Smyrna times., 1863-04-30
Ths Suppressed Union Feeling in the
South,

LETTER FROM a LoYAi. SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN.
FOR the National IatsIhgencer
A recent visit to and constant CORES
pondence with the South has convinced the
writer of this article of the correctness of
the views advanced in his communication to
your valuable paper some months since
Ihe fanatics on both sides who have ass r.
ted that the people OF the South have been
and are unit in their antagonism to the
United States Government are in the wrong.
and the fatality of their assertions is every
day becoming more apparent. Every South
+rnef knows that majority of the white
population of his particular section are not
in favor of establishing any stronger form
pt government than that set up by our faith
ors, and that they have no interest in. but,
on the contrary, have an interest against,
the maintenance OF slavery, which only ope-
rates III competition with their labor Eve
ry Southerner knows that there are not over
two hundred thousand persons, all told in
that portion Of the United States now in re-
belliOn who are directly interested As slave
owners in uphOlding slavery, and that q ma
Jorlty OF them are not disposed to abandon
a republican form Of government as failure.
II is true that the politicians Of the South
who tomented and still control the rebellion
do regard a monarchy as the best form of
government, and have been and are laboring
| InSldiously to get their opinion adopted by
the people who put them in power. They
have already established rigid military des-
potlsm, which, so long as the war continues,
will answer their purposes well enough, but
III the event their rebellion were to prove
! success, which is now more improbable than
ever, what would become of them in case
their armies were disbanded before some
stronger form Of government were adopted
and organized7 They have pondered well
upon this question. They know what in
that event would be their fate
The writer of this article, having been
born in the South, having always resided
there, and having been in five of the Sece-
ded States within the last six months, is per-
haps better qualified to Judge of public SEN
tlment in the South than those who have
never been there, Those residing elsewhere
who are known as sympathizers with the
South" are not entitled to be so designated
They do not sympathize with the majority
OF the white population of the South, but
with the politicians that are riding them tc
their ruin.
The question is often asked, why, if such
he the state of the case, do not the masses
IN the South rise up, and, after deposinQ
their rulers, return to their allegance' 1t is
easily answered. They lack arms, muni-
tions of war, and organization, all of which
are in the despotic control of Mr.. Jefferson
Davis and his conlederates. After hayinn
been abandoned to their fate in portions of
Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and Texas
by our Government, it is not to be expected
that the people of any portion of the Sece-
ded States will now declare themselves fol
the Unionuntil they see clearly that they
will receive permanent protection
1t is not at all strange that Mr.. Jefferson
Davls's health seems TO be giving way un.
der the pressure to which. he has been, is
and must continue to be, subjected. What
has become of the fattering inducement,
held out by him and his associates in the con.
spiracysto us, the people of the South7-
Have we had "peaceable secession4' Has
the export duty on cotton filled the treasury
of the so-called southern .Confederacy by
paying the interest on the bonds issued by
Mr. Memminger! Have the great Power
ofEurope interviewed and opened our ports
Have the Democrats of the North held their
party, tie stronger than their allegiance to
their Government, and consented to .heip
out the treason ofthose who regard repub
lican form of government as a failure =
Thus far what have the leaders of the South
gained by the war they inangurated save d
stay Of execution They know that theii
doom II fixed, and they are only fighting
for delay. If such is not the case, why are
SO many of the knowing ones among them
occupied in converting, at ruinous sacri.
fee, their. assets into gold or sterling cx.
f'ffieA ~ ~ Atatasst - ~ ~ 49, "