The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1865-04-05
Address Of Congress to the People cf the
Confederate States.

- sgs8.8s4
FELLow-C -ClrIzENs;--The result of the
Peace commission" is known TO the
. country. The hopes Of those who have
hitherto believed that an honorable termi.
nation might be put 10 the war by negotia.
tion have been rudely Disappointed, The
enemy, !, after drawisg Us into a conference
abruptly terminated |, by insisting upor
terms which they well knew we coult
never accept. Our absolute surrender and
Submission 10 the will Of the conoueror art
the only conditions vouchsafed by our ar.
rogant foe. We are told that ii we vii
lay down our arms. and place our lives
liberty. property and domestic institu tion,
Al The feet Of President Lincoln, that n.
will be mrrciful to US! Upon his cIemen
cy we must rely 10 save Us from uniyer
sal conhscstion and determination Yes
these are The conditions upon which III,
people of the sovereign States composing
the Ccnfederacy may be allowed 10 do
whatf To return into !. the Union" f,mr
which they solemnly and deliberately with.
drew themselves because their interest aaa
their honor required il, and their repvr
nance 10 which four years Of. remorseles,
and cruel war have served but to intensi.
FL Thanks be TO God. who controls an,
oserrules the counseis Of men. the Taught,
insolence Of our enemies. which they han
ed would intimidate aud break the spiri
Of our people. il producing the very con
trary effect! From every part OF On.
country there comes upin response q shoa
Of mingled indignation aud defiance
A noble enthusiasm re-aaimates cur gal.
lant army. who have been battling 20 Ions
Tor freedom and Independence Let .,
all be united nov. Let there be no partie,
er factians amsag sus. Let Us rise 70 the
height ~ The great occasion. Letu all b,
willing to spend and be spent in the cause
Of our country. Let " contribute freel,
oil that we have, Il need be. To carry on
The war until our triumph is secured. Lei
Us take fiaternal counsel together, snd
calmly consider our condition and pros.
poets. Such q survey, we believe, mus
tend to re-assurs and encourage even III,
least sanguine. We hive, il is true, ,e.
Gently met with serious disasters. Oui
furtitade isbcing severely tried. We have
suffered much. and must be prepared tt
salfer more, in the cause for which we ar,
struggling. Is the cause worth the sacri.
fice 7 To. answer correctly We must con.
stantly keep in mind the end for which wc
are eonteuding. What il our object II
this wari The establishment ol our indie.
pendence. through which alone are 10 be
secar.d the sovereignty &C the States aud
the right Of self-govrru,nent. What is Tho
alternatisef Our subjagaiion as people
Il il possible TO oyer-estimaie the horror.
Of this terrible slternativei Can The in.
aginatinn over-color the picture which
would be presented In the event Of oUs
failu~: lf We fail. not only political
degradation. but social humillation mus
be our wretched lot. We would not onl !
be political vassals. but social serfs. An
enemy that has shown himself destitute oil
the ordinary sensibilities of human aatlre,
and whose worst passions are embitlered
and enilamed against us. would assume the
absolute control nf our pnlit,ca aud social
destiniss. In vain would d proud. Though
vanquished. people laok even fof that mer-
cy which the conquered receive from q
generous foe. Those" Stale Rights uhich
we have been taught to prize 50 dearly as
the greatest bulwsfks of constitutional
liberty, and which, from the earliest peri
od VI our histary, We have 50 jealously
guarded. would be snnlhilaled. The Con-
federate States would DO held As conquered
provinces BY the despotic government al
Washington. They would be kept 10 sub
Jugation by the stern hand OF milltsfy
power, as venetia aad Lombardy have
beea held by Austria--As Poland Is held by
ihe Russian Czar. Not only would we be
deprived Of every political franchise dear
T. treemen, hut socially we wsuld be de-
graded to ths level Of slaves; IL, indeed
the refinement Of malice in our enemies did
not induce them 10 eieyate ina n.vra ahovc