son and property have not been disturbed.
The agent through which they communicated with foreign nations
is changed, but this does not necessarily interrupt their
international relations. Sustained by the consciousness that the
transition from the former Union to the present Confederacy has
not proceeded from a disregard on our part of just obligations,
or any failure to perform every constitutional duty, moved by no
interest or passion to invade the rights of others, anxious to
cultivate peace and commerce with all nations, if we may not
hope to avoid war, we may at least expect that posterity will
acquit us of having needlessly engaged in it. Doubly justified
by the absence of wrong on our part, and by wanton aggression on
the part of others, there can be no cause to doubt that the
courage and patriotism of the people of the Confederate States
will be found equal to any measure of defense which their honor
and security may require.

"An agricultural people, whose chief interest is the export of
commodities required in every manufacturing country, our true
policy is peace, and the freest trade which our necessities will
permit. It is alike our interest and that of all those to whom
we would sell, and from whom we would buy, that there should be
the fewest practicable restrictions upon the interchange of
these commodities. There can, however, be but little rivalry
between ours and any manufacturing or navigating community, such
as the Northeastern States of the American Union. It must
follow, therefore, that mutual interest will invite to good-will
and kind offices on both parts. If, however, passion or lust of
dominion should cloud the judgment or inflame the ambition of
those States, we must prepare to meet the emergency and
maintain, by the final arbitrament of the sword, the position
which we have assumed among the nations of the earth.

"We have entered upon the career of independence, and it must be
inflexibly pursued. Through many years of controversy with our
late associates of the Northern States, we have vainly
endeavored to secure tranquillity and obtain respect for the
rights to which we were entitled. As a necessity, not a choice,
we have resorted to the remedy of separation, and henceforth our
energies must be directed to the conduct of our own affairs, and