The Nevada Democrat., 1861-08-20
Matters Mt the South.

! An intelligent gentleman. native OF the
South, from which be was lately driven by
violence, furnishes the New York press an
interesting statement of the condition of af-
fairs In that section. He left Savannah,
Ga, on the 22d Of July, the day after the
battle at Bulls Run, and thinks that the
Government at Washington wofully under
rated the resistance to be encountered on
the borders of Virginia. The rebels had
made almost super-human efforts to concen-
trate all their available force In Virginia,
and at the time of the battle had not less
than 1S5, 900 between Richmond and WASH
ington. The writer entertains no doubt
that the rebel troops, amply reinforced, will
soon commence a conflict that will vastly
transcend in its results, as we'll as its amount
of bloodshed, the affair of Bulls Run. He
says:
What can they expect by delay? Every mugs
ket in the rebel States is either already in or on
its way to Virginia. The writer, from personal
observation, knows that several companies re-
Gently organized have applied in vain to the
Governor of Georgia for arms. He has no more
nor can he obtain them. have seen recently
organized regiments at Atlanta, Nashville,
Chattanooga, (the last two destined for Camp
Boone,) and while they consisted, with some
exceptions, of young, ill-clad recruits, did not
see percussion musket south of Louisville
When the reader will bear in mind, besides,
that the commissariat for such an army, with
corn at ST. % per bushel, and meat at 20 cents
per pound, is a matter of some difficulty, more
especially as the vast majority of even Southern
citizens cannot regard Confederate bonds as
money, he will see an additional reason why the
South should precipitate the conflict.
will here add one other consideration, which
only one who has resided in the South can
thoroughly appreciate. In the Southern States
the whites are divided into two castles, as dis
tinct as any furnished by Hindostan-the veal
thy whites and the poor whites. The present
war is peculiarly the work of the former; upon
its results they have staked life fortune, every
thing of that class; every available man has
grasped sword and musket, and they will doubt
less fight with all the valor that the American
spirit, Southern pride, and hate for the North
can impart. The entire of that class is already
in the field. The second class, the poor South
ern whites take but little interest in the present
conflict. From it must come any further REIN
forcements to the South; and should they enlist,
little need be apprehended either from their
zeal or valOr. En- pGSsdnt, may add that the
Union men in Kentucky, so far from feeling
discouraged, seem to have redoubled their pa
triotism and zeal on learning our recent disas-
terS.
Is is admitted by all we'll informed men at the
South that the fate of the new government de-
pends entirely on the ability of the rebel army
to protect the borders of Virginia. Had they
met with defeat at Bull Run, there was an end
to the secession rebellion.
In regard to the sentiments of the South
ern people on the Union question, the wri-
ter says:
In those sections-such as Middle and South.
ern Georgia and similar portions of Alabama
where the large shareholders are in the ascen-
dancy, many, very many, would wish to see a
reconstruction of the old government, but no
one dares openly to utter Union sentiment.
In Northern Georgia and like sections there
are thousands who fearlessly proclaim their Un-
ion sentiments. As soldier stepped off the
cars at Atlanta, some gentlemen upon the steps
of the hotel, flushed with the news OF the recent
victory (it was Tuesday morning last,) shouted,
"Hurrah for jeff. Davis" The soldier in re.
SPONGE, replied, "By God, there are good many
in upper Georgia who would shout hurrah for
Old Abe" Such districts supply relatively few
volunteers to the Southern army.
In reference to the feeling among the
slave population, be says:
There is nothing that the writer would regret
more than the savage and bloody result of an
insurrection among such a population; and
night after night when away from his little
family, he has prayed God that on his return
home he may not find his fond wife and little
ones prey to flames kindled by negro hands.
Yet he has noticed at no period in eight years
less turbulence among that class. That they
are wide awake to the state of affairs may be
inferred by the reply to the following question,
which was put cautiously and with purpose
to one of that class not remarkable for his in
telligence. Addressing negro who rode a few
yards behind me, inquired, "What do you
think of all this drumming and fifeing, Joe -
"Oh, massa, me don't know, black man say