Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-03-18
THE MESSAGE JEFF. DAVIS.

crate Congress, On the 18Th instant, noticed in
our first edition. he says amongst other things
showing the desperate strait of the rebels:
1.-The capital OF the Confederate States is now
threatened, an d is in greater danger than it has
heretofore been during the war. The fact is
stated without reserve or cOncealment. as due
to the people, whose servants we are, and In
whose courage and constancy entire trust is
reposed as due to you in whose wisdom and
resolute spirit the people have confided, for the
adoption OF the measures required to guard
them from threatened peril"
81 have heretofore, in a confide' lmessage
to the two Houses, stated the fact qhicE iu-
duced nae to consider 1t necessa.y that the
privilege OF the writ of habeas corpus should be
suspended. The conviction OF the necessity OF
this measure has become deeper as the eyents of
the struggle have been developed Congress
has not conquered with me in opinion 1t is
my duty to say that the time has arrived when
the suspension of the writ is not simply ad visa
BILE and expedient, but almost indispensable to
the successful conduct of the war. On Congress
must rest the responsibility OF declining to ex-
ercise power conferred by the constitution as
means Of public safety to be used in periods
OF national peril resulting from foreign inva.
sion. II our present circumstances are not
such as were contemplated when this power
was conferred, l CONFESS myself at loss ts
imagine any contingency in which this clause
OF the constitution Will not remain dead let
ter.
"With the prompt adoption of the measures
above recommended, and the united and hear
ty cooperation of Congress and the people Ia
the execution CT the la VS. and defence Of the
country, we may enter upon the present cam
paign with cheerful confidence in the result.
And whe can doubt tine continued existence of
that spirit and fortitude in the people, and OF
that constancy under reverses which alone
are needed to render our triumph secure
What other resource remains available but the
undying, unconquerable resolve to be free. 1t
has become certain, beyond all doubt or ques.
ton, that we must contin ue this struggle to q
successful issue, or must make abject and un-
conditional submission to such terms rs it shall
please the conqueror to impose on US after our
surrender. II u possible doubt could exist af-
ter the conference between our commissioners
and Mr. Lincoln, rs recently reported to you,
it would be dlspelled by a recent occurrence,
Of which 1t is proper that you should be in.
formed.
sCongress will remember that In the confer.
ence above referred to our commissioners were
informed that the Government OF the United
States would not enter ihto any agreement or
treaty whatever with the Conf ederate States,
nor with any single State; and that the only
possible mode OF obtaining peace was by lay.
gdown our arms, disbaIding our forces and
yielding unconditional obedience to the laws
of the United States, including those passed
for the confiscation of our property, and the
constitutional amendment fer the abolition OF
slavery. 1t will further be renlem bered that
Mr.. Lincoln declared that the only terms on
which hostilities would cease were those
stated in his message OF December last. In
which we were informed that in the event of
our pertinent submission, he would temper
Justice with mercy; and that the question
whether we would be governed as dependent
territories or permitted to have q representa-.
ton in their Congress was one on which he
could promise nothing, but which wonld be
decided py their Congress after our submission
had been accepted.
at has INST, however, been hitherto stated to
Won that in the course OF the conference at
Fortress Monroe, a suggestion was made by
one of our commissioners that the objections
entertained by MryLincoln TO treating with the
government of the confederaey or with any
separate State might be avoided, by substituting
for the usual mode OF negotiating through com.
method sometimes employed Of a military con-
yention to be entered into by the Commanding
Generals of the armies Of The two belligerents
This he admitted was a power possessed by
him, though it was not thought commens nrate
with all the questions In voIved. As he did not
accept the suggestion when made, he was
afterwards requested to reconsider his conclu.
sion upon the subject OF q SUSPENSION OF hos.
tilities, which he agreed to do, but said that he
had maturely considered OF the plan, and had
determined that 1t could not be done
sSubseQue however, an interview with
Gen. Longstreet was asked for by Gen. Ord,
commanding the enemy's army OF the James,
d airing whicn Gen. Longstreet, was informed
by him that there was possib lity OF arriving
at n satisfactory adjustment OF the present an.
happy diff ties by means of q military con.
yention. and that IL Gen Lee desired an inter.
view on the subject, 1t wonid not be declined.
provided Gen. Lee had authority to act This
Communication was supposed to be the conse-
quence of the suggestion above rpferre1 to, aud
Gen. Lee, according to distractions, wrote to
Gen. Grant on the Cd OF this month, proposing