Daily national Republican., 1863-05-16
Interesting Article on Bfagg's Kentucky
Campaign.

The Montgomery Advertiser copies the fol-
lowing paragraph from Bragg's official report
Of the battle Of Perryville, and takes issue
with II:
The campaign here was predicated on a
belief that the people of the country would rise
s1, BadSSe to assert their independence. No peo-
pie ever had so favorable an opportunity, but,
am distressed to add, there is little or no dispo-
sition to avail themselves of it. Willing, per-
haps, to assert their independence, they are
neither disposed nor willing to risk their lives
or their property in its achievement. With
ample means to arm 10000 men, and force
with that, fully able to redeem the State, we
have not yet issued half the arms left us by the
casualties incident to the campaign"
Upon this the Mobile Register thus comments
in leading article:
I" The advertiser reterates what has been so
often asserted by the enemies ofGeneral Bragg,
that the failure of the campaign was not owing
to the APATHY of the Kentuckians;' that the
people did not have so favorable an opportu-
nifty to rise as General Bragg believed; that
the advance and retreat of the Confederates
was so rapid that they had no time to arm and
organize, &c, &c.
"Wo have somewhat changed our opinion
about the APATHY of the KentUckians,' as one
of the causes of the Kentucky campaipn, The
apathy towards the Southern army was mani
fest enough, except from the noble women; but
there was abundant evidence of warmth towards
the FCderals. The true Southern blood Of Ken
lucky, we now believe, has left the State and
fed from tyranny and white slavery to the
Southern ConfedCraCy. This Is the cream of
kentucky's chivalry and patriotism. What is
left is but SKINNED milk. iC we may Judge
from the tame submission, or, at least, ftfu
and feeble resistance to the degrading wythcs
which Lincoln is daily binding around their
once free and manly limbs.
"Mcn who required more than three months
to leap to arms, resist dishonOr and despotism.
with disciplined army of thirty thousand men
on the spot to rally to, could not have very
! keenly felt the dishOnOr or the despOtism. In
May 1t was known that Bragg was coming. In
July, Kirby Smith with the advance arrived.
| In September Bragg followed, and In the latter
! part Of October the army retired. Here were
notice Of advance and presence OF force for
over five months. Yet says the advertiser.
! had the ConfcdGrates remained for six weeks
| longer in Kentucky, and manifested in the
meantime disposition and an ability to hold
the State, not less than $4,000 go, 900 y men
would have Joined the army We have not a
doubt Of II. If the Confederates could have
whipped the Yankees out Of the State without
the aid Of the people, and become masters o
the situation, General Bragg would have had
many to flock to his standard. But that wa,
not the programme nor the proposition. ThcsC
! were to come first to our standard, and let IL,
together eNpcl the tyrants. The simple trutl
is, the men Of Kentucky would not do it; anC
because they did not, General Bragg had to fal
back for he could not, by his own strength
hold the State against Buell's Overwhelming
forces.
"A few thousand gallant sons Of Kcntuck,
armed and Joined the Confederate army. Bu
the masses of the Kentucky male population
were either dead to sense of the crisis, o
were hostile Union men.
"We are very much afraid that the Kentuck,
heart now, since its noblCst and best have CONF
to the South, is with our enemies; that a pol
of its votes would show It,"