Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-15
MORNING LEADER.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL Is, '63.



The Planters Banner, published st
Franklin, Louisiana, the headquarters Of
the rebel General sibley, devOtes lengthy
article to discussion Of the dark pros
poets Of the South and the danger Of q
famine. Il says;
"From the beginning Of the civil war
which now RACES with such ferOcity IN the
country. the South has been passing
through alternate light and dark periods.
Hopes and fears, sunshine and Storm veal
and woe, have succeeded each other as
though ordered by Providence as Heaven S
programme Of the revolution. Let no one
fancy the South has seen her last dark Pc
riod. The next part Of the programme may
be famine and its horrid accompauiments.
The enemy are now at work endeaveung
to produce these results. Too many of
cur planters sleep on the brink of the
yawning precipiee before them. The en-
emy are stealing all the field hands they
can from the inside Of the Confederate
lines, and are pushing their armies TO
cover as much Of the bread growing re-
giOns of the South as possible. Then they
will attempt to cut off the beef trade Of
y
country open his eyes TO these facts, and
do al in his power 10 increase the supply
Of corn and provisions, and help avert the
evil that now threatens Usf We fear that
we are about entering upon terribly dark
period Of our national existence. The op-
position to the Lincoln Administration At
the North cannot avert this calamity The
planters Of the South, aided by Providence,
may save US"
Again it says:
"If we have a drcuth this season, and
such thing is probable, how can the
South feed the Northern and Southern ar
mics and her own people2 II they succeed
in cutting of the supply Of beef from
Texas, and destroy the crops and demoral-
iEe the slaves as far as theirarmies extend
their operations, what VIII be the condi-
ton Of the South another winter, if the
planters and cultivators inside the Con-
federate lines do not apply their entire
energies and labor 10 the raising Of bread
stuffs and provisions2
We learn that in some parts Of Texas
and Louisiana, cotton planters, carried
away with the hope Of selling their cotton,
after the war, for fifty or seventy five
cents per pound, are making arrangements
TO make all the cotton they possibly can,
and are paying but little attention 10 corn.
If such a spirit should prevail extensively,
the South will see such suffering rs she
has never yet seen. We may as we'll look
these facts fairly in the face The war is
not yet over. We are not entirely safe
The vigilance, diabolical hate aud despera-
ton Of the enemy, may yet ruin the South,
if our planters, as well as our Generals,
and soldiers, and statesman do not do their
duty.
a How are our planters in ST. Mary's
doing? Have they prepared to plant
large surface in corn and sweet potatoes2
We believe they understand this question.
They should never lose sight Of it. This
is no time TO be studying about making
money. They should ali make bread
Aud their ploWs and hands and teams
should work TO feed the army as we'll as
the people. Men can not fight unless they
are fed. They can fight naked and bare
fyoted, but they must have food, and the
Southern planter must furnish it for them.
The planters Of che South have as weighty
responsibility upon their shoulders this
year as the soldiers who beat back the foe,
and defend the country by their valor and
their blood .