Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-02-05
UnionIstsin in the south.
ffrom the Richmond Dispatch, Jan. ID


The Lincoln journals labor with untir-
ing assiduity to maintain tue long ago ex,
ploded falsehOod of a Union party in the
South, as il it were the most manifest and
uudenlable truth. They say there is a
powerful Union feeling even iu the heart
of seCessta, and that all that is necessary
to deVelope 1t is the presence of the feder-
al troops. They undertake TO draw IL dis
tinction between the Southern Government
and the Southern people, and profess to
believe that n large Union element exists
among the masses, but is kept down under
| reign of terror. Whether they believe
what they say we do not pretend to decide.
1t is sate,, as general rule, to conclude
that they employ language only to deceive;
but there is such thing among habitual
story teliers as repeating u falsehood so
often that they actually believe it them-
selves.
It may be so with the oft repeated as
sertton that the old Union is still dear to
the hearts of alarge number of the South
ern people. But there never was more
palpable and ltbellous faIsehood That
up to the period Of LincOln's proclamation
majority of the people of Virginia and
OF the other boarder States was iu favor
of the Union, aud determined to stand by
1t as long as they could with honor, no
one denies. But when that despot drew
tue sword, the Union party in the whole
South ceased TO exist, and the internal ma
lignity with which this war has been wa
ged has put the resurrection of Union
ism beyond the reach of possibility. That
party which stood by the old Union to tho
last has contributed as promptly and as
largely to fill the ranks OF our armies as
tue original advocates of secession; they
have been foremost in the fight for inde-
pendence, and they will ne tho last to SUR
render.
IL ever there was war of the people, n
war in which the government is but mere
agent and instrument of the peoples will,
1T is the war of self-dpfenCG now wa
ged by tho Southern States. The people,
in fact, have been ahead of their govern
mentiu preseryance and energy; the peo-
| pie have raised the armies, furnished tho
means, and made the sacrifices, which
have thus far been followed by such ex.
traordinary results. What evidence or
deep devotion to the cansocould they give
which they have not given? Tho Northern
journals constantly pretend that the South
outnum6ers them upon every battlefield,
SO that whilst the federal armies number
six hundred thousand men, they have fear.
ed for six months to make an advance in
any direction. If this be true, how can
they pretend that tho great heart of tho
Southern people is not in this war? Our
armies nro made up of volunteers, aud of
volunteers who rushed with the Ioftiest en-
thustasm to arms. There has been no
compulsiou, no COnscription. Mothers
have gladly given their sons, wives their
husbands, aud if there were weapons
enough, the whole population would be in
arms. A.vast amount of the clothing and
supplies of the army have been the free
will offerings of the Southern people
Women have given the very blankets from
their beds to shelter our brave soldiers.
the needles of the women have been US
busy as the bayonets of our troops
There is not a church nor family alter
in the South which has not every day and
every night sent up earnest prayers for
tho success of our cause. Nor is it our
own government which has shown by the
suspension of the. ysr5eas corpus, and the
EyiOlation of every political and civil right
of the citizens, that it had reason to doubt
the loyalty of the people. That has been
left to the despotism at Washington, which
can only retain its power by converting the
people of the free States into slaves, and by
keeping up large standing armies in those
slave States which are still bound to the
Union by the compulsion of cold STEEL
Thatis the only Union now left, and the
only Union which can ever exist again be.
tween North and South. SuBjngation,
and not Union, is all that the Lincoln des.
lpotism itself expects. Aud in eternal re-
sistance to that despotism the South viii
battle till thereis no longer a man within
her borders capable of defending his conn
try and his liberty
Renegade southerners.
From the Richmond Dispatch, Jan. s0.l