Natchitoches union. [volume] ([Natchitoches, La.]) 1859-1864, 1862-02-20
The Emergency-Our People
Must BE Aroused,

e& A plain statement of fac ts In a
that is necessary to superinduce in tb
upublic mind full realization of tb
dangers through which we are to pas
T Mbefore this war is ended. The bou
lof our trial is near, and if we woul
: have bright and cheering future W
&must awake from our apathy an,
Ebestr ourselves like men.
n 1t is known that the North has a,
I army of more than six hundred thous
Mand soldiers, half million of whom
Hare III active service. Of these, about
n 5O,0 900 are connected with the differ
Hent naval expeditions, and stationed
Ealong the sea coast At Washington
kand along the Potomac, in McClelan's
kdivision. there are nearly l25, 900 loav
Hing 225,00O otherwise disposed. The
army from Western Virginia has been
n transferred to Kentucky. At Paris,
HLcxington, and confronting Gen. Mar.
I8siaall, in the eastern portion Of that
EaState there is force of como 10000.
|gFrom Louisville to Green river. under
NBuell, about 100000 At Columbia, Som
|aerset, and on the upper Cumberland,
athere arc 10000 under Thomas, and his
Iacomnaad is being increased. At Cal
Ixhoun, and on the lower Green river,
III 900. The residue are at Smithland
APaducah, Cairo, and in Missouri.
a We thus have land frontier extend
ling from the Western line of Virginia
&to kansas, menaeed by an army Of Tip.
awards of two hundred thousand we'll
EARNED and well appointed soldiers
Fortunately for us the weather has sol
4 far rendered operations with largeI
%bodies Of men impracticable But
1wheneyer this difficulty is removed |
1--WE may look with confidence for tlleirI
immense hordes to be precipitated up-|
ION US. This invasion, too, will he by|
river and by land. The enemy's sup
1plies will DO brought with them. in|
2this respect the invasion by the landl
frontier can be conducted without thei
hazard to supplies from winds andl
waves, and the distance with which,
their naval expeditions are liable toi
abe embarrassed. If they break through
aour lines, or turn our strong positions, |
athen we must face all the horrors of
4invasion. ~
y They are now ready for an advanced
land nothing detains them, we repeat
Sbut the roads and the weather The sec
ztion of country through which the.
ariny from Paducah and Cairo is del
asigned to act, Gen. Smiths recent5
aabortiye movement has delnonstrateds
f Ito be wholly unsuited for winter cam-s
apaigning. 1t is reasonable to supposes
athat the other army corps are for theg
Spresent inactive for the same reason
What are our preparations 30 resist
these immense.numbers2
We do not deem it proper to publishH
IN newspaper either our numbers ors
the disposition of orr troops, but wei
zfeel authorized to say to the people off
athe Southwest we med m0ye men-moye1
FIGHTING MEN. We have use for thous-
zands and tens of thousands more thanI
we have. We must have men enough
Ito guard every place where the enemyI
may attempt an inroad upon us. Wei
have skilful and experienced generals,
abut it is idle to rely upon their skillt
/ if we do not furnish them with menI
5cnough to meet the emergency. TheI
present bad weather is a boon froms
heaven. We have time to place melll
enough in the field if we go promptly
land clergetically to work Ii must bel
done and done OF once.
The Confederate Congress has pass I
sed a law to meet the occasion. 1t pro-E
3vIdes for the receiving individual vols
lunteers as they may offer their servicesa
without, as heretofore, requiring ~
whole company to be formed and orstE Z
1nized before they could be musteredS
|lnto service. The advantages OF thiss
change in providing subsistence, trans /
|portat;on and pay from the day Of en-
|listment are obvious Additio lal in
|ducements are also held out to those
who will raise companies, battalio,isk Z
|or regiments. The duty OF Congress has
been well performed, and ali that re- 4
u"'ao IVA "'c epCVp'O va VIC oOulH w
Insure their liberty and nationality is&
ito act upon this law with patriotism6
and promptitude.
1t is useless for the Government tog
move in this matter unless it is sus-
tanned by the masses: the ycomanry Oh
the land. That portion Of our populations
who stay at home, must awake from
their dreamy lethargy, turn aside for 4
u time from their various avocations,N
and respond to their call of their
country. We must go to camps Of in-s I
struction, carry our guns, and learn
how to use them. The people, wei
fear, do not realize the crisis. The
transfer of Beauregard from the Pol
tomac to Columbus, and the infor a
alton which comes to us from other
portions of Kentucky, which we can 4
not make public, mean more than the
country is aware Of We repeat, now
is the time for every patriot to show
his devotion, and let him do so beforeH
it is too late.
Memphis APPEAL 4
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