Washington telegraph., 1864-03-23
ADDRESS OF CONGRESS
To the People of the Confederate States

Upon the close of the labOrs of Con
gress, last month an address to the peo-
pie was issued by committee on the
part o. the Senate, with a committee
on the part of the House, and signed by
10 members. The address is long, oc-
cupying over five colmns in the" Augusta
Sentinel" through which we receive it.
The first part is taken up with an his
torical review of the causes of the war,
to show that our cause Is just, that resis-
tamce on the part of the South was the
only resort against tyranny, and that
the South not only before, bat since the
war, had exhausted every honorable
means of amicable adjustment. The ad-
dress then proceeds:
Not content with rejecting all propo.
sails for peaceful settlement Of the
controversy, cruel war OF invasion
has been commenced, which IA its pro-
gress has been marked by a brutality
and disregard of the rules OF civilized
warfare as stand out in uuexampled
barbarty IN the history of modern wars,
Accompanied by every act Of cruelty
and rapIne, the conduct of the enemy
has been destitute # that forbearance
and magnanimitv, which civilization aud
christianity have introduced to mitigate
the aspcrities of war. The atrocities
are too ihcred, bic for narration. In
stead o! "a regular war. our resistance
of the unhoiy efforts 10 crush ont oar
national existence j. treated as a rebel.
lion, and the settled international rules
between heAigerents is ignored. ln-
stead of conducting the war as betwiNt
two military and political organizations,
it is war against the whole popula-
tion. Houses are pillaged aud burned.
Churches are defsced Towns are ran
sacked. Clothing of women and infants
is stripped from their persons. Jewelry
aud mementoes of the dead are stolen
Mills and implements of agriculture are
destroyed. Private salt works are bro
ken up The Introduction of medicines
is forbidden Means of subsistence are
wantonly destroyed to produce beggary.
Prisoners are returned with contagious
diseases The last morsel of food has
been taken from families, who were not
allowed to carry on a trade or branch
Of industry. A rigid and offensive es-
pionage has been introduced to ferret
out 'disloyalty." Persons have been
forced to choose between starvation OF
helpless children, and taking the oath of
allegiance to hated government. The
cartel for exchange of prisoners has
been suspended, and our unfortunate
soldiers subjected to the grossest indig-
mites. The wounded at Gettysburg
were deprived of their nurses and inhu-
manly left to perish on the field. Help
less women have been exposed to the
most cruel outrages, and to that dishon-
or which is infinitely worse than death.
Citizens have been murdered by the
Buffers and McNeils and Milroys, who
are favorite generals of our enemies.
Re ined and delicate ladies have been
seized. bound with cords. imprisoned,
guarded by negroes, and held as hosta-
ges for re-capturcd slaves. Unoflcnd-
ing non-combattants have been banlshed
or dragged from their quiet homes to be
immured in filthy jals. Preaching the
gospel has been refused except on con
dition of taking the oath of allegiance.
Parents have been forbidden to name
their children in honor of rebel chiefs.
Property has been contiscated M'iita-
ry governors have been appointed for
States, satraps for provinces, and Hay
naus for cities.
These cruelties and atrocities of the
enemy have been exceeded in their blooo
thirsty purposes and Vaccinations L.
reference to the slaves Early in this
war President Lincoln averred his con
stitutional inability and personal unwil,
lingness to Interfere with the domestic
| institutions ofth States and the relation
between master and servant. Pruden
tial considerations may have been velled
under conscientious scruples, for sew
ard, in confidential instruction to Mr
Adams, the Minister to Great Britain
on the 10th of March 1862, said: al
the government of the United States
should precipitately decree the immedi
ate abolition of slavery, it would rein
vigorate the declining insurrection IL
every part of the South" Subsequent
reverses. and the refractory rebelious
d,