The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-08-11
TO THE SOLDIERS OF THE CONFED-
ERATE STATES.

After more than two years of q warfare scarcely
equalled in the number, magnitude, and 1earIni
carnage of its battles; warfare in wlnch your
courage and forttudo h@ee illustrated your country
and attracted not only gratitude at home but al
miration abroad; your enemies continue q struggle
in which final triumph must be inevitable. y u
duly elated with their recent successes, they I'M
agine that temporary reverses can dull your spirit
or shake your determinations and they are now
gathering heavy masses for general invasion IN the
vain hope that, by desperate effort success may at
length be reached.
You know too well, my countrymen, what they
mean by success. Their malignant rage aims at
nothing less than the determination of yourselves,
your wives and children. They seek to destroy
what they cannot plumber. They propose as the
spois of victory, that your homes shall be parti-
toned among the wretches whose atrocious cruel
ties have stamped nfamy their Government
They design to incite servle instruction and light
the fires of incendiarism wherever they. reach
your homes, and they debauch the inferior race,
hitherto docie and contented by promising indul-
gence of the Vest passions, the price of reach-
cry. Conscious of their inability to prevail by
legitimate warfare, not daring to make peace lest
they should be hurled from their seats of power, the
men who now rule iIa Washington refuse even to
confer on the subject of putting end to outrages
which disgrace our age, or to listen to suggestion
for conducting the war according to the usages Of
civilization
Fellow citizens alternative is left you but vic
tory subjugation, slavery and the utter ruin of
yourselves, your families and your country. The
victory IS within your reach. GU need but
stretch forth your hands to grasp it. For this end,
all that is necessary is, that those who are called to
the field by every motive that move the human
heart should promptly repair to the post of duty,
should stand by their comrades now in front of the
foe, and thus 50 stregthen the armies of the Con-
fcderacy to ensure success. The men now alb
sent from their posts would, if present in the field,
suffice to create numerical equality between our
force and that of the inYaders-and when with any
approach to such equality, have failed to be vic
tOrIOuS! L believe that abS ut
actuated by ilingness to their country; but
that many have found it difficult to resist the tempta-
ton of visit to their homes and the loved ones
from whom they have been so long separated: that
others have left for temporary attention to their
affairs with the intention of returning, and then
have shrunk from the consequences Of their viola
ton of duty; that others again. have left their posts
from restlessness and desire of change, each
duieting the upbradngs of his conscience, by per-
suading himself that his individual services could
have no influence on the general result.
These and other causes (although far less dss
graceful than the desire to avoid danger, or to
escape from the sacrifices required by patriotism)
are, nevertheless, grieVous faults, and place the
cause of our beloved country, and of everything we
hold dear, in imminent peril. | repeat that the
who duty to their country, who have been
called out and have not yet reported for duty,
who have absented themselves from their posts,
sufficient in number to secure victory in the
struggle now impending.
call on you then my countrymen, to hasten to
and of duty, and summon those who have absented
themselves without leave, who have remained alb
sent beyond the period allowed by their furloughs,
to repair without delay to their respective
snands, and do hereby declare that grant gen
eral pardon and amnesty to all officers and men
within the Confederacy, now absent without leave,
who SHALL with the least possible delay return to
their proper posts of duty; but will be
received for any delay beyond twenty days after the
first publication of this proclamation in the State in
which the absentee may be at the date of the publ
cation. This amnesty and pardon shall extend to
all who have been accused, who have been
yjcted and are undergoing sentence for absence
without leave or desertion, excepting only those
who have been twice convicted of desertOn.
Finally, conjure my countrywomen the wives,
mothers, sisters and daughters of the Confederacy
to their all powerful influence in aid of this
call. to add growing sacrifice to those which
their patriotism has freely and constantly offered
their countrys altar, and to take care that
who service in the field shall be sheltered at
home from the disgrace Of having deserted their
duty to their families, to their country and to their
God.
Given under my hand and the Seal of the Con-
fcderate States, at Richmond, this 1st day of Au
gust, in the year of lord thousand eight
hundred and sixty three.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.