The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-03-01
ADDRESS OF CONGRESS
To the People of the Confederate States.


In closing the labors of the First Permanent
Congress, your Representatives deem IL mt occa-
sion to give some account of their stewardship; to
review briefly what, under such embarrassments
and adverse circumstances, has been accomplished;
to invite attention to the prospect before us and
the duties incumbent every citizen 10 this cri-
sis; and to address such words of counsel and en-
enlargement the times demand.
Compelled by long series of oppressive and
tyrannca acts, eliminating at last in the selection
of President and Vice President by party con-
fessedy sectional and hostile to the South and her
institutions these States withdrew from the former
Union, and formed new Confederate alliance, as
on independent Government, based on the proper
relations of labor and capital. This step was ia
ken reluctantly, by constraint, and after the ex-
haustion of every measure that was likely to secure
from interference with property, equality
TN the Union, or exemption from submission to an
alien Government. The Southern States claimed
only the unrestricted enjoyment of the rights
guaranteed by the Constitution. Finding, by pain
ful and protracted experience, that this per-
sstentfy denied, determined to separate from
chose enemies who had manifested the inclination
and ability to impoverish and destroy us, We fell
back upon the right for which the colonies main
taiued the war of the revolution, and which our
heroic forefahers asserted to be clear and nalien
able. The unanimity and zeal with which the
separation undertaken and perfected, finds no
parallel in history The people rose en- n,asse to
assert their liberties and protect their menaced
rights There never was before such universally
OF conviction, among any people, on any question
involving SO serious and SO thorough change OF
political and international relations. This grew
out of The cearness of the right to act and the
certainty of the peris of farther association with
the North. The change was wonderful, so rapid,
contrary to universal history, that many fail to
see that all has been done in the logical sequence
of princi Piles, which the highest testimony to
the wisdom of fathers, and the best llustra-
ton of the correctness of those principles. This
Government is child of law instead of sedition,
of rig instead of violence of deliberation instead
Aof insurrecton. Its early life attended by no
anarchy, no rebellion, suspension of authority,
no social disorders, no lawless disturbances. Sow
erelgnty was not for one moment IN allegiance
The utmost conservatism marked every proceeding
and public act. The object was "to do what was
necessary, and no more and to do that with the
utmost temperance and prudence" St Just, in
his report to the Convention of France, in 1893,
said ga people has but dangerous enemy,
and that is government" We adopted such
absurdity In nearly every instance, the rst steps
were taken legally in accordance with the will
and prescribed direction of the constituted author
tiles of the seeding States. We were not remit
ted to brute force natural law the instincts
of reason. The charters of freedom scrupu-
.lously preserved AS in the English Revolution,
of 1858, and ours of l776, there was no material
alteration in the laws beyond what necessary
ITO redress the abuses that provoked the struggle
NO attempt was made to build on speculative prin-
cpes. The effort was confined within the
rowest limits of historical and constitutional right.
The controversy turned on the records and NUM-
ments of the past We merely resisted innovation
and tyranny, and contended for our birthrights
and the oovenanted principles of We
nave had our Governors, General Assemblies and
Courts; the same electors, the corporations,
=" the same rules for property, the same subordna-
lions, the same order in the law and in the mags-
tracy When the sovereign States met in
ell they, in truth and substance, and in a consti-
tutional light, did not make but prevented revo-
4ution.
Commencing our new national life under such
circumstances, We bad ri ght to expect that
would be permitted, without molestation, to cult
vate the arts of peace, and vindicae on our chosen
arena, and with the selected type of social charac
teristics, claims to civilization 1t was thought,
too, by many, that war would not be resorted to
byran enlightened country, except on the direst
necessity That people, protesting to be ANNA
ted by CHRISTIAN sentiment, and who had regarded
our peculiar institution blot and blur upon the
fair escutcheon of their common Christianity,
should make war upon The South for doing what
them of the incubus which, they professed, rested
upon them by the association was deemed almost
beyond belief by many of wsest minds 1t
was hoped, too that the obvious interest of the
two sections would restrain the wild frenzy Of ex-
element and turn into peaceful channels the
thoughts of those who had but recently been in
vested with power the United States.
These reasonable apticipations were doomed to
disappointment The red glare of battle, kindled
at Sumter, dissipatcd all hopes of peace, and the
4wo Governments were arrayed in hostility against
each other. We charge the responsibility Of this
upon the United States. They are accounta-
Die for the blood and havoc and ruin it has caused
For such war we were not prepared. The diff
terence in military resources between our enemies
and ourselves the immense advantages possessed
in the organized machinery of established gov
ernment; powerful navy; the nucleus of army;
credit abroad, and imiable facilities in mechani-
Cal and. manufacturing power. placed them on the
vantage ground" In our infancy, we with
out seaman or soldier, without revenue, without
gold and silver, without recognized place in the
family of nations, without external commerce,
without foreign credit, with the prejudices of the
world against While we were without manu-
tacturng facilities to supply our wants, our ports
were blockaded; We had to graphic with giant
adversary, defend 1000 miles of sea-coa>t aud all
inland frontier of equal extent. 1T we had sue
ceeded in preventing any successes the part of
our enemy, it would have been miracle What
we have accomplished, with population so inferi-
or in numbers, and means so vastly disproportion-