peditions on which were based their chief
hopes and success in etiecting our subjugation.
We must not forget, however, that the war
is not yet ended, and we still are confronted
by powerful armies and threatened by numer-
Gus fleets, aud that the government that con-
trols those fleets and armies is driven TO most
desperate efforts to effect its unholy purposes
in which il has thus far been defeated. 1t will
use the utmost energy to avert the impending
doom, so fully merited by the atrocities it has
committed, the savage barbarism it has en-
Outraged. and the browning attempt to excite
the servile population TO massacre our wives,
daughters and helpless children. With such a
contest before US there is but one danger,
which the government of your choice regards
with apprehension. And 10 avert this danger
it appeals to the never failing patriotism and
spirit you have exhibited since the beginning
of the war.