Year: 1863




other course more sxpedieD deliver to the several


State authorities all commissioned officers Of the


United States that may hereafter be captured by our


forces In any Of the States embraced in the procams-


ton, that they may be dealt with in accordanes with


the laws Of those States providing for the punishment


oI CT nlnals engaged IN exciting servie insure oon.


The enlisted soldiers shall continue treat AZ unw.


ling instruments in the commission Of these crimes and


shall direct their discharge and return to their homes IN
/ the proper and usual parole.


In its political aspect, this measure possesses great


sgnihesnea and to it. in this light invite your atten


ton IL affords TO whole people the complete and


crownng proof the nature Of the designs Of the


party which elevated to power the present ocuusht Of


the presidential chair at Washington and which sought


20 conceal us purpores oy every variety Of arfl de-
vice and by the perdious Of the most solemn and


repeated pledges on every possible occasion extract


IN TINS connection, as single example. ths following


declaration made BY President Lincoln under the solers


nifty Of his oath as Chief Magistrate Of the United
Stsfes on the 4th March, 1861:


apprehension seems to exist among the peopIe of the


southern States that by the accession of Republican


Administration their property and their peace and per


sonal security are to be endangered There has never


Been any reasonable excuse for such spprehsnsons.
indeed the most ample evidence the Contrary has all


the while existed and been open to tber inspection 1t
Is found IN nearly all the public speeches of him who
now addresses yOn. do but quote from one of those
speeches when declare that Ihave no purpose direct


" OF indirectly 20 interfere with the INSTITUTION f
slavery in the States where It exists believe have
lawful right to do and have inclination %
So Those who nominated and elected me- did 20 wish
full knowledge that had made this and many similar
declarations, and had never recanted them And more
than this they placed in tbs platform for my accept
a
and emphatic resolution which 1 now read:


:" Reso5UsG, That the maintenance inYiolate Of the
rights Of the States and especially the right Of each
State to order and control its domestic institutions
according to its judgment exclusively essential 10
that balance Of powers which the perfection
dRrsnee of our political fabric depend and we denounce


the lawess invasion by armed force Of the soil of any
State or Territory no matter under what pretext,
among the gravest crimes"


Nor was this declara ion Of the want Of power or
disposition interfere with our social system confined
TO state Of peace Both before and after the actual
commencement Of hostes, the President Of the United
States repeated IN formal ofcisl communication to the
Cabinets Of Great Britain and France that he utter
ly without constitutional power to do the act which he
has just committed; and that in possible event,


whether the secession Of thes-States resulted in the
establishment of separate COnfederacy or in the re-
stOraton Of the Union, was there any authority by
virtue of which he could ehar restore dsaected Stae
to the Union by force Of make any change il
any Of its institutions refer especially for vercatiOn
Of this assertion to the dispatches addressed by the See
reary OF state o. the United States, under direction of
the President the ministers Of the United States at
London and Paris, under date Of 10th and 22d April


The people of this Confederacy them cannot fail to
receive this proclamation the fullest vndcaiOn Of
their sagacity in foreseeing the uses to which the
dominant party in the United States intended from the
beginning 20 apply their power they cease to
remember with devout thankfuluess that it is to their
own vigilance in resisting the first stealthy prog
approaching despotism that they their scape from
Cuenees apparent to the most skepteal This
proclamation will have another saluary effect in calm


ing the fears Of those who have constantly evinced the
apprehension that this might end by recon
strucjcn Of the old Union renewal Of close
political relations with the United States These fears
have never been shared BY me nor have ever been a
to perceive what basis they could rest But ths
proclamation affords the fullest guarantee Of the impos
sbiity Of such result It has established state Of
things which lead 70 but of three possible con
sequences the eermn ton of the slaves the exile Of
the whols white population from the Confederacy, or
absolute aud total separation Of these States from the
United States.


This proclamation is also an authentic statement bv
the government of the United States of its inability
D md a. inst
be accepted by neutral nations which can 10 longer
ind any justification in Withholding Just claims
formal recognition It is also in effect inuima0n 70
the people Of the North that they prepare to sub
nit to separation become inevitable for that peo-
pie too acute not to understand that tOFaon
of the Union has been rendered forever impossible by
the adoption Of which from its very nature
neither admits Of retrscton exist with union


Among the subjects to which your attention viii be
specially devoted during the present sessOn, you will
no doubt deem the adoption Of some comprehensive /
system Of finance as being Of paramount Importance
The increasing public debt the great augmentation in
the volume Of the currency with its necessary coneo
tant Of eXtravagant prices for all articles Of coRsump
ton. the want Of revenue from taxation adequate to
support the public credit ali unite IN admOnishiRg US
that energetic and wise legislation alone prevent
serious embarrassment in monetary affairs It Is
my conv tiOn that the people Of the COnfederacy will
freely meet taxation on scale adequate 20 the mainte
Of the public credit and the support Of their gov
ernment When each family is sending forth its most
precious 70 meet exposure in camp, and death
battle, what ground can there be to doubt the dspO-
sition to devote 1.-THE Of its income aRd more if
be necessary 70 provide the government with
for ensuring the comfort Of its defenders If our
mics submit to an excise on every commodity they pro-
duce and to the daily presence Of the taxgaherer with
no higher motive than t hope OF success IN their wick
ed designs against us, suggestion Of unwilling
ness the part Of this people sub nit tae taxation
necessary for the success of their defense is an muuta
ton their patriotism that few viii be disposed to
make, and that can justify.


The legislation of your last session intended to hasten
the funding of outstanding treasury notes has proved
beneficial as shown by the returns annexed to the
port Of the Secretary of the Treasury. But it was
neither sufficiently prompt farreaching meet the
full extent Of the evil The passage @ some enactment,
carrying still further the policy Of that law by fixing


Irritation not later than the lst July the delay
allowed for funding the issued prior 70 the lst De
the effect withdraw from circulation nearly the entire
issued previous to the last named date. If TO this
be added revenue from adequate taxation and
gosauon OF ponds guaranteed pFoportionaley BY the
several States has already been generously proposed
by some of them in enactments spontaneously adopted
there Is little doubt that we shall see our finances re-
stored 70 sound and satisfactory condition circu-
aiion relieved Of the redundancy productive Of
many mischiefs and credit placed on such basis
to relieve from further anxiety relative to our re-
sources for she prosecution Of the war


It s that at its close debt will be large but
Il will be due to people, and neither the inter-
the capital will be exported to distant countries
mpoverishng ours for their benefit On the return Of
peace the untold wealth which will spring from soil


will render the burthen of taxation far less than
l. supposed, especially If take into eonsidera.
lion that shall then be free from the large and steady
drain Of our substance 10 which We were subjected in
The late Un through the instrumeniay Of sectional
egisation and protective tariffs.


recommend to your earnest attention the whole re-
port Of the Secretary Of the Treasury on this mDor-
ant subject and trust that your legislation it viii be
delayed longer than will be required to enable your
wisdom to devise the proper for insuring the
Of the objects propose5.


The operations Of the War Department have been in
he main satisfactory. In the report Of the Secretary
herewith submitted will be found summary Of many
successes They with justice ascrbed


large Measure, to the reorganization and reinforce
nent OF armies under the operation of the enact
nents for ConscriptiOn. The wisdom and efficiency Of
hese acts have been approved by results and the ike
pirit Of unity endurance and selfdevoon of the peo
DE, which has hitherto sustained their action Be
eed to their enforcement under the continu
ng necessities Of our situation. The recommendation
y tne secretary 20 TINS eHect are tempered by sugges
ions Tor their seiorauon and ths subject deserves the
Of Congress. For the perfection Of our
military organization appropriate means should be
elected snd this subject the opinions Of the Seere
etary merits early attention


It is gratifying to perceive that under all the efforts
md sacrifices Of war the power, and resources
" the Confederacy for its successful prosecution
Increasing. Dependence on foreign supplies is to be
ieplored and should, far practicable be obvatei
~ the development Of fnternal resources The peculiar
circumstances OF the country however, render his dill
ult, and require extraordinary encours sgsments and
seilities to be granted by the Government The en-
larrassments resulting from the limited capacity of the
RilrOads TO afford transportation and the mpossbility
If otherwise commanding and distributing the necessary
supplies for the armies render the control Of the roads
inder general supervision and resort to the power
If impressment, military exigeneies While such powers
have to be exercised they sheud be guarded BY judi
ous provisions against perversicn or abuse, and be- as
recommended BY the Secretary under due regulation
If law.


specially recommend in thig esnneeti N some re.
yison of the exemption law of last session Serious
complaints have reached me of ihs inequality Of its
operation from eminent and patriotic citizens, whose
,p Mons merit gress cons Tatioo, ard trust that
0ne means viii be devised for leaving at home sun
;ent local police without max ng dissrinioatilns,
always to be deprecated between different classes Of
1ur cit


De fr endly. portion Of the Cherokee people have