Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1864-05-10
STATES CONGRESS
t-eefse-


being quorum present, both Houses were or
ganized. Hon. r. NJ. Il. HUNTER was electe
President, pro ten, of the Senate, and Hon. !
S. BocooK was unanimously elected Speaker
the House of Representatives. ~
The following is the 81
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE:
10 the Senate and House Of Represefa-
tat50eS Of the Confederate States Of
Anoepico.
You are assembled under circumstances o
deep interest to your country and it is fortu
nate that, coming, as you do, newly elected BY
the people, and familiar with the various local
lilies, you will be the better able to devise meas
ures adapted to meet the wants of the public
service, without imposing unnecessary burthen;
on the citizen. The brief period which has g.
lapsed since the last adjournment of Congress
has not afforded sufficient opportunity to test
the efficacy of the most important laws then en-
acted, nor have the events occurring in the In
terva been such as materially to change the state
of the country.
The unjust war commenced against us, ln vi
olation of the rights of the States, and in usur-
patton Of power not delegated to the Govern
ment ofsthe United States, is still characterized
by the barbarism with which it has heretofore
Eeen conducted by the enemy. Aged men,
helpless women and children, appeal in vain to
the humanity which should be inspired by their
condition, for Immunity frCm arrest, incarcera-
tion or Punishment from their homes. PIuRder
and devastation of the property of nom combat
ants, destruction of private dwellings and even
edi6ces devoted to the worship of God, expedi,
tions organized for the sole purpose of sacking
cities, eonsigning them to the flames, killing the
unarmed inhabitants and inficting horrible
outrages on women and children, are some of
the constantly recurring atrocities of the inva-
der. 1t cannot reasonably be pretended that
such acts couduce to any end which their an
thors dare aYow before the civilized world, and
sooner or later Christendo1n must nete out to
them the condemnation which such brutality
deserves THE suffering thus ruthlessly inflicted
upon the reople of the invaded Districts has
served but to illustrate their patriotism Ens
tire nnan;mtp and zeal for their country's cause
have been pre>eminently conspicuous among
those whose sacrifices have been greatest. So
the army, which has borne the trials and dam
gers of the war which has been subjected to
privetions and disappointments, (tests of manly
fortitude far more severe than the briet fatignes
and pers of a ctual combat, has been the cen
ire ofcheerfulness and hope From the camp
x
each who is at hone,in The sphere he best may
fill, to devote his whole energies to the support
of cause, in the success of which their conti~
dence has never falte, ed. They, the veterans of
many hard fought held, tender TO their coun~
try, without limit OF time, service of priceless
value tosus, one which posterity will hold in
grateful remembrance.
In considering the state of the country, the re-
Election is naturally suggested thar tn is is the
third Congress Of the Confederate States of A
meriea. The Provisional Government was
formed. its Congress held four sessions, lived
its appointed term and passed away. The per-
Inanent Government was then organized, its
diffssent departments established, a Congress
elected which also held four sessions served its
full constitutional term and expired. You, the
second Congress, under the permanent Govern
neat, are now agseiahied at the time aud place
appointed by law for commencing your session
All these events have passed into history, not
withstandng the threat of our prompt subinga-
ton, made three years ago, by people that
presume to assert title to govern States whose
separate and independent eoVereignty was recog-
nized by treaty with France and Great Britain
in the last century, and remained uEquestioned
for nearly three generations. Yet these very
governments, in disregard OF duty and treaty
obligations which bind them to recognize as in
dependent, Virginia and other Confederate
States, persist in couatenanoing. by moral inha-i
ence. if not aiding By unfair and partial action,
the claim set up by the Executive of foreign
Government, to exercise despotic sway over the
Stats 8 thus recognized, and trest the invasion
Of them by their former limited aud special agent
as though it were the attempt OF a sovereign to
suppress rebellion against lawful aubharty.--
Ungenerops advantage has been taken of our
nj orr hay,o vi. i
olated, our vessels Of war detained in ports to
which they had beer invited by proclamations
Of neutrality, and in one inatsnoe cur Gag also
lnsaltcd W acre the sacred right of asylum was
supposed 10 be secure; while one of these Gov
has contented itself BY simply depre-
eating, by defersntial representations, the con-
duct OF our enemy in the constantly rec .rring
instances of his contenptuons disregard of nerir
al rights and hagrant violations OF public law 1t
may be that foreign Coz yernments, like our en-
emies, have mistaken our desirefor peace IN
expressed, for evidence of exhaustion
and have thence inferred tile probability of suc-
cess in the effort to- subjugats or exterminate
the millions of human beings who, in these
States, prefer any fate to submission to their
savage assai.ants. see no prospect of an early
change in the course heretofore pursued by
these Governments hnt wAen this delusion
pendenee, by the valcr and fortitnde of our peo-
pie, shall have been won against all the hostile
Influences combined against Us, and can no Ion
ger be ignored by open foes or proessed neutrals,
this war will have left with its proud MEM
ories a record OF many wrongs, which il
may not msbecome Us to torgiye--some for
which we may not properly forbear from de-
nlandiBg redress. In the meantime it Is enough
tor us to know that every avenue of negotia
tion is closed against us that our enemy is
making renewed and strenuous efforts for our
destruction, and that the sole resource for Us,
as a people secure, in the Justice of our
cause, aud holding our liberties to be more pre-
cious than ali other earthly possessions, is to COM
bine and apply every available element of pow
er for their defence and preservation.
On the subject of the exchange of prisoners
/ greatly regret to be unable to give You salts
factory information. The government of the
United States, while persistiRg in failure to ex
ecute the terms of the cartel, make occasional
deliveries OF prisoners and then suspend action
without apparent cause. Il Confess my inabii-
ty to comprehend their policy or purpose. The
prisoners held by us, in spite of humane care,
are perishing from the inevitable effects Of inn
prisonment and the homesickness' produced by
the hopelessness OF release from confinement.-
Tie spectacle of their suffering augments our
longing desire to relieve from similar trials our
own brave men, who have spent so many wea-
ry months in o cruel and useless imprisonment,
endured with heroic censtancy. The delivery,
alter suspension of some weeks, has just been
resumed by the enemy but as they give no as-
surance ofintent to carry out the cartel, an in
AVIS