Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-17
INSIDE VIEW OF THE REBELLION.
MESSAGE OF GEN. DAVIS.


gress Mt the opening of session in the beginning
rece we'd aud is of considerable interest disclosing
the gloomy condition Of the affairs of the Coniederacy
To-day place large potion OF it before our readers
Besides the topics discussed these extracts Mr. DAVIS
invites early and attention to the public finances with
avew to remedy the rmbarrassmens arising from worth
less currency After reviewing the previous legislation
this subject he states that the Of treasury notes
have been increased to carry the until the currency
IN circulation amounts to mere than six hundred millions
Of dollars more than threefoi the amount required bS
the business of the couatry. This policy is condemned,
aud tn" imposition of uniform direct tax urgently
mended Varous other suggestions made with the
view OF improving the finances.
REVIEW OF THE WAR DURING THE YEAR.
Grave reversee beirll after your d@par
ture from Richmond. Early in July strongholds at
Vicksburg and Pnt Hudson, together with their entrr
garrrsns, capltuated to the combined land and naval
forces of the enemy The important interior position OF
jackson next fell into their temporary possession Our
unsuccessful assault on the post at Helena followed
at later period by the INVASION of Arkansas and the
treat of army from Little Rock gave the enemy the
control Of the important valley in which it is situated.
The psoue spirit of the people superior to
he temporary deapondency naturally resulting fromthese
The gallant troops 81 ably commanded in the
States beyond the Mississippi inf ctad repeated defeats
the invading armies in Louisiana and the coast Of Texas
Deachments Of troops aud active bodies Of parsans kept
lo d. stroy its value as avehne of commerce.
The determined ard successful defence of Charleston
against the joint land and naval operations of the
afforded insrrng example of ability to repel the
attacks even Of the ronclad fleet w lch they chiefly
rely; while the northern frontier slll
more marked
The able commander who niucted the campaign in
Virginia determined 10 meet the threatened advance
Richmond, for which the enemy had made long and costly
preparations by rcng their armies to cross the Potomac
and fight il defence of their own capital aud homes.
l.I
ia ing their rapid retreat from Virginia aud in the
had-f battle of Gettysburg Inflicted such severity of
disabled them from renewal Of the
campaign originally projected. Unfortunately the com
munc cations which General relied tnr receiving
supplies Of munitions Interrupted by extraordinary
floods which sUeed the Potomac as TO FENDER iupas
sable the fords by which his advance had been made aud
he thus forced 10 withdrawn, which was conducted
with deliberations after securing large trains of captured
.uppl and with constant bat unacc "Pted tender OF
batle On than occasion the enemy has since
made demonstrations of purpose 10 advance invariably
followed by preclpate retreat to entrehched lines on
The approach Of tnrces
The effective check thus opposed to the advance OF the
invaders all points such afford hope of their
early expulsion from portions cf the territory previously
occupied by them when the country was painfully sur
prised by the intlfgance that the officer command of
Cumberland Gap had surrendered that important and
easily deieGsble pass without firing shot upon the
OF force still believed to have been nadtquae to
ls reduction and when reiniorcements were within sup
porting distance and had been ordered to his aid The
prisoners by the enemy, / unable to suggest any
plrnaon OF this disaster, which laid open Eastern Ten
and Southwestern Virginia to hostile operations
and broke the line of cummuuca lou between the seat of
government and Middle Tennessee
This easy success of the enemy was followed by all ad-
vance ot Gen Rnstcraus into Georgia, and our army
evacuated Chattanooga and aya-d itself of the opporn-
nifty thus afforded of winning the field of Chckamauga
of tie most brilliant md decisive victories ot the
This signal defeat Of Gen. nsecraus followed by his
ereat INTO Chattanooga wnrre his impered position had
IL, ntnr tho thp
sion other pons inrcg the concentration, Tor has
lief Of lj bodies IT troops withdrawn from the armies
in the M,ssssppi Valley and III Northern Virginia Tie
combined forces thus accumulated against in Tennessee
enemy to attack. After a long and severe battle IN which
great caruagr uc. ed him, Of troops in
rxpcaby nb ainnrl sllon qi great strength and by
dscd,rly retreat, compelled the commander to with
draw the forces elsewhere successful and finally to retire
with hs whole army t. positions some twenty or thirty
NIL o th, rear 1t is believed thnt if the troops who
welded t. the assault had fought with the ya"r which
they had displayed previous occasions, aud winch
manifested IN this battle the other parts Of the hne,
the enemy wouIi have heen repnlsed with very great
slaughter and country would have escaped the mis-
fortune sni The army the mhTc un 0t the first defeat
that has rr.ut.i fran misconduct by the trnops II the
mean tune army uf Gen burnside driven from AL
,lts field poslun Eastern Tennessee and forced to
treat into hs entertainments NJ Knoxville where for some
weeks il threatened with capture by the forces IN
der Gen Longstrert NJ information has reached "i
the fnn result OF the operations Of our commander though
intelligence has arrived If his withdrawal from that pac.
VIII IT, therefore our success il driving the euemy from
our soil as emallrd tie expectations Confidently
ertsinti At the commencement o the campaign, ms pro
gr4ss has been checked II forced regret os-rs
N Trnuc.ser sud Arkansas We not wthuut gr"u, q
or cu1pratuntun successas in Louisiana ard Texas
o. the scacoaHI he is exhausted by vain efforts cSpura
our ports the northern frontier he has in turn lt
Le pressure aud breads the renewal OF invasion The M
domtahe courage aud perseverance Of the people ~ defence
f the homes have been molly atested by the uuammity
with uhcA the Legislatures ot Virginia, North Caroua
aud Georgia have rrcuty given expression Ia the prPu
lar sentiments Hnd Ike manifestations may be anicipt
from all The Satrs Whatever ob-nacy may br splay
by h4 ruruy IN his desperate fees Of money life and
liberty IN the hope ." ensavng us, the experience Of
Kind has too concusvclC shown the superior endurance
nf those who fight for home liberty and independence Ia
permit any doubt Of the result,
FOREIGN RELATIONS.
rrgret tp inform you that there hrs been no improve
urut 10 the o relations with foreign countries
4. nee my message IN January ms On the contrary
h"r As be su stl grra divergence IN the conduct :"
European nations from that practical mparaity which
IN, c4ses has assumed character positively uuir endIy
You have heretofore heeB informed that ny common
understanding the initiative in all action touching the con
sst on this continent had becn left by foreign Powers
the two great martins nations of Western Europe and
that the Governments o these two nations had sgrred I,
take measures without previous concert The rcsu
or these arrangements has, therefore placed il il Ia,
power c either France England tn 0bsruct 81 pleasure
h~ gnol I" which the Couirdcrsry jus y emitted
or pruOug the cunthuanrc ot hostIIilta th
side o the Atlantic, If he policy Of either could be pro
~ ted ty the y stpoEement ot peace Each too thus
brcama possessed ui great Influence in shaping TIE
general exercise Of neutral rights in Europe to render
them subscrvent to the purpose OF AIDING n the bel
! lgrrents to the drtriment of the other
referred at your last session, to O the lcntuf