Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/472

434 avowed purpose of compelling the latter to reunite with them under the same Constitution and government, and Whereas, the waging of war with such an object is in direct opposition to the sound Republican maxim that ’all government rests upon the consent of the governed, and can only tend to consolidation in the general government and the consequent destruction of the rights of the States; and Whereas, this result being obtained, the two sections can exist together only in the relation of the oppressed and oppressor because of the great preponderance of power in the Northern section, coupled with dissimilarity of interests, and Whereas, we, the representatives of the people of the Confederate States in Congress assembled may be presumed to know the sentiments of the said people, having just been elected by them; therefore be it Resolved, that this Congress do solemnly declare and publish to the world that it is the unalterable determination of the people of the Confederate States (in humble reliance upon Almighty God) to surfer all the calamities of the most protracted war; but that they will never, on any terms, politically affiliate with a people who are guilty of an invasion of their soil and the butchery of their citizens. &quot; This bravely uttered declaration against all terms of political reunion with the States from which secession had been effected, thus unanimously and officially announced, came nearly four months after the tabling of all conciliatory resolutions which had been offered in the United States Congress, and occurred during the heated discussion in Washing ton over the invasive army operations under cover of the new doctrine of &quot; war powers.&quot; Its general tone was temperate indeed, except in the use of the term "butchery,&quot; as the killing of soldiers in battle was termed. This may be charitably regarded as an excusable reproach in view of the frequent application of similar epithets to Confederate people by their adversaries.

The disposition of the cotton, tobacco and other