Reserved on my.phone atm

Confederate States of America

To All Whom it May Concern, Specifically in the United States of America and the Empire of Brazil,
First and foremost, the Confederate States of America would like to thank the Empire of Brazil for offering to host peace talks between the United States and Confederate States of America in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
As such, I will send a team of three representatives to that city for the entirety of the month of August in this, the one thousand eight hundred and sixty first year of our Lord. I hope that they will meet there representatives from the United States of America to discuss peace terms.
However, I will refuse to hold peace talks in Brazil should they continue to criticize the great country that is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, as it is they who actually came to the aid of the Confederate States of America.
The C.S.A. seeks Peace. We hope to find it in Brazil this August.

-Jefferson Davis, Provisional President of the Confederate States of America (on May 28, 1861)

The Battle of Bogotá

The USA was not the only country in 1861 facing a civil war. Now in the second year of a bloody conflict, the Granandine Confederation had faced struggle and hardship, and precious few victories against the rebels to celebrate. To many observers, it seemed certain that for the rebels, victory was inevitable. The Confederation was about to show to the world just how incorrect this was. An ambitious plan had been drawn up, and was now about to be executed.

Under the cover of darkness, government troops boarded transport ships for the long journey to the capital. At the same time, more troops began to move through the countryside, heading for the same direction. As dawn broke over Colombia, the attack began. The inital assault went well, heavy training in the past months paying off as troops disembarked the transports and entered the fray like clockwork, quickly routing the shocked rebel troops and sending them into a disorganised retreat.
(-780 regulars to Colombia, Bogotá retaken)

As the assault wore on, cracks began to show in the Colombian army. Communications between the two army groups had broken down and the second group was slow to respond to reports of fighting in Bogotá. As they moved to try and encircle the retreating rebel army, sluggishness allowed some rebel troops to regroup and bunker down in defensible locations, forcing the government troops to stop and besiege each one in turn. However, eventually they broke through and completed the encirclement, trapping the larger part of the rebel army inside. As the troops from Bogotá moved away from the city, the remaining rebels broke under the assault and surrendered.
(-1120 regulars to Colombia)

The surviving government troops began fortifying their new conquests, ensuring that a counterattack couldn't take them by surprise. However, it seemed an unnecessary move, as the rebels had been broken and disorganised by the shocking attack. Indeed, as pro-government supporters across the nation began celebrating, it seemed that the chance for a rebel victory had been lost. Spectators from around the world witnessed this sudden reversal in fortune by the Granadine Confederation with interest, particularily in North America - galvanising Union supporters, and hurting morale in the Confederacy, who now feared a similar attack on them.

The Empire of the Great Qing
An Edict of the Qing Imperial Government (21st August, 1861)

I have been ill, deathly ill, for the last year of my life. So close I am to leaving this realm and moving on to the afterlife, where I may only hope that the Ruler of Diyu judges me worthy during my reign of the Great Qing. It is on my deathbed that I therefore name my son, Aisin Gioro Zaichun, as my successor. He may be young, but so too was the Paragon of Benevolence, the Emperor Réndì, who was seven years old when he ascended to the throne; and can it not be said that he ushered in one of the most prosperous reigns that the Middle Kingdom has ever witnessed?

To guide the child Emperor into a life fitting of a most esteemed ruler, I thereby entrust his life to my brother Prince Gong of the First Rank. I decree that he shall serve as Prince-Regent, and in this capacity he shall care for and educate my son so that he may become nothing less than a most glorious Emperor. Pragmatic and wise that he is, I pass to my brother the Imperial Seal through which all decisions of the Qing Empire must be approved with.

My beloved Empress Consort Niuhuru, who has earnestly loved and cared for my young son like no other has, shall be bestowed upon the noble title the Holy Mother Empress Dowager Ci'an. She too shall become regent, and shall assist Prince Gong in the upbringing of the future Emperor. She has served my son well before as a mother, and shall continue to do so. The remaining members of the Imperial Consorts shall be escorted by select soldiers of the Imperial Guards Brigade to the famed Yuantong Temple, where they shall become honourable nuns of under the auspices of the Buddha.

Therefore, it is under the guidance of Prince-Regent Gong and the Empress Dowager Ci'an that the mighty Celestial Empire be led until my son is old enough. I wish nothing less than for universal prosperity to be ushered in for All Under Heaven. It is my last wish that my dearest son shall be able to fulfil such a noble ideal for this Most Illustrious Empire. Where I have failed, he shall succeed.

- His Imperial Majesty the Xianfeng Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty, Son of Heaven, Lord of Ten Thousand Years

...The following day, the Xianfeng Emperor was found dead in the Imperial Summer Resort. The beginning of a new era was paved. His six-year old son was christened as the new Qixiang Emperor, and he would be watched over by the regents Prince Gong and the Empress Dowager Ci'an....

---

An Edict of the Qing Imperial Government

As the Great Sage Confucius once told us, "The superior man is all-embracing and not partial. The inferior man is partial and not all-embracing." Never before has such words echoed so truly throughout the Middle Kingdom in its tens of thousands of years of history. For years has the Most Illustrious Empire been partial towards the peoples of Occident, and for years have we refused to embrace them. Does this not make us inferior?

It is time to throw off the burdens of war and isolation that have brought nought but ruin to this Noble Land. The horrors of the Taiping Rebellion have defiled the Middle Kingdom's precious land and peoples, and shown us the dangers that face us should we continue our current path. It is not an existence that any of us hundreds of millions of Chinese deserve and so together we must overcome such a regressive path. Instead it is friendship and inclusion with the foreign powers that can better the Middle Kingdom and bring about eternal peace for the Great Qing.

Accordingly I would like to eternally thank the Queen of the United Kingdom and the Emperor of France for their most generous assistance in crushing the despised Taiping rebellion. Serving alongside the Imperial Army are foreign commanders such as Charles George Gordon, Auguste Léopold Protet, Frederick T. Ward and Henry Andres Burgevine, who have all shown a most distinguished conduct in battle against the loathsome Taiping rebels. Due to the assistance of these noble foreigners in co-operation with our own soldiers, the reactionary Taiping bandits are upon their last legs - what awaits them is not war but merely pest control.

Therefore it is clear that the Occident has much to offer the Celestial Empire as has been proven by recent events. From them may our Great Empire learn and grow. As the Qixiang Emperor succeeds his father, a new era awaits the Middle Kingdom. I proclaim this era to be one of Self-Strengthening. The Empire of the Great Qing wishes to embark upon friendly relations with the wise peoples of the West, and as such we seek to conduct treaties through the auspices of the newly established Zongli Yamen - from trading to armaments, from education to cultural exchanges.

May the Orient and the Occident pursue a path of peace and prosperity in partnership.

- His Imperial Highness Prince-Regent Gong of the First Rank; on behalf of His Imperial Majesty the Qixiang Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty, Son of Heaven, Lord of Ten Thousand Years

I once remarked that a house divided upon itself cannot stand. Well if that is true, then a house being torn from the outside cannot stand as well. European powers have conspired to meddle in the affairs of the United States. They offer support to the rebels and offer us nothing but harsh promises, threats of war and bloody retribution. They mean to bully and bribe our Republic in the name of "sovereignty" of the South. But what of our sovereignty? Our right to keep our house together? The Southern rebels are attempting an illegal secession, and as such they will not be recognized by any member of this administration. We will not negotiate peace terms. I offer only one way for ar to end and that is unconditional surrender.

The blockade on Southern ports of industry will commence while the great war machine churns to improve our Navy and restructure our Army. Three armies -- the Army of the Potomac, the Army of the Ohio, and the Army of the Tennessee -- are being formed to put down the rebellion in its infancy. I have given Secretary of State Seward direct orders that he will follow to the letter. Any attempts at foreign powers to intervene in the conflict will result in termination of any and all trade agreements with that country. While those thousands of miles away speak of the lofty ideal of the South's "sovereignty" there has been no mention of the sovereignty of the millions of men and women in chains, their personal rights to live a free and just life. If they prefer cotton over conscience then so be it. They will have plenty of the former while showing they have none of the latter.

I believe we will succeed in our endeavor, and for the sake of our Grand Republic we must succeed. God be with us as we go forward in this monumental task.

-- Abraham Lincoln
United States President

Império do Brasil (Empire of Brazil)
Independência ou Morte!

With the statement said by Mr. Lincoln, we are shocked by and pull the peace talks until the war ends with one side, other side, or both sides. It's ironic because, it was like the American Revolution, Britain, who didn't want the newly rebels to gain independence and United States of America, the rebel who got support for European nations and gained independence. Yet, the United States of America are in the Britain's shoes and the Confederate States of America is in the United States of America's shoes. We hope that God is with them and their lives aren't affected by this at all. I hope that the civil war ends quickly and I hope that this doesn't turn into a world war. We are offering American citizens, who are affected by this, a place to stay in Brazil; only If the civil war starts. I'm still stuck in the middle of this civil war and might be for a long time, but I wish that God is with both of them.

As for the passing of Xianfeng Emperor, we are deeply sorry about his lost and hope that he found God. And we wish his son, Aisin Gioro, well in running the Qing Empire and hope that he and Prince Gong take care of the Empire well. We thank Russia for the support of peace during the hard times.

We are shocked by the retake of Bogotá, we through that their Empire was going to fall. But thankfully not. I hope that God founds the fallen souls that took during the Siege of Bogotá. Thankfully, our troops have arrived at the border and were so happy, after four weeks of walking and taking breaks.

~ Emperor Pedro II, King of Brazil

Grenadine Confederation
Statement by President Ospina in a war-torn Plaza de Bolívar, filled to the brim with people

"Fellow patriots of this great nation: we apologize for our late arrival to liberate you from the hands of a man who has taken violence as an action against his brothers.

It is my honor and duty to salute the fallen and buried soldiers that perished in the campaign to take the heartland of the Confederation, those brave Colombians who gave their lives to reunite families and who may never return to theirs. God knows that they will be recieved in Heaven and that this statement doesn't do these warriors justice of any kind. I request a minute of silence for the ones who no longer share the joy of seeing Colombia in the process of its reunification once again, of prayer for men who now rest happily for they knew they would leave this world for a just cause. The plaza falls silent, as the Colombian flag is raised. The bells of the defaced Catedral Primada ring on as the statue of Bolívar watches the reunion, unmoving.

In these days of grave danger that have fallen upon the world, of Empires that span across the globe facing each other and taking sides in a clash of ideologies that may yet end once agian, violence is the answer to mankind's issues. However wrong this answer is. But we, men of liberty, must stand together to reject these notions of conflict and stand together to live in harmony, an objective that is shared across the world but that signifies a different thing for each nation. One of the nations that has seen the truth in this notion is the Empire of Brazil, a fellow neighbor reigned by the great Dom Pedro II. In this conflict, they have given us a hand to stand up and reachieve the peace that our people have so rightly earned since independence from the European yoke. The actions taken by our neighbors to the South are a response, a call for quiet and peace that must be taken by all nations, be them from this side of the world or not. Brazil will stand tall in the gallery of history as a country that showed reason among chaos, a light of hope among a sea of darkness.

However, let this not be a call for support of the conditions that have been taken by the rebels of the South, both theirs and ours. Our people still stand with the Union in whatever matters we can help them with, although they are not many at the moment. But we support them in their justified endeavor to free men from the reigns of the ambitions of others. It is just and deserving of praise, just as our battles have been. The effectiveness of our armies has only shown that God is on our side and that our cause is as well, full of justice and we are sure the Union's armies will be the same, given God's will in justice for all men to prevail. It is only fair that I pray for the men that may shed blood in the battles to come.

Another matter to consider is the intervention and interest that several European powers have shown upon American matters, be them of support or rejection for the Union. It matters not. These efforts to control our destinies remind me of the battles waged when the Spaniards reconquered the Nueva Granada, then an independent territory. Bolívar descended from Venezuela and, with much glory, took back this land for the true Americans. European intervention, of any kind, is rejected by us as a matter of principle; although the actions undertaken by the Prussians and the Russians, and mostly the Tsar, are worthy of great applause. No matter where, the bell of freedom for man rings.

Time is short, my brothers and sisters. We must depart to reunify the rest of the provinces. Cali and Popayan still hold the forces of Mosquera and people yearn to see a proud Grenadine Confederation that stands in peace. Our forces, as you have seen, will not back down at danger. We wish luck to you, we wish luck to Brasil -who we must thank once again for their support-, we wish luck to the Union and to every country who has so fiercly battled for peace, such as we have done. To the lands of Europe, who are full of men and women who hold the past and may hold the future, to the lands of the Far East, who now have a new ruler.

May God bless the world, Us and the American continent.
Thank you."

To the Great Qing Dynasty, we mourn with you in your loss and rejoice with you in your hope for the future. Your people and government are a people of dignity and honor. The United Kingdom would be honored to assist the Great Qing in their journey for the betterment of their Empire and Peoples. We will begin diplomatic negotiations with your nation shortly.

Now my words must turn from the joy in the world to the sadness. Mr. Lincoln and the United States of America have rebuffed all attempts at peaceful negotiation in order that they might pursue a war of fratricide. The United Kingdom stands firmly against the actions of the Union. Our own actions will be as such. As has already been ordered, our ships are en route to the defense of the shores of the Confederacy. However, considering the hatred of their government towards their own brethren, we will set up our own blockade preventing trade into the United States. To be clear, the waters of the Union are now off limits to every nation except France, the Confederacy, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. It is our hope that this war will end quickly so that trade may resume. We stand with the French Nation in our support of the Confederacy. We plan for a quick war that will lead to a return to normal life.

To the nations of the world who support the Union; know that your support will only prolong a war that has already been determined. We ask that the nations of the world rescind their support so that peace may be achieved quickly and that lives may be saved.

Once more, the United Kingdom commends the nation of Brazil for their humanitarian actions and desire to provide a good life for all peoples as opposed to just their own. We recognize the nation of Brazil as a safe haven for all refugees and as a fortress of peace. Brazilian ships are welcomed as ships of peace in the blockade and they are welcome to take refugees from either side of the war.

The United Kingdom makes this statement: Any attack against Brazil so long as they maintain their neutral status during this war between the Union and Confederacy will be treated as a War Crime by the United Kingdom. The Nation of Brazil is a home for the broken and weary. The United Kingdom will be glad to offer transport ships for any citizens of the Union who wish to leave their current war-torn nation and make for Brazil.

To the Confederacy; we are on our way. To the Union; we are on our way.
God speed.

Kaiserthum Oesterreich
The Austrian Empire

in light of the passing of the Xianfeng Empero the Austrian Empire and the House of Habsburg send their condolences to the Qing Empire. We wish his eldest son well in ruling China and bringing peace to an otherwise troubled land. May he reign be long and prosperous. But please, by all that is good and holy in this world, this Emperor implores the Chinese government to crush these heretical “Taiping” rebels and punish Hong Xiuquan for his crimes against God.

Although they do not answer to the throne of Saint Peter, we thank our partners in the United Kingdom for helping to put down this heresy. We likewise thank our religious compatriots in the French Empire for their support against the Taiping rebels. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.

To the Emperor of Brazil, once more, we thank you for your neutrality in the crisis shaking the North American continent and commend you for your openness and willingness to bring two hostile sides together. You are generous, and may you forever be remembered for the compassion that you show toward a struggling people.

To the Emperor of Russia, we commend you for your efforts to eradicate serfdom and bringing freedom to the Russian people. We wish you well in such endeavors, and may your reign be as glorious as Peter and Catherine before you.

- Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria

His most glorious and sublime majesty notes with ever growing concern the terrible crises racking the Americas, which in their turn have caused tensions to rise in Europe. Having recently emerged from a most taxing and destructive war, the Ottoman Empire strongly advices all nations to hold strongly to peace and dialogue. We, as civilised nations which are models to the world, cannot be seen to be indulging in such base and barbaric activities any longer. His majesty would like to point out that while those in power sit in the safety of their homes and vie for glory and other such whimsical and low desires, it is the masses of people - who wish for a good, safe life - who suffer most. Those who shall bear the consequences of these conflicts are not the old men of today, but the generations of the future who shall be forever scarred by the legacy of the ever-bloodier and more destructive wars.

We would therefore like to reiterate the calls of Brazil for a peaceful resolution. Despite the clearly aggressive stance of the Union - which is understandable under the current situation - the Ottoman Empire strongly believes that there is a way for peace and unity, as well as for the Confederacy and the Union to get some of what they wish for. Slavery as it is has manifested in the west is indeed a most barbaric thing, and we believe that the institute of slavery should be reformed in the Confederacy so as to meet the basic needs of human beings: slaves should be cared for and looked after in the right way, and have ways in which they can earn their freedom. While the abolition of slavery may be attractive to the Union, it is clearly part of the social fabric of the Confederacy and must be respected, though as mentioned earlier, the Confederacy should be prepared to reform and better the institute of slavery for those who are now victims of a most barbaric system.

Once more, we call out for the Union to reconsider their declaration of war on the Confederacy and come to the negotiation table. Through compromise and dialogue, unity can surely be achieved and each side of this terrible conflict can achieve some of their goals while not causing the losses and destruction a war would bring about.

The situation in Europe has been ever tense, and these tensions have only been further inflamed by the situation in the Americas. We would like to remind our brothers in the Concert of Europe that war between us, so soon after the Crimean War, is not permissible. We would like to call for a conference in Constantinople to discuss the major issues in Europe and strategies to deal with them, especially since it has become very clear that the benefits of some of the articles of the Treaty of Paris may not be sustainable in the long run, despite their short-term benefits. Invited to this conference are the United Kingdom, France, Prussia, Austra and Russia.

To Russia we send our most sincere pity, for we do see in its outlook a childishness and ignorance matched only by its territorial size - territories, which one must add, were gained by looting and destroying the many Muslim khanates, territories earned on a trail of broken treaties and promises. One hopes that the Russian bear is today satisfied by all it has consumed and will leave neighbouring nations to prosper, safe from its greed and dishonourable ways. Perhaps this intrinsic inability of Russia to be satisfied with what it has can be solved at the Conference of Constantinople.

The Ottoman Empire would also like to turn to its brothers of the monotheistic faith, calling for a conference in the holy city of Mecca to discuss future cooperation and greater unity. Invited are Egypt, Persia, the Central Asian Khanates (includes Afghanistan), the Arab Tribes of the Hejaz, the Sultanate of Morocco and Ottoman Vassal of Tunisia.

China, as an ancient and glorious empire which has been a great trading partner and friend to all Muslim nations, has our most sincere sorrow for their great loss. We are certain, however, that just as many great Chinese emperors have passed away in the past to be replaced by those even greater, we hope that the new emperor will be in his father's traits just as , if not more, accomplished. While it saddens us that China suffers due to rebellions, we have every faith that China will survive these hardships just as it has so many times in its long and illustrious history.

Given the recent bloodshed on Ottoman soil, his imperial majesty has decided that a new era of reforms and change is upon the Empire. It will no longer be acceptable that the blood of the people of the book should be spilled on Ottoman soil. The true faith demands respect to them and the Ottoman Empire shall hereby take it upon itself to protect its Christian citizens and welcomes all the support and help of European nations in its mission to create greater tolerance and safety for people of all faiths in the Empire.

Mehmed Emin Pasha, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire

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With the recent declarations of war by the British empires Russia must make true on her promise to support the Union and her actions to wipe tyranny and spread freedom to the traitorous southern states.As such I shall begin sending military convoys carrying arms and goods to the west coast to assist the Union war effort and help repress any spread of armed insurrection by the Southern states in the unions western territories.I also shall begin to muster troops to move in defense of the Union against the United kingdom. I shall also bequest to both President Lincoln and King William the 1st of Prussia to sign my proposed treatise creating a defensive alliance between our nation's and also regulating and encouraging trade between our nations I shall submit the treatise as such but change may be made if seen fit by all party's. As for The Ottoman's offer for a International conference at Istanbul a thought insulted at their comments on the Russian Empire shall send a number of representatives in order to help with the betterment of all the European powers. Also we Propose the Emirate of Afghanistan a offer to come under our will.g as a vassal in order to assist in protecting your borders from the warmongering British who now spurred on by the war in America obviously will seek retribution from their follies in the Anglo-Afghan war we need not also remind Dost Muhammed the constant support of refugees from your state in that war.

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OOC: Gotta make a stupid note again

Prussia is presently unwilling to ally with the United States but will make a mutual defense treaty with Russia contingent on Russia and the Ottomans signing a 10 year non-aggression pact. It justifies this condition by expressing Prussian desire to prevent American chaos spreading through Europe to Asia and engulfing the entire planet. Prussia will attend the conference in Constantinople.

Império do Brasil (Empire of Brazil)
Independência ou Morte!

We like to thank everyone for their show of kindness towards Brazil before war comes to the New World once again. But we request that our representatives come to the conference in Istanbul as well, after all we were the first ones to ask for peace. We either asked that peace talks can be held in our capital, that is why that Brazil should be at the conference for peace. We like to thank the Ottoman Empire for offering peace in dark times, I hope that history remembers our countries as we tried to show reason to a pointless civil war. We are still offering peace talks within Rio de Janero for the countries, that are involved in the war.

We like to also clear something up, by the Kingdom of Venice we meant the province within the Austrian Empire. Sorry for any misunderstanding once more.

~ Emperor Pedro II, King of Brazil.

His imperial magnificence is greatly pleased with the Prussian condition of non-aggression between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, and we would be most willing to accept. However, his imperial highness would like to ensure that upon accepting this non-aggression pact Russia also agrees to work towards improving the lives of its Muslim subjects and to end its expansion into the Muslim Khanates of Central Asia, such as the recent attempt to vassalise the free nation of Afghanistan. We would also like to request the release of the noble Imaam Shamil who is currently imprisoned in Russia. Perhaps we can discuss the specifics of this treaty at the Conference of Constantinople.

We appreciate the Brazilian desire to work towards peace in the world and stability in the Americas, and we assure them that the Conference of Constantinople is not for the discussion of the American Problem, but for greater coordination between the Concert of Europe, and thus is of no great concern to Brazil. If it pleases the Empire of Brazil, the Ottoman Empire will send a minister to represent it in Rio de Janeiro should the peace talks called for by Brazil go ahead there.

Mehmed Emin Pasha, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire

Empire Français (French Empire)
Liberté, egalité, fraternité

France will happily join the conference in Constantinople to discuss the major issues in Europe and strategies to deal with them. Conflicts can be avoided if we all stop pointing swords at each other and begin to talk about this.
To the conflict in the West.
Countries have split in the past and have successfully flourished. Despite attempting to negotiate the US and its allies rally for war. This is an unjust reason for blood shed and mobility of troops is not the answer. My ally, the UK, has retaliated to the USA's, blocking off trade and though I may not believe completely with these methods I understand the reasoning behind them.
Slavery is an issue but we should not overpower another country just to stop this, we would be no better than the slavers who overpower those they can control.
As the mobility of troops is an issue, France will retaliate with there own departure of troops. This is a last resort though and I hope that my men will be able to stay at home and that peace talks and negotiations between the Union and Confederates can happen.
For this reason I urge The Union and all other conflicting countries to join the conference in Rio de Janero as France will be doing so

Blood should not spill into the ocean that is between our lands.

- Emperor Napoleon III, France

I would be happy to improve the lives of the Muslim citizens of citizens currently in the Russian Empire but I fear rot stop my attempts to vassalise the Emirate of Afghanistan as we believe the action is to protect Afghanistan's and her people from British encroachment on both their land and rights, But we will be happy to discuss such things during the Constantinople convention. We will also discuss the terms of release for Imam Shamil but ensure he is currently in good hands and is comfortably in exile under strict but , not to overly burdensome surveillance

The ongoing conflict with the Southern rebels is a matter the United States will handle. We are not interested in entering into foreign alliances and pacts with other countries, no matter how well-meaning they may be. As for the United Kingdom's rash decision to join this conflict. Please remember that a breaking of economic ties with the United States means no more of the precious American grain you use to feed your people and support your island. If you value cotton over bread, then so be it. I just hope your citizens can eat pantaloons.

-- William Seward
United States Secretary of State

Confederate States of America

Comments on the Warmongering Words of the United States of America,

I have chosen to serve the Confederate States of America because I must not go against my home in the State of Virginia. I urge all Southern men who have served faithfully in the Army of the United States of America to look inside themselves and decide who they shall serve: a tyrannical federal government or the state they have chosen to live in, and I hope they choose the latter. If you see that you are to serve the United States of America, then I ask that you leave the Confederate States of America quickly and peacefully. It is well within your rights to abandon your home in favor of a faraway leader. But if you look into your soul and see that you are in favor of liberty instead of tyranny, in favor of states' rights instead of centralized government, and in favor of tradition instead of destroying the way of life that millions depend on, including women and children, then I ask you to stand up in service of the Confederate States of America. The words said from those in the United States of America indicate they would see a supposed "Divine Retribution" brought on us, even if they must do it themselves. Those are the words of an unholy, warmongering nation. I believe that the Almighty is on the side of the liberty. The side of those who want to peaceably secede. May God bless the Confederate States of America and have mercy on the United States of America.

I have asked to head the Army of North Virginia, but I shall not draw my sword against anyone except in the defense of the Confederate States of America or in the defense of Virginia. I do not seek war like some of those in the United States of America, but I will go to war if I must defend my home, my family, and my way of life. I urge those in the United States to take caution before they make war, for it is indeed a horrid thing. And it might be said that God made it so if only to deter his children from waging it. I urge the United States of America to seek out Peace and not War.

I have spoken with President Jefferson Davis when he asked to lead the Army of North Virginia about how we might avoid War in favor of Peace. He has told me that Brazil has called for a Peace Conference and that Confederate Diplomats shall be in Brazil for the entire month of August. I truly hope that, in Brazil, Confederate Diplomats will meet with Union Diplomats to discuss Peace before we go down the road of War.

- Robert E. Lee, Army General in the Confederate States of America (on June 12th, 1861)