Washington telegraph., 1864-08-17

| 4 WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR'-Occasion-
/ ally We hear this question asked, and sometimes
ia querulous tone, that falls gratingly upon
our ears 1t is question of vast importance
and every man should take heed to himself that
| conviction.
! We fight for the independence Of the South
ern Confederacy. The privilege of making our
own laws, sustaining our own institutions, and
regulating our own affairs, without the let, him
drance or interference of any other people what
ever, most especially of the people of the North,
who have ever shown themselves regardless of
our interests, and hostile to our institutions. We
| fight for posterity. We would transmit free
constitution and an Independent government.
! 1t is not at all necessary that any particular
man should live to see it, or that any mans
property should be left to him at the end of the
struggle. These minor and selfish consid-
eratiUns, dangerous to the patriotism of any
one. Ii the sole object of the struggle were TO
protect the comfort Of any particular man, or to
enable all men in the South to keep most Sc
curely that which they had at the beginning
we, for one, could never have consented to it,
1t were not worth the sacrifice 1t would be
sinful
The war has far higher objects. Objects that
would be well worth the life of every adult, and
| every dollar Of property in the South. We wish
now and hencetorth, through all the future, the
! freedom of governing ourselves, and living un-
der such constitutions and laws may pre-
scribe for ourselves. Without that we can have
no future worthy Of men.
/ Besides these grand ultimate aims of the war,
We now fight also 70 protect our tiresidos against
! plunder, rape, arson, and all the horrors of an
/ ignorant and brutal soldiery, given up to un-
/ bridled license. We fight to avert another dam
ger which has supervened upon the assertion of
our original just claim of independence-that of
the forced equality of the negro race amongst
us, which would desolate our State, and exile
from our borders every homes; and worthy man
! who had a scintila of manly pride in his bosom,
leaving those who remained degraded beneath
contempt by the constant exposure of their
daughters to the hateful advances of the doe
! trine snd practice OF lniscegenation.
| We cannot :hieve these aims, and rcpel these
dangers without price We cannot make so al
/ duous struggle without distressing inconvcni-
enc'-s, and without infTingementupon our capital.
! We cannot recliue at ease. hug our prop rty, and
| succeed. More than that, We cannot do SO with
cut imminent danger of hearing the devilish
temptation whispered into cur ears, that we
might secure both case and property by re-
! turn to political slavery. Many hare listened to
I it and fallen. Have sold the whole glorious in
heritalce of their children for a mess of pottage
! We DO not counsel against honest industry
for the accumulation of gain, nor 10 we advise
! reckless waste and extTavaGance, or wanton De
Struction of our own means as if there were
any special virtue in being poor All should be
| industrious and frugal. each one remembering
that it is his duty not only to give his all his
country, but still, far As may be in his power,
to increase his own ability to serve her.
Nor do we counsel tame submission to w&nton
and unnecessary aggressions upon property IN
authorized by law Each mans duty to his
country requires also that he should not permit
an aggression upon her laws
But if the true objects of this mighty struggle
are kept constantly in vicw. and be cherished
deep in the heart, we will cheerfuIly submit to
the wisdom of our Congress, and answer all
calls which may be made under our constitution
and laws upon our persons and our property, by
the authorized agents, even to giving up our
| lives in battle; and the whole Of our property
for the support of our armies.
| For the sake of our country, let 10 man ever
dream THAI he is fighting to protect his property
in the negroes Tom, Jim or 10, or his particular
shed of cotton, or barns, and stacks and cribs of
provender Let all go--and if our cause sue
| ceed he has won higher prize, though be 20
forth home!.'ss. barefooted and barehesdcd
with his family around him, and nothing oyer
| their heads but God their Father.