The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-10-07

the military strength OF the South. In the es-
'rl..e he has reckoned their able-bodied force at
II pr cent Of their white population, while he
says u Massachusetts this is only T. per cent Of
tre population. The estimate is as follows:
Arlc :, bear arms T all ages $50 coo
AlNauc. for volunteer, from the Border states, 10000
Making oossol. army Of 100000
sNcd-e. already ,nded one-lhird killed nr
disabled, 900 900
LEAVING d possible available force Of 10000
sksa:aSt our original army Of $4,000
sE>ps -Ied alreary, 100000
}oaynG our force 400 coo
Adu hew lsvieS, 100000
,pualto 100000
Nahing, 100000
IBIS calculation. i. vii, be seen, is based on
white population Of little over four millions,
"hjea We think is all underestimate, unless len
is reckoned as a Border State. We also
,hnh tie estimate o.! the number of rebel yolun-
icero from the Border States too small, and we
sho-G be inclined to add 100000 to he figures
above. making the whole rebel, available force at
VIC .a,set 100000, ns,ead of 100000 men, This
undoubtedly is fair estimate, and one which can
be Na:ely relied upon in stating the number of
troops which the rebels can, in any event, put in
tee :-eld. And i: the rebel army has no, lost by
dist4se, casualties, deserions, &C., 200 900 men,
II has suffered very much less than ours.
The rebe! strength, then, to-day cannot be
rnoro than 100000 men. The Union armies
eush; 20 number, at least, 100000 and our ma
wal .1pe,iori,y added to this force should at
',noGerate estimate, make cur whole strength ac-
suaiy in the field, double what it is possible for
the .vbels TO send against US. Besides this, we
claim continually, and doubtless with truth, tha
OF. troops are better equipped, that we have
more artillery, and that our armies are every way
better appointed than those of our e. emies We
certainly, also, II US, have much greater force in
sese.ve Tor we reckoned the rebel strength on d
Aa>.o which would make Vermont supply over
1880 troops, or twice and one half the number
already sent. These figures, which are said
nev.f 10 lie,-are conclusive Of the immense SD
per- ity, not only of our armies already in The
feG, 10 those of the rebels, but to any the rebel,
Can .aise by any conscrip,ion act. And our SUI
perority in all the other manifold resources, which
h.lp 10 support war, are as marked and decided
as III the numbers OF our armies
Ba. the rebels have hitherto had one source o
strength which the North has lacked unless tn
tew saves owned by loyal men in the Borde
states may be counted as a help to us-aud tina
is tie slaves. Of these there are now in the in
sargent states more than 400 900 aole bodied
male servants, besides the women and children
who also work in the fields. If they do not dar
10 am any Of these, the yet make them service
abs as teams trs, ADD il the heavier aborS in tn
CAM and entertainments. And to us it is pref
ty pain propo ,tjon that this slave labor has bee
he chief support Of the rebellion, without whic
the government would long before this have SIC
ceeGed in crushing treason entirely. 1t has bee
worth to the South more than its army, for wit!
ou. it is army could not have been 50 large ; II
co2d il, or the people az home have beenkept fror
starvation. 1t has thus far contributed to max
the south more nearly equal to the North IN tn
Ael1 than otherwise would have been pOssbl
and enabled The rebel, to nearly match the in
menSe armes which the government has raiset
10 short, slavery has been to the South as muc