The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-02-15
The Rebels in Extremity,


From The Richmond Enquirer.l
Mcclellan is moving his legions, and
probably in earnest. Are we ready
The war drum should sound through
out our confederacy.
The aoar spirit must be revived. We
want war speeches al our court houses
and cross roads. Our people should
rouse up and organize as one man, and,
prepare for the most determined war;,
See We not the circle of fire that is unit
ing around you? Hear we not the
tramp of the enemy's advancing lines,)
and the rush of coming steps? The
shock of tremendous strife is upon us.
AS free and Independent people, we
have either to conquer or to die, and
are resolved not to die. The time is
come when every one who has the
spirit of man must show it.
From the Memphis Appeal
1t were foolhardy and unwise to con-
ceal the fact that the 1orofoasndest states
men IN the coa.teoeracy entertain great
dp]Dreltensions on the subject of re-en-
listnsent, involving results, as we be-
lieve, pregnant with veal or woe to the
republic. We would be recreant to our
duty as candid and out-spoken jour-
nal were we to fail to expose the peril
of the future connected with this mat
ter, which must be avoided by the
combined wisdom of public legislation
and patriotism of the people.
| From the Pensacola Correspondence of the
| Mobile Advertiser.
"The First Alabama Regiment was
the very first regiment in the confeder-
ate service, and the first in the field.
1t is, therefore, the first of the twelve
months troops to 60 out. Great eff
forts have been made to induce the gal
liant First Alabama to re-enlist. They
were poorly successful, except the last
one, few days ago, which has been
partially successful. 1t seems as if it
would break Gen. Bragg's hear, to part
with the First Alabama"
Their doom is close upon them.
They see it. 1t is inevitable. The
old assurance has departed. Bravado
has had its day. Drag goes to the wall.
There is an end to sham of every sort.
The dread reality cannot logger be
Knocked. An memorable, terrible me-
cessity will, at length, have things dealt
| with as they are. How to deal with
whether to rush headlong upon
fate with frantic desperation, or sink
supinely in blank despair-that alone
is the question now Other alternative
there is none.
Three causes combine to seal their
their ruin: First, the closing folds of
the great federal Gordon; second the
dissolution of their own forces third.
the established purpose Of the Euro
pean powers to give no aid.
McClellan's plans are no longer a
mystery to the rebels. His long mac
ton, which they, in their yainglory, at
tributed to fear, they have now dis
covered to have been only the prepar-
atory for crushing process all the
more resistless and fatal. They find
themselves beleagurcd on all sides, and
know not whittier to turn. To use the
expressive language of the Richmond
Examiner, " a circle of fire is uniting
around them" Six hundred thousand
brave, well-drilled, thoroughly equip
ped soldiers, filled with unyielding de-
termined to vindicate their old flag and
save the republic, are moving in upon
them from the north. from the south,
from the east, and from the west, with
a colossal power which it would be i'm
possible for them to withstand even
/ with their utmost strength.
] But even the insufficient strength
which they have is about to be greatly
reduced. Probably nine tenths of their
army enlisted for a single twelvemonth
only and that term is fast expiring.
Re-enlistments on any large scale will
not be realized. The action of the
gallant First Alabama" as quoted
above, will, in all probability, be tho
action of every regiment. They will
go home when no longer bound to
serve. Not that they have become
loyal; we have no right to presume
THAT; but want of pay, continued hard
ship. hope deferred, home sickness, tell
even upon the best of soldiers engaged
in the best of causes. Every one fa-
miliar with our revolutionary war
knows how often Washington was re-
duced TO the sorest straits by the re-.
tirement, even at critical junctures, of
portions of his army whose term was
out, and whom no exortations could pre-
vail upon to re-enlist To ascribe lof.
tier spirit of self.sacrifce to the follow
ers of jeff Davis is to libel American
nature. Revolutionary zeal among the
masses has always been proyerbially.
short lived. tits easy to gather large.
army in the hot glow of the first ex,
citement. But to keep up the array
has always been the rub. The hard
privations and rigid restraints and pain>
full sufferings of camp and campaign
life are apt to quickly chill the first
ardor; and when an honorable oppor-
tunity comes to get clear again, it is
most likely to be used. The rebel lead.
Fers made great mistake in making the
'fterm of enlistment SO brief-only one
third the federal period. They recks
Toned, undoubtedly, upon the quick.
/ completion of the war. But they have
4 found that, attic time when they sup
opposed they would be masters. Of the
field the government is just beginning
to fight. They find their men. turning,
4 their faces homeward Just as our men.