Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-08-21
TO the Softiiers of the Confederate
States.

and fearful carnage Of its battles; warfare
in which your courage and fortitude have
illustrated your country and attracted not
only gratitude at home, but admiration
abroad; your enemies continue struggle
in which our fual triumph must be ineYi-
table Unduly elated with their recent sue
cesses, they imagine that temporary rever-
ses can quell your spirit or shake your de-
termination, 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 we'll, my countrymen what
they mean by success. Their malignant rage
aims at nothing less than the extermination
of yourselves, your wives, and children. -
They seek to destroy what they cannot plum
der. They propose as the spoils ofvictory,
that your homes shall be partitioned among
the wretches whose atrocious cruelties have
stamped nfamy on their Government. They
design to incite servile insurrection and light
the fires of incendiarism wherever they can
reach your homes, and they debauch the in
ferior race. hitherto docile and contented,
by promising indulgence Of the rilest pas
sions, as the price oftreachery. 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 in Washington refuse
even to confer Oh the subject Of putting an
end to outrages which disgrace our age, or
to listen to suggestion for conducting the
war according to the usagcs of civilization
Follow citizens. no alternative is left you
but victory, or subjugation. slavery and the
utter ruin Of yourselves, your families and
your country. The victory is within yonr
reach. You 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 can move the
human heart, should promptly repair t the
post of duty, should stand by their comrades
now in front vf the foe, and thus so strength
en- the armies Of the Confederacy as to en-
sure success The men now absent from
their posts would, if present in the field
suffice TO create nun erical equality between
our force and that of the invadcrs-and
when with any approach to such equality.
have we failed to be victorious? I believe
| that but few of those absent are actuated
! by unwillingness to serve their country;
| but that many have found it difficult to re-
sist the temptation of visit to their homes
| and the loved cues from whom they have
! becn SO long separated; that other have left
| Cur temporary attention to their affairs, with
the intention Of returning, and then have
sllrunk from the consequences Of their vic.
latiou of duty; that others. again. have left
their posts from mere rcstlessness and de
sire of change, each qnie:ing the uphfaid
ings Of his conscience. BY persuading him
self that his individual services could have
no influence on the general result.
These and other causes (although far less
/ disgraccful than the desire to avoid danger
or to escape from the sacrifices required by
/ patriotism arenevertheless, grievous faults,
aud place Tie cause Of our beloved country
/ aud Of everything we hold dear, in immi
l,ei,t peril. ! repeat that the men who now
owe duty to their country, who have been
called out and have not Yet reported for du-
~, or who have absented themselves from
their posts, are sufficient in number to Sc
cure US victory in the struggle now impen
ding
call on you, then, my countrymen, te
hasten to your camps. in obedience to the
dictates of honor aud of duty, and summon
/ those who have absented themselves with
out leave, or who have remained abscntcd
beyond the period allowed BY their fur
lougLs, to repair without delay to their les
pective commands, and | do hereby declare
that grant general pardon and amnesty
to all officers and men within the Confeder-
ocy. now absent without leave, who shall
| with the least possible delay return to their
proper posts Of duty; but no excuse will be
received for any delay beyond twenty days
after the first publication of this proclama-
ton in the State IN which the absentee may
be at the date of the publication. This
amnesty and pardon shall extend to all who
have been accused. or who have been con-
victed aud are undergoing sentence for abb
sence without leave or desertion, excepting
only those who have been twice convicted
Of desertion.
| Finally, conjure my countrywomen-
the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters Of
| the Confederacy use their all powerful
influence in aid of this call, to add one
browning sacrifice to those which their pa
triotism has so freely and constantly offered
on their country's altar, and to take care
that none who owe 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 Seal Of the Confederate States, at
49, Richmond. this It day of August,
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and sixty three.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
BY the President:
j. P. BENJAMIN,
Secretary Of State.
Aug 7--tau2S.
Ev The papers throughout the Confed-
crate States are requested to copy the above
proclamation, at the earliest moment, and
for twenty days thereafter, and send their
bills to the Private Secretary Of the Presi-
dent.
Copartnership Notice.
WE have this day entered into Copartnershif
w for the purpose OF conducting the MEB CAN
TILE BUSINESS in the Town of Stanton, un-