We have Lincoln's proclamation, freeing all the slaves from and
after the 1st January next. And another, declaring martial law throughout the
United States! Let the Yankees ruminate on that! Now for a fresh gathering
of our clans for another harvest of blood.
On Saturday the following resolutions were reported by Mr.
Semmes, from the Committee of the Judiciary, in the Senate:
“1st. That no officer of the
Confederate Government is by law empowered to vest Provost Marshals with any
authority whatever over citizens of the Confederate States not belonging to the
land and naval forces thereof, or with general police powers and duties for the
preservation of the peace and good order of any city, town, or municipal
district in any State of this Confederacy, and any such exercise of authority
is illegal and void.
"2d. That no officer of the
Confederate Government has constitutional or other lawful authority to limit or
restrict, or in any manner to control, the exercise of the jurisdiction of the
civil judicial tribunals of the States of this Confederacy, vested in them by
the Constitution and laws of the States respectively; and all orders of any
such officer tending to restrict or control or interfere with the full and
normal exercise of the jurisdiction of such civil judicial tribunals are
illegal and void.”
We shall see what further action will follow. This is in
marked contrast to the despotic rule in the Yankee nation. Nevertheless, the
Provost Marshal here keeps his establishment in full blast. He was appointed by
Gen. Winder, of Maryland, who has been temporarily subordinated by Major-Gen.
Smith, of New York.
Since Gen. Smith has been in command, the enemy has made
raids to Leesburg, Manassas, and even Warrenton, capturing and paroling our
sick and wounded men. Who is responsible?
Accounts from Nashville state that our cavalry is
beleaguering that city, and that both the United States forces there, and the
inhabitants of the town, are reduced nearly to starvation.
Buell, it is said, has reached Louisville. We hope to hear
soon of active operations in Kentucky.
Bragg, and Smith, and Price, and Marshall are there with
abundant forces to be striking heavy blows.
Beauregard is assigned to the defense of South Carolina and
Georgia.
Harper's Ferry is again occupied by the enemy — but we have
removed everything captured there. The Northern papers now admit that the
sanguinary battle of Sharpsburg was without result.
I sent my wife money to-day, and urged her to return to
Richmond as soon as possible, as the enemy may cut the communications — being
within forty miles of the railroad. How I should like to think they were cut to
pieces! Then they would let us alone.
Hitherto 100,000 sick and wounded patients have been
admitted into the army hospitals of this city. Of these, about 10,000 have been
furloughed, 3000 discharged from the service, and only 7600 have died. At
present there are 10,000 in the hospitals. There is not so much sickness this
year as there was last, nor is it near so fatal.
Many of the Northern papers seem to dissent from the policy of
Lincoln's proclamation, and hope that evil consequences may not grow out
of it. But how can it be possible for the people of the North to submit to
martial law? The government which directs and enforces so obnoxious a tyranny
cannot be sure of its stability. And when the next army of invasion marches
southward, it will be likely to have enemies in its rear as well as in its
front. The Tribune exclaims “God bless Abraham Lincoln.” Others, even in
the North, will pray for “God to him!”
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's
Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 157
