Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-01-26
Our Army correspondence from Ten
nessec-The Tenacity Of the Ike bcl-
MEMPHIS. January II. 1863.

MEMPHIS. January IL, 1868.
| wish could carry with me through the South
every intelligent, thinking Northern man who
has no theory To support no party to sustain. and
no unconquerable prejudices against the people oi
this latitude. of any color or complexion. aud no
scheme OF revenge or philanthropy to foster, bnt
who would look upon the facts around him il
he had just came from Jupiter, or some other
planet TO examine aud combine them and draw
wise conclusions from them, irrespective of the
notions or wishes OF Others or of his former
views. u he had any. OF course l would not
want them all at ouce unless hotel accommodi-
tons were more capacious, unless they would
furnish their own eating and sleeping without ell
bowling me any more than am alre ,dy elbowed
1 opine that most OF them would conclude, ms a
sable brother of mine did who is "A popular
preacher among those Of the African persuasion
One day one of his flock called upon him, and
with an anxious look. said: "Brudder Moses
does you understand de scrIptersf' 81 humby
thinks does, Brudder Samuel :" was the meek re
ply. well, den. Brudder Moses please explain
~ TO me what de scripters means by dat paSsag &c
what speaks Oh de animal what has seven heads
and ten horns" 30, Brudder," said Moses, IL
means Is powerful OF de common scripters, but
not on dat what is called de mystephy sizes When
/ comes to such scripters dat jest scz To my
SELF leave him be till Massa Jesus come; he
spain him-poor Moses can't" | confess that
very much IN that fix to the events around
me. Occasionally get "A paper from the North
IN which are theories. solutions. proclamations
and messages which speak great swelling words
all of which may be hugely amusing to the writ
err. but which wide OF the mark, and which
will be monuments of human folly when the
storm cloud shall have passed away. You may
be sure that il looks strange to us. shut up in the
midst of rebeldom for weeks, without "a word OF
Information from the outside world, 10 happen
upon n paper which has in some way run the
blockade. and find series of resolutions or "A
message from those upon whom the rebels had
looked most hopefully, which. while they con
denim IN general and particular everything that is
done by the government, yet pledge every bot
tom dollar to a restoration OF the Union rs il
was. while those who have claimed to be Union
lists, par excellence. are discussing mediation. re
cognitiOn. &c. One proposes armi>tce while
terms of reconciliation may be discussed with
those who never intend 10 be reconc:led and an.
other says, lay on the military strokes for moth
ing but armed force will ever conquer them
You are all wrong, | am sure OF that, though
am unable to say what is right. / have no theo
nv. no plan; | just abide the logic of events
Nor do believe the wisest man amongst us Cal
give an approximate guess To the results o.
the contest | am confident Of only this. tha
we have not r,iched the crisis. but thlt event.
are transporting which will intensity and proon.
the struggle.
! may add. IN passing. that more than the ques
ton of secession will be settled before we ar,
through with the war. Partly by biyonets an,
partly by ballot, even on Northern soil other
questions. involving the relative rights OF indv
duals aud the rights OF government. the rights q
States and the rights OF the nation will he dis
cus>ed and settled to the overthrow of not few
distractions which have figured largely Tor ages
ia theories only.
But intended TO let YOU see the South rs
have seen IL within the last SIX months Occa
siontlly have bearded the lion in his den, or il
his cage rather. have met the politician VIII,
had done much to infame the public mind III
Is in 10 sense subluei He admits the power o
our arms. as he had not expected to see it devel
oTed-he admits that Yankees can fight and viii
hight. hut the. South l. not conquered, and he saw
she will not be. Here is Memphis where ",
have had possession since June last. | venture 4
say that not one secesSioniSt has abandoned hi
wishes. though possibly his hopes are somewhi
shaken. Men who timidly and fruitlessly op
posed secession have become bold since our arm
came here. but these are chiefly Northern adven
turers who had not entered fully into the spirit o
tho South. and Who had comparatively little mi
terisl interest in the city.
have improved every possible opportunity {,
ascertain the Utmost and liked purpose aud view
OF private citizens i'm every walk OF lie Occa
sionally | have found some cotton Speculate
who hal taken the oath" for the sake OF gettin;
permit to trade IN cotton. who very garru
ious about the Union when in company. but whei
have found him alone and unrestrained. tin.
lac entertans the common opinion that the Sout
cannot be conquered and ought not To be-tha
her interests IRE all wrapped up in her indepenl
ence-that though We may have made incursion
into the interior we have found IL entirely con
venient TO tall back again. Buell. did last fall
and as Grant has done this winter, and thus h
hopes " will ever bc. | have found those who
more honest than the cotton trader. relu-d q
take any oath except that OF non com-att,ni
10 give no information while left unmoleste
within lines. These. when assured that
candid expression Of opinion will not jeopardy
Their security. are very frank and very hrm. The
q. in the rcver-es Of their arms nothing yer
different from the re,es~es of OUT Revulusonar
fathers during the first years ct their rebellion
struggle. They speak OF the loss OF their fence.
their cattle and horses "a nothin. strange aud u
nothing sublung They have sons in the arm
and their affections and their hopes are there
They spura the idea of reconstruction" an
regard ~ their eneme. those who plead for al
Union a. ., VAS Whatever else my belal them
thes regard their separat on IS permanent.
And yet another ,class. By seeking b,ariin
in priva families When possible, have had fre
quent opportun ties to learn the m nds OF the va
men aud children. Their opinions have nu
usually been obtained in the air OF insolenc
which sometimes charscierizes a fe~ 20 calle
Southern ladies. but in the candid. dispsssionats
firm tone which commands NV respec, aud adm
ration. Tor. rebels though they are. they ar
ypcs of true American character. and speak a