Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-03-18
Important from the south.

The Cincinnati Commercial publishes
(cditorially) the following statement of II
gentleman who arrived at Cincinnati
from the South. 1t said not a word dis
crediting the statement, and yet regqcs
its "loyal" readers every day with the
pleasing intelligence that the South is
about "starved ont" We are unable to
see how it reconciles this statement with
its starvation stories -
"a gentleman, a large landed proprietor
In Georgia and South Carolina, aud once li-
teen years q Senator and member of the low
er House of the South Carolina Legislature,
left Savannah, Georgia, on the twentieth Of
last month, and passing through Georgia and
Tennessee, run the blockade Of both armies,
and arrived at this city yesterday morning en-
route for Washington City Known in The
commencement of the rebellion to be opposed
to the schemes of the eonsprators aud in
favor Of the Constitution as it is, aud the
Union as it was, he has been kept under
close military surveillance, and compelled TO
report regularly to the authorities.
AT tho time the gentleman left Savannah,
there were about 10000 troops collected lhe,e
tor its defense. He says the city is very
strongly fortified, and that Charleston is well
nigh impregnabe Every means OF defense
known to military science had been employed
to render the city invulnerable to assault
They we're confident OF their ability to resist
an attack, aud had so arranged their commu-
nication that an attack upon one or the other
city will be the signal Tor concentrating all
e., aI oil
80 far as he observed along the route he
travelled, the Confederates were well supplied
with coarse and substantial food, lacking the
delicacies and luxuries of life only. There
was no positive distress among the people in
cident to privation.
"The Confederates were much inspirited by
the raid OF the Charleston rams on the block
aiding fleet, and especially the interest the
foreign Consuls took in investigating the facts,
and declaring the blockade broken. The
capture Of the Queen of the West, and the
Gndianola particularly, had restored conf
denoe in their ability to cope successfully with
the Yankee gnnboats.
| There was little conceA lment Of their in.
tention to make aformidable invasion of Ken
lucky They are now only waiting ior the
river 10 fall, and the roads to become passa-
bic Thoy are massing large bodies Of troops
at Chattanooga and other points in renhes-
aee
He thinks they outnumber Rosecrans two
TO one, and while menacing him in 'front.' will
flank him on the left enter Kentucky, and
march directly upon Louisville and Cincnna-
ii, leaving Rosecrans to be cut up in detail II
possible In this invasion, which they intend
shall be the most formidable yet undertaken,
they expect the cooperation Of n fleet ofiron.
clads now building in England for the Em-
perOr of China, some ten OF which are con-
traeted for to be completed during the present
month With these they expect TO clear The
Mississippi of the Yankee fleets and retaking,
of course, New 0rleans and all other points
now held by the Federal forces, He says
that whatever opinion may be entertained OF
the feasibility Of this project II is seriously en-
terGained. The plans have been matured, the
Generals provided, and the armies organized,
They insist that nothing but the capture
Of Cincinnati viii satisfy them. 1t IS his
opinion, however, that they will not invade
the free States, as the influence of such an
invasion would be in direct opposition to the
policy by which they hope to defeat the Fed
ederal Government Invasion, they srgus,
would consolidate the North, and consolida.
ton Of sentiment and action in the loyal
States is what they most fear aud deprecate.
They wish to divide, after which conquest will
be easy. They intend to practice, in war, the
policy that was so suecessful in peace, and
which gave them an aseendaney in political
affairs during long succession Of years.
During the past month they have been pc
, cularly successful in running in English
steamers, with eargoes Of arms and am
munition Of immense value, They are
now as we'll provided with arms for infantry and
artillery as the Federal Government, and rely
greatly on the assistance Of the iron clad
navy now being buill for them, TO give them
at least equality, it not supremacy On The
rivers and seas. A
Beautiful Ben. ButIer.