Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-02-25
w. D. WALLACH:
sUBJUGATiON OF The soUrH-LoY.
Ally In DIXIE
[From the Rlchmond Dispateh, Eeh.


The Yankee nation, elevated by the recent
victories Of its hireling armies is entirely
certain Of the speedy and thorough subjuga-
ton OF the South. It laughs to scorn any
idea Of any other possibility, and exults
IN deliciolsi day-dreams of the degrada-
ton tr which its enemy will be reduced.
1t glor1es In the consciousness of its brute
strength, and intends to exercise it in the
spirit Of brute. All the enormous self-com-
placency and self-conceit which for a while
were humbled by the battle IF Manassas have
renewed their ancient exEltstion, and they
fancy themselves the masters Of the universe
and the predestined conquerers of all man
kind. But the work of subjagatisn is as dis
tant now as eyer-more distant, more imprac-
ticabls than it was before the shadow Of dis
aster had been cast upon our flag.
If eur early victories had been followed up,
and blow struck which would have paralized
the North and compelled a peace, it would
have been a temporary paralysis, and peace
which would have subjugated the South more
completely than she is ever likely to be by the
hands of her enemies. The inevitable copse-
quences Of speedy peace would have been the
restoration of the old commercial and manu.
featuring dependency Of the South ron the
North, with no other results Of her nominal
Independence than a temporary exemption
from abolition legislation, and the heavy ex-
Pense OF separate Government, with none of
those sources OF wealth to support it which
commerce, manufactures and trade supply.
Such condition, call it by what name we
may, would be essentially subjugation; and if
the North had taSDh counsel Of wisdom instead
OF pride, malignity and revenge, it would, in
the first instance, never have permitted the
war to be Waged, or, when it had begun, have
brought 1t TO termination as speedily as pos
sible.
When we say that the subjugation of the
south Is now more remote than il would have
been after an early peace, we have no refer
ence to that small minority whicA, in the
South, as well as every community. is willing
to purchase peace at any price. There are to-
Ttes IH tbs South as there acre tories ia the
ReUoEHtton, tchoSe only sympathfeS are acih
the enemies of their country, tcho kdulsrk lts
rIet0Ttss and rejOioe OUsr its defeats. The
subjugation Of these is not the question, for of
all the tyrants who threaten to oppress us
they, IN the event of an opportunity, would be
the most reyengeful and inexorable. The to-
ries in the Revolution committed atrocities
which far surpassed the most cruel oppressors
OF the British invaders, and we are prepared
to expect from Southern tories-happily not so
many in number nor go capable Of mischief as
their 1ilustrious predecessors-the exhibition
Of similar spirit
There Is another and more numerous class
who may be subjugated, because they are al
ready subJugated by their apprehensions of the
evils and calamities which are incident to a
state OF war. Whilst generally honest and
patriotic, they look upon national honors as an
abstraction, not to be weighed against person
al comfort and security and material gain
Dying for ones country" they consider a
very pretty poetleal sentiment, much to be
admired IN novels and tragedies but like
many other poetical sentiments nonsensieaI
ana Qulxotle when reduced to practice. Self
indulgence Is the rule of life with many men
who are patriotic, honest, Tirtuous, and moral
as long as the exercise of those qualities cost
them no sacrifice But of any higher life than
the life OF the flesh they have not the faintest
conception, nor can they imagine any greater
evil than the loss Of money, the deprivation of
physical comforts, and above all the loss of
life Ne one will deny that the subjI CATION of
this class is practicable, even with a moity of
the immense forces which Lincoln has brought
into the field.
But such is not the spirit of the great major
1ty OF the Southern people. They are deyOut-
ly attached to their country, to its Institutions
to It's habits and modes Of life, and they have
an innate and iner6dicabie antagonism to the
political and social system of the invading
race, to their character and their habits and
their very modes Of speech, which the present
cruel war has intensified into such passionate
and profound detestation that, sooner than
acknowledge the Yankees as masters, they
would rather see the whole Southern country
sink TO the bottom Of the ocean Asa whole.
the South Is proud, sensitive to the last degree
70 stain upon her honor, and holding death
an inferior evil to degradation Such men NAV
be overrun, may be exterminated, but they
cannot be subjugated. They will resist as long
as resistance Is possible, and, if conquered,
they Will not stay conquered. When the spirits
OF people are indomitable, they can never
De enslaved; and so long as the South ID true
20 herself, she viii maintain her freedom and
Independence.
What can the enemy do with such a peopIe7
lk driven from tha rifiaa xufn
country, and their cities altogether could not
mob town half the size Of New York To fol-
10" them to the country, in the vast territory
OF the south, would require an army more
numerous than that Of Xerxes. They will re-
tire TO the country and take their arms with
them, each man his trusty rife, and be pre-
pared to seize the first opportunity to re-sssert
tnelr rights. They will at once destroy the
cotton and other staples which the North Is en-.
deavoring to force from them by the sword and
will never cultivate them again till they can
40 20 LOT their own benefit. Every bale Of cot
Ton In the southern States will be burned, and
the proprietors will raise wheat and corn and
Stner articles which they purchased Of the
North. They will return to the simple and
frugal ways Of their forefathers, in dress, fur.
niture, and all the comforts of life, manufactu-
ring Tor themselves such plain and useful ar.
tieles as their simple wants and absolute neces.
siues require. If the Yankees choose to hold
their cities and be masters of the only spots
where their armies are quartsd, these will be
but islands in the midst Of a vast ocean, and
Will not affect the freedom and Independence
OF the people 30 long as they are constant TO
their cause and true to themselves
In the very worst aspect of the Southern
cau9e, this is the extreme limit which Yankee
subjugation can reach, even if our armies could
be driven from every battlefield, and every
Southern city and fort fall into the enemyis
hands. But the accomplishment even of that
result, with all their superiority Of numbers, il
an achievement beyond their power. They
have taught rs by perseverance with which
they contrived to fight Us after their signal re.
verses az Bethel, Bull Run, Manassas, Spring
field, Belmont, Carnifax Ferry, Leesburg,
Greenbriar river, Allegheny and others, not to
be dismayed and dishearted by reyersss, but
to make them incentives to new energy and
fresh determination. We shall rise, like An
teus, refreshed by every fall. The farther the
enemy penetrates into the interior and extends
ms line OF march, the more costly and perilous
will hA his ma AZ AZ.