Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1864-06-22
Joint Resolution,

Joint Resolution, 6
Declaring the Dispositions, Principles and
Purposes of.Me Confederate States IN
Relation to the Eutstiag War aoith the
United States.
Whereas, II isdueto the great cause" Of
humanity and civilization, and especially to
the heroic sacrifices of their gallant army
in the field, that no means, consistent with
proper self respect and the approved usagee
of nations, should be Omitted by the Con,
federate Statesto en1ighten the public opin,
ion of the, world, with regard to the true
character of the struggle in which they are
engaged, and the dispositions, principles and
purposes by which they are actuated there:
fore, & .-... -.
Resozued, By the Congress of the Con-
federate States of America, That the fol.
lowing manifesto be issued in their name
and by their authority, and that the Presi'
dent be requested to cause copies thereof to
be transmitted to our Commissioners abroad
to the end that the same may be laid before
foreign Governments;
Manifesto of the Congress of the Contede.
rate States Of america, Relatiue to the
Eristing War soih tie United States.
The Congress of the Confederate States
of America, acknowledging their response
bility to the opinion of the civilized world,
to the great law of Christian philanthropy
and to the Supreme Ruler of she Universe,
for the part they have been compelled to
bear in the sad spectacle Of war and carnage
which this continent has, for the last three
years, exhibited to the eyes of afflicted
humanity, deem the, present fitting occa-
sion to declare the principles, the sentiments
and the purposes, by which they have been
and are still actusted.
They have ever deeply deplored the ne
cessity which constrained them to take up
arms in defence of their rights and of the
free institutions derived from their ancestors;
and there is nothing they more ardently de-
sire than peace, whensoet er their enemy, by
ceasing from the unhelloWed warwaged upon
them, shall permit them to enjoy in peace
the sheltering protection of those hereditary
rights end of those cherished institutions
The series of successes with which it has
pleased Almighty God in SO signal manner
10 bless our arms on almost every point Of
our invaded borders since the opening of the
present caupaigu, enables us to profess the
desire ofpeace in the interests of civilization
and humanity, without danger of having
our motives misinterpreted, or of the decla-
ration being ascribed to any unmanly seuti-
ment or any distruss of our ability fully to
maintain our cause. The repeated and
disastrous checks, foreshadowing ultimate
discontinue, which their gigantic army,
directed against the capitol of the Confed.
eracy, has already met with, are but con-
tlruance of the same Proridential successes
for US. We do not refer to these successes
in any spirit Of vain boasting, but in humble
acknowledgment of that Almighty protection
which has vouchsafed and granted them.
The world must now see that eight millions
of people, inhabiting SO extensive territory
with such varied resources and such numer-
Gus facilities for deieree as the benignaat
bounty of nature has bestowed upon US, and
animated with one spirit to encounter every
pri7ation and sacrifice of case, Of health, of
property, Of life itself, rather than be dc:
graded from the condition of free and inde.
pendent States into which they were born,
can never be conquered. VIII not our ad-5
versaries themselves begin to feel that hu-
manity has bled loag enough; that tears
aud bioed and treasure enough have been
expended in bootless undertaking, cover
ing their own land no less than ours, with a
pail of mourning, and exposing them far
more than ourselves to the catastrophe of
financial exhaustion and bankruptcy, not to
speak of the loss of their liberties BY the
despotism epgendered in al aggressive
warfare upon the liberties of another and
kindred people Will they be willing, by
longer perseverance in a wanton and hope
less boast to be tho chosen abode of liberty
and selfgovernmert, Of peace.aud higher
civilization, the theatre of the most cause
less and prodigal effusion of blood which
the world has ever seen, Of virtual relapse
into the barbarisln of the ruder ages, and
Of the destruction of constitutional freedom
by the lawlessness of usurped power? :,
These are questions which our adversaries-
will decide for themselves. We desire to
stand acquitted before the tribunal of the
world, as well as in the eyes of ompisicieut
justice, of any responsibility for the origin
or prolopgatiou of a war as contrary to. the
spirit of the age as to the traditions and 40.
.knowledged maxims Of the political system
II America. .. -
On this continent, whatever opinions may
have prevailed elsewhere, it las ever been
held ald acknowledged by all parties that
government, to be lawful, must be founded
Oh the consent of the governed. We were
forced to dissolve our federal connection
with our former associates by their aggres'
sipns GU the fundamental principles Of our
Compact of union with them aud in doing
so, we exercised right consecrated in the
great charter Of American liberty-the
right of a free people, when a government
proves destructive Of the ends for which it
was established, to recur to original prin-
ciples and TO institute new guards for their
security. The separate Independence Of