Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1864-03-09
Address of Congress to the People O.
the Confederate States,

In closing the. .labors of the First Perma
nent Congress, your Representatives deem
It ft occasion to give some account o
their stewardship; to review briefly what
under such embarrassments and adverse
circumstances, has been accomplished tt
invite attention to the prospect before us
and the duties incumbent on every citizen
in this crisis and to address such words oi
counsel and encouragement as the times
demand.
Compelled by q long series of oppressive
and tyrannicals sacts, eliminating at last in
the selection of a President and Viee.Pres
ident by a party confessedly sectional and
hostile to the South and her institutions,
these States withdrew from the former Uni.
op, and formed new Confederate alliance,
as an Independent Government, based on
the proper relations of labor and capital
This step was taken reluctantly, by con.
straint, and after the exhaustion of every
measure that was likely to secure us from
interference with our property, equality in
the Union, or exemption from submission
TO an alien government. The Southern
States claimed only the unrestricted enjoy
ment of the rights guaranteed by the Con.
stitution. Finding, by painful and pro-
tracted experience, that this was persistent
.ly denied, we determined to separate from
those enemies, who had manifested the in
clination and ability to impoverish and des-
troy US, we fell back upon the right for
which the colonies maintained the war of
the revolution, and which our heroic fore
fathers asserted to be clear and inalienable.
The unanimity and zeal with which the
separation was undertaken and perfected,
finds no parallel in history. The people
rose ea nasse to assert their liberties and
protect sheir menaced rights. There never
was before such universally of conviction,
among any people, on any question invol-
wing SO serious and so thorougha a change of
political and international relations. This
grew out of the clearness of the right so to
act, and the certainty of the perils of far
tber association with the North. The
change was SO wonderful, SO rapid, SO con-
trary to universal history, that many fail to
see that all that has been done is the logi.
cal sequence of principles, which are the
highest testimony to the wisdom Of our
fathers, and the best illustration of the cor
rectness of those principles. This Govern
ment is child of law instead of sedition,
Of right instead of violence, Of deliberation
Instead of insurrection. Its early life was
attended by no anarchy, no rebellion, no
suspension of authority, DC social disorders,
no lswless disturbances Sovereignty was
not for one moment in allegiance. The
utmost, conservatism marked every proceed
Ing, and public act. The object was s'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 1898, said, "A
people has but one dangerous enemy, and
that is Government" We adopt no such
absurdity. In nearly every instance, the
first steps were taken legally, in accordance
with the will and prescribed direction of
the, constituted authorities of the seeded
States. We were not RENTED to brute
force, or natural law, or the instincts Of
reason. The charters of freedom were scru-
pulously preserved. AS in the English
Revolution of 1888, and ours of 1776, there
was no material alteration in the laws be-
yond what was necessary to redress the
abuses that provoked the struggle. No at,
tempt was madeto build on speculative
principles. The effort was confined within
the narrowest limits of historical and con.
stitutional right. The controversy turned
on the records and muniments of the past.
We merely resisted innovation aud tyranny,
and contended for our birthrights and-the
covenanted principles of oar race. We
have had our governors, general assemblies
and courts; the same electors, the same
corporations, "the same rules for property,
the same subordinations, the same order il
the law and in the magistracy." Wher
the sovereign States met in council, they
in truth and substance, and in constitu
tional light, did not make, but prevented
revolution.
Commencing our new national life unde
such circumstances, we had a right to ex
pect that we would be permitted, withou
molestation, to cultivate the. arts OF, peace
aud vindicate on our chosen arena, AM
with the selected type of social characters
ties, our claims to civilization. 1t wa
thought, too, by many, that war would nc
be resorted to by an enlightened country
except on the direst necessity. That a pee
pie, protesting to be animated by Christia
sentiment, and who had regarded our pc
culiar institution as a blot and blur upo
the fair escutcheot of their common Chris
tianity, should make war upon the Sout
for doing what they had perfect right t
do, and for relieving them of the incubu
which, they professed, rested upon them b
the association, was deemed almost beyon
belief by many of our wisest minds. ltw'
hoped, too, that the obvious interest of tt
two sections would restrain the Wild frenz
of excitement and turn into peaceful cha'
nels the thoughts of those who had but
Gently been invested with power iE the
States.
These reasonable anticipatious were doom
ed to Disappointment. The red glare
battle kindled at Sumter, dissipated all hop
of peace, and the two Governments were a
rayed in hostility against each other. '