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[B]Confederate States of America[/B][/CENTER]

[B]Excerpts from an Address to the Nation,[/B]

I'm afraid... I'm afraid I don't have much to say here. We are in a dark hour, indeed. I do believe that we must have all lost someone in this bloody war by now. But if we stop now, their life shall be for naught. We have come to far to give up our way of life. We must fight on.

Last night I was... I was looking over battle plans and strategies and my son came into the room. Jefferson Junior asked me to if I wanted my dinner brought to me - I hadn't eaten with my family that night - and I asked him to bring it to me. When he did, he asked me why I agreed to draft slaves as soldiers. I understand that many of you are not thrilled by the idea of us arming the animalistic negro to help us fight our war (in fact, many of you might very well seem frightened), but it seems to be a necessity. It shall stop for this year. We must see how things go. But I pray every night that God gives them strength to fight just as I pray that he gives strength to our other soldiers.

The decision to draft slaves as soldiers, I know, shall not mark me well in history. However, I have repeatedly tried to get foreign powers to help our cause of liberty - as it has been a long and horrible war so far - and every time I am met with the same response "We shall not support a nation that upholds slavery." I tell them I have no power in ending that and that it is an issue of the separate states of this Confederacy, but they do not listen. [b]I did such a thing as a gesture of good faith to these foreign powers, so that they might reconsider helping the side of liberty.[/b]

I must also say, that if we are on God's side - and I do believe we are - then [b]I must therefore believe God will come to the aide of any nation that helps us in our cause of liberty.[/b]

Thank you all for your hard sacrifice. Truly, God shall pay you back for it all in good time.

God Bless You, God Bless Our Boys in Gray, and May God Bless the Confederate States of America.

[B]- Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America[/B] [I](on January 28, 1865)[/I]