130 



CONTEDEKATE STATES. 



Creator. It is not for us to inquire into the 

 wisdom of His ordinances or to question them. 

 For His own purposes He has made one race 

 to differ from another as He has made ' one star 

 differ from another in glory.' 



" The great ohjects of humanity are hest at- 

 tained, when conformed to his laws and de- 

 crees, in the formation of Governments as well 

 as in all things else. Our Confederacy is found- 

 ed upon principles in strict conformity with 

 these laws. This stone which was rejected hy 

 the first builders, ' is become the chief stone of 

 the corner ' in our new edifice. 



" I have been asked, what of the future ? Ife* 

 has been apprehended by some, that we would 

 have arrayed against us the civilized world. I 

 care not who or how many they may be, when 

 we stand upon the eternal principles of truth 

 we are obliged and must triumph. 



" Thousands of people, who begin to under- 

 stand these truths, are not yet completely out 

 of the shell ; they do not see them in their 

 length and breadth. "We hear much of the 

 civilization and Christianization of the barba- 

 rous tribes of Africa. In my judgment, those 

 ends will never be obtained but by first teach- 

 ing them the lesson taught to Adam, that ' in 

 the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread, ' 

 and teaching them to work, and feed, and 

 clothe themselves. 



" But to pass on. Some have propounded 

 the inquiry, whether it is practicable for us to 

 go on with the Confederacy without further 

 accessions. Have we the means and ability to 

 maintain nationality among the powers of the 

 earth ? On this point I would barely say, that 

 as anxious as we all have been, and are, for the 

 Border States, with institutions similar with 

 ours, to join us, still we are abundantly able to 

 maintain our position, even if they should ulti- 

 mately make up their minds not to cast their 

 destiny with ours. That they ultimately will 

 join us, be compelled to do it, is my confident 

 belief ; but we can get on very well without 

 them, even if they should not. 



" We have all the essential elements of a high 

 national career. The idea has been given out 

 at the North, and even in the Border States, 

 that we are too small and too weak to main- 

 tain a separate nationality. This is a great 

 mistake. In extent of territory we embrace 

 564,000 square miles and upwards. This is 

 upwards of 200,000 square miles more than 

 was included within the limits' of the original 

 thirteen States. It is an area of country more 

 than double the territory of France or the Aus- 

 trian Empire. France, in round numbers, has 

 but 212,000 square miles. Austria, in round 

 numbers, has 248,000 square miles. Ours 

 is greater than both combined. It is greater 

 than all France, Spain, Portugal, and Great 

 Britain, including England, Ireland, and Scot- 

 land together. In population we have upwards 

 of 5,000,000, according to the census of 1860 ; 

 this includes white and black. The entire pop- 

 ulation, including white and black, of the origi- 



nal thirteen States, was less than 4,000,000 in 

 1790, and still less in 1776, when the independ- 

 ence of our fathers was achieved. If they, 

 with a less population, dared maintain their 

 independence againsl the greatest power on 

 earth, shall we have any apprehension of main- 

 taining ours now ? " 



The population of the seceding States in 1860, 

 was as follows : 



On the 12th of February the Congress as- 

 sumed charge of the questions pending between 

 the several States of the Confederacy and the 

 Government of the United States, relating to 

 the occupation of forts, arsenals, dockyards, 

 and other public establishments, and directed 

 that act to be communicated to the several 

 States; and, again, on the 15th of March, they 

 recommended the several States to cede the 

 forts, arsenals, dockyards, and other public 

 establishments within their respective limits, 

 to the Confederate States, and in case of such 

 cession, authorized and empowered the Presi- 

 dent to take charge of this property. It was 

 also provided, by an act passed on the 28th of 

 February, that the President be authorized and 

 directed to assume control of all military oper- 

 ations between the Confederate States, or any 

 of them, and powers foreign to them ; and he 

 was authorized to receive from ' the several 

 States the arms and munitions of war acquired 

 from the United States, and then in the forts, 

 arsenals, and navy yards of said States, and all 

 other arms and munitions which they might 

 desire to turn over and make chargeable to the 

 Confederate Government. 



In response to these ordinances, the State of 

 Georgia, on the 20th of March, authorized the 

 Confederate States to occupy, use, and hold 

 possession of all forts, navy yards, arsenals, 

 custom-houses, and other public sites, with 

 their appurtenances, within the limits of said 

 State, and lately in possession of the United 

 States, and to repair, rebuild, and control the 

 same at its discretion until the ordinance should 

 be repealed by a Convention of the people of 

 that State. By another ordinance of the same 

 date and authority, the control of all military 

 operations in that State having reference to or 

 connected with questions between that State, 

 or any of the Confederate States, and powers 

 foreign to them, was transferred to the charge 

 of the Confederate Government. In like man- 

 ner, the arms and munitions of war, armed 

 vessels and steamers, acquired from the United 



