Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-11-16
Yhc Presidents Message.

Inc GCfS1Nent'S mCsSdSC-
President Davis Message was read in 10th
Houses OH the=11th.. We, exceedingly regret
,Gat our limited. space lsFeelndes our'pablish.
ing This able State paper entire. We give,
showsvory q brief synopsis oftle greater por-
ti,n, and The last portion of it is given in full
oaereaders will dowells.o give the subjects
here discussed their close attention.
The. Message begins with, review Of the
military operations ,sincc.the adjournment OF
Congress DiIpJ une last, and recognizes 1the
protection of sPfovideice Sinscnablins ust
observation-disclosures the utmost efforts for
OAR subiugaton. AL
We have recovered Texas from the enemy,
and Arkansas, with the exception Of few
fortified points. Nc.rly thewhoie Of North
ern AMI Wc-tern Mississippi, Northern Ala
baina, and Western TenncsseeSare again i'll
.ouS possession, and all attemptsto 10 penetrate
fcon the coast. have been.bsfllsd.
r, In South western Virginia, successive er-
mics. have been routed: and portion OF
l,.stern Tennessee teconqucred by ourtroops.
The. .mainsa sarmy, after seriops defeats, con-
s.a,it repu!ses adrepeatcd assaults. are still
engaged in the effort- to capture Petersburg.
The army of Shtfman has succeeded IN
obtaining Possession of Atlanta, buth3s been
unable to securu any ultimate advantage
from this success.
Had We been compelled to evacuatc RcE-
mond as well as, A;lauta, the Conlcderacy
would have remained as defiant as ever.
No military success of the eaemy can ac-
eomplish tue destruction of the Coniederacy,
nor save the enemy from constant drain OF
blood and treasure, which NUT continue un'
til he Shall discover no peace attainable, uA
less based upon the recognition OF our inde
tea-hle rights.
~ change in the conduct Of foreign pow
ers can be announced The recognition Of
Independence is Withheld from the assump
tion, ,tha.recosnition will be valuelcsS without
intervention. We wish no Intervention un
less we X now ourselves fully competent to
maintain our rights aud imdep epel.drrce.
i. Peace is impossible without independence,
aud not 10 be expected The enemy will
anticipate neutrals in recognition Of that in
dependence.
The total amount of the public debt up to
the lst Of October is l,l2o,O0O,000 dollars.
No additional appropriations for meeting.
needs Of public sc;vice up to the lst of July,
as uuexpended appropriaticus. exceed The es.
Inmates for that tnie.
The Secretary Of llle. Treasury r'com-
,unn,Ii that the faitlio the Government bc,
pledged that The notes shall evar remain ex
.cmpI froai taxation. That M Issue bc rlada
.bcyoud that-alrcadS, aatkor;z4d;s sand l;at
portion Of the receipts from taxstica andtaxs
in. kind De pledged TO gradual redemption of
a,t;ro n;rcn lct tim
EMpLo5aESr OF sLavE7.
,.Ths employment of slaves for servic. with
tie army o. teanisters, or cocks, OF in the
gay Of work upon notifications. or in the,
government workshops, CT 10 hospitals, and
other similar duties, wasauthorized by the
set Of 18th February last, and provision was
made for therlimpre to1a.number not
exceeding. twenty thousand, if it should be
found impracticable to obtain them by con
tract with the owners. The law contfmpl.-
ted the hiring only Of til, laborof thes slaves
and iInpssel on :ue; ;goycr. .'ments the liability
TO pay for the valueof such a. might be lost
to the owners FROM Casualties resulting frjn
their employment in the sIrrice.'
Viewed merely as rTol e:.y, and theiesore.
as the subject of,impressment the service or
labor ofthe slave has hcen frequently claimed
for short periods, in the construction OF de
fcnsive works. The slave, however, bears
another relation to the State: that OF a per-
son. The law Of last February contemplates
! only tho re.a.ienofs the slave to the ma Ser,
and limits the impressment tc acertain term
Of service. But for the purposes enumerated
ia. the act, instruction, in. the manner Of en-
camping, marching and parking trains is need
ty.at auo,, -, fb,c I; ;ryitfnd
length. of service adds greatly to the value soes
theregro's labor. Hazard is also encounter.
el in all the positions to which negroes can
sshsassignedr for. service Nth tae army, and
the duties requted Of them demand loyalty
and S.asl In this aspectithe relation cfper:,
son predolE mates So far rs to render ittlonbts
fal whether The private right OF property can.
consistently and benefcially be continued,
and it would seem prnper.to acquire for the
public service the entire properiyia the la
Dor of The slave, and to pay therefor due com.
pensation, rather than toimpress his labor for
J. short terms; aud this the more especially as
: the eiTect4of the present law would vest this
entire property, In all cases whore tic slave
might be recaptnred, after Compensation for
his loss had been paid to the private owner.
Whenever the entire PROPERTY in the service ]
OF q slave Is thus s.acqnired by the Govern.
sment., the question is presented, by what
tenore he should be held. Shouldte be re-
.tafncd IN servitude, Or shoHld his, enancipa-
ton be held.out to, bin MS areward for faith
9 ful service, or should it begranted at once
on the promise, Of such service and, ifeman.
cipated, what action should be taken to Sc
cure for the freedman the. permission of the
State from which he was drawn o reside
within its limits after The close Of his public
service. The permission would doubtlesssbe.
more readily accorded las a rewari' for past
faithful service; and Ndouble motive for zeal
oas. discharge Of duty would thus be offered
to those employed by the Government, their
freedom, and the qualification Of the-local at
tachment which isso marked a characteristic,
tive to, his action The policy Of engaging |
sto liberate the negro on Lis discharge, after,
service faithfully rendered, seems to ME pre-
ferable TO that of granting. in mediate manu-