Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-12-18
Jeff Davis Message.

Congress on the 7th inst. is long, lying
document. which would he more effective
with those towhom it il addressed il they did
not know. from bitter lessons taught them
within the last season, how dishonest and falla-
cious his statements are He dispatches the
Jos, bv the rebels Of Vicksburg Port Hudson,
jackson, and in short the entire control Of
the Mississippi valley, in very short metre
Their rcycrscs there, he admits were grave
but he SAWS the river Is 50 infested by their
guerilla, as to he not worth much 70 the
union men for commerce and he implies that
the defence of Charleston and the successes
of the rebels on the Northern frontier gave
their men about as much heart IL they lost
on the Mississippi. Gettyshursh, he slides
over very smoothly. Onc who did not know
ANYTHING 10 the contrary might infer, that.
take it all in all, Lees campaign INTO Penn
svlyania wac very succcssiul affair. The
rains swelling the Potomac compelled him
10 withdraw winch was DONE be says with
great deliberati0n after securing large trains
of captured supplies aud with constant but
unacccptcd tender Of battle. lie next al
ludes to the surrender Of the garrison at
Cumberland Gap without firing shot, anda
signal defeat Of Gen. Rosccrans at Chicka-
maugl, followed by severe battle, in which
after great carnage inflicted ON the enemy
some of the rebel troops inexphcably ahand-
oned position Of great strength, and by a
disorderly retreat compelled the commander
to withdraw his forcesclsewherc and retire 20
or 80 miles If they had fought as they ought
that would not have happened, but the enemy
would have becn defeated with great
slaughter Burnside was however driven to
retreat into his entertainments at Knoxville
and WAS threatened with capture by Long
street, but news has come that Iongstrrct
had withdrawn from that place.
Foreign affairs look blue for them, he
Davis admits in a long discussion. The
confederate cnyoys are rcbu6ed by Great
Britain. and he has ordered them to quit
! As to what can De done to punish foreign
powers for not treating the Confederate
Government fairly, he Is not quite clear. ~
! PAPER blockade OF all the United State
ports might be declared but presuming that
it would not be stronger than paper, we sup
pose. he docs not recommend it.
The money question he discusses at length,
and admits that their finances are in a
bad way. Something must be done to It.
/ ducc the amount Of their treasury notes-n0w
above six hundred millions They must be
converted into funds with an adequate taxa
tion TO pay the interest punctually, and pro-
vide for the final redemption Of the entire
debt
rs To the army. it must he filled up by en-
rolling all who have been exempted 10y
furnishing substitutes and by other stFir-
gent measures. of course, in regard to the
exchange of prisoners Davis says they are
all right and the [. 5 Government is all
wrong. As an instance of their unparalleled
mercy, he says they have allowed the L. :
Government to provision its own prison.
ers in their hands Moreover he charges hor-
rid barbarity on our Government in the treat
ment of rebel prisoners-thc coniining many
of them in the frozen region OF johnson :
Island "a place about as far South as the city
of New York; is cited as an instance OF 1t.
The barbaruus treatment Of the poor negroes,
male and female, young and old, Is also
insisted on The men he says are forced into
the ranks and the women andchildren lett to
starse, while Butler, McNiel, and Turchin.
nose horrible barbarities have made their
names widely notorious and everywhere ex-
ecrable, are still honored and cherished by
the authorities at Washington.
The conclusion OF the whole is that against
such a barbarous enemy, which began the
war by violating their own constitution IN
attempting to ''ooercc state and which
has ..become hardened by crime" the only
hope Of the confederate people lies in their
own obstinate resistance.