Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-08-11

NO. IL.
TO THE SOLDIERS OF THE CONFFD-
ERATE STATES

II ~ AuE SOLDiERS OF THE CONFET
= ERATE STATES
After more than two years of warfare scarcel
! equalled in the number, magnitude and fearfr
carnage OF its battlesa warfare in which you
courage and fortitude have illustrated your coun
try and attracted not only gratitude at home. bu
admiration abroad your enemies continue
struggle In which our final triumph must be in
evltabie. Unduly elated with their recent sue
eesses, they imagine that temporary reverse
can quell your spirit or shake your determine
ton, 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 ourselves
| your wives and children. They seek to destroy
what they cannot plunder. They propose as the
spoils of victory that your homes shall be parti-
toned among the wretehes whose strocious cru
elites have stamped infamy op their Govern
ment. Tuey iesign to ipcite servile insurrec
sioa and light the Tres of incendiarism whenever
they can reach your homes, aad thay debauch
the inferior race, hitherto dociie and contentec
by promising indulgence of the vilest passions as
the price of treachery. Conscious of their in
ability to prevail by legitimate warfare, not dar-
ing to make peace lest they should be hurled
from their seats of power, the men who now rule
in Washington refuse even to confer on the
subject OF putting an end to outrages which dis
grace our age, or to listen to suggestion for
conducting the war according to the usages of
civilization.
Fellow-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 your reach
ou need but stretch forth your hands to grasp it..
For this and all that is necessary is that those
who-are called to the field by every motive that
can move the human heart, should promptly re-
pair to the post OF duty, should stand by their
comrades now IN front of the foe, and thus
10 strengthen the armies of the Confederacy as
% ensure success. The men now absent from
heir posts would, if present in the field, suffice
o create numerical equality between our force
md that Of the invaders-and when with any
pproach to such equality have we failed to be
ictorious! believe that but few of those ab
ent are actuated by unwillingness to serve their
ountry; but that many have found it difficult to
esist the temptation of a visit to their homes
nd the loved ones from whom they have been
o long separated that others have left for tenn
orary attention to their affairs with the ipten.
ion of returning, and then have shrunk from the
of their violation of duty that
thers again have left their posts from mere
estlessness and desire of change, each quietine
he upbraidings of his conscience, by persuadine
imself that his individual services could have
10 Influence on the general result. These and
ther causes (although far less disgraceful than
he desire to avoid danger, OF to escape from
he sa cri6ces required By patriotism, ) are, new
rtheless, gFievous faults, and place the cause of
ar beloved country, and of everything We hold
ear, in imminent peril ! repeat, that che men
Tho Row owe daty to their country, who have
cen called out and who have not yet reported
or duty, or who have absented themselves from
heir posts, sufficient in number to secure us
ictory in the struggle now impending.
l call on you, then, my countrymen, to hasten
0 your camps, in obedience to the dictates of
onor and of duty, and summon those who have
bsented themselves without leave, or who have
emaine i absent beyond the period allowed by
heir furloughs, to repair, wi.nont delay, to their
espective commands; and / do hereby declare
nat grant general pardon and amnesty to all
Ulcers and men within the Confederacy, now
bsent without leave, who shall, with the least
possible delay, return to their proper posts of
iuty but no exense will be received for any
lelay beyond twenty days after The first publica-
iol of this proclamation in the State in which
he absentee may be at the date OF the pabiiea-
ion. This amnesty and pardon shall extend to
VII who have been accused of, or who have
,een convicted and are undergoing sentence
or, absence without leave or desertion, except
ng only those who have been twice convicted of
lesertion.
Finally, conjure my countrywomen-the
wives, mothers, sisters and daughters-of the
Jonfederacy, to use their all-powertul influence
IN aid Of this call, to add one crowning sacrifice
10 those which their patriotism 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 Rich
t-~~-~. tmond, this 1st day of August, in the
year of our Lord enc thousand eight hundred
and sixty-thfee.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
By the President
j. P. BENlAMlz, Secretary of State.
gg- The papers hro1ghout the Confeesrats
States are requested to copy the above proclama-
ton, at the earliest aofnsIt, and for twenty days
thereafter, and send thejr bills &c. the Private
Secretary of the President.
Tar New EMpE soR ~ ~ New Empire
Who is Maximiiian is q question frequently
asked. We suppose him % DC a scion of the
Bonaparte family IL whs there are two per-
soas of that name, grs- Laehlidrer of Eugene
Beauharnais and bis wife, ehe Erihcess of Baya-
ria. Eugene was cEia cs Josephine by her
first marriage, and gre 3 uv0rifs 81 the Empe-
ror Napoleon, who, IL IfssS adopted him as his
son. He was subsequent b appcated Viceroy of
Italy, and married tine IAf cess 3s Bavaria. In
1917 he had a son called ksxialilian, who enter
ed the service OF Russia -ad "a l5s9 married
the Grand Duchess Marie Nicc 81 Rans laughter
of the Emperor Nicholas. Es-SAi i4Sy he has
had several children two 81 fas hazs stas--one,
Prince Nicholas Maxlmiiian, porn s0 98sl and.
Eugene Maximilian, born ii Io47 IS tas t,sal-
peror of Mexico the elder Of the swo There
is none of the Benaparte bi5od 10 theit psins:
but they are so allied to that family az IA be
considered part of it. The CHOICE aF such a
person would be evidently a ssgoke ii Dolfcy
1t associates With the French ynastg Inc ersnd-
son of one of the most distinguished nnnsrcbs
that have occupied the Russian throne and it
would serve to add distinction and power to e.
The present French Em,,aror T. so 10 ~,