, 1863-08-05
an Interesting Secesh Letter.
Loud Murmurs Against Jef. Davis
Administration.

ut WE'VE IL RAF1a VI LILO -p&ef&Al0R 1cGl1uX ID
are deeply interesting: |
RoH1oap, July II, 1858.
Mr. DEAR S,R: Since the adjournment I
have been called here on buslness. Much |
change has occurred In public sentiment, IL !
well as in the condition Of the country since
yon wero hers. We have fallen On evil times, |
Disaster on disaster stuns tho public sense.
4 deep gloom oppresses the country. The
does net proceed from the lack
Of fortituds to bear tho ordinary revorses Of |
war, for the nation met manfully the repeated
time when the great jackson scattered the
gloom BY tho flashes Of his victod- !
ous guns at Romney and through the |
Valley. No, eyerywhere they will tell
you they are despondent, because the
conviction has forced itselt on them that |
nb1e to asource they cannot reach, at lea5ti1
time. to avert. those tho future threstens;
that further offers Of blood and treasure will
but 60 to swell the bulletins Of the Grants
and the Rosccrans', for whom the samo or
other lmbeelles vii be sent to prepare the
sacrifice. You will find some Of the papers
(mosfly the official sheets), insulting tho
southern people BY appeals to their constancJ
nnder re7erses. BY inTocstions to strengthen
the hands Of the government and renew our
confidence In It's Wisdom, BY e1tenuatinR our
disasters, as due rather to tho ordinary vicls-
eitudes Of War than to the fatal agency Of per
verse rulera and Incompetent instruments. 1t
is too bad to have The public intelligence and
patriotism outraged By such tWaddle--our
1u.t complaints aud fears trea1ed as the whims
Of children, with gentle rebuke. With such
men there is no Significance IN the past una
nimity Of all peopls, Of all parties, in support
and treasure, continued to the point nearly Of
e.haustion-of their gallantry and devotion
through the perils and prirations Of the war,
and, Worse than all, the eneers and arrogance
of power. Confidence in government In
not 50 easily restored when once lot
at first 1t was nnbounded. Congress- abd4a-
ted some Of Its constitutional powers, and
shaped his legislation to meet the demands Of
m Imperions and e12cting President. Mem
hers If Cabinet sunk from their high Offices
as constitutional advisers into mere puppets,
ri gisters Of his will, generally. in spirit Of
sincere, but mistaken, patriotism, to secure
vigorous war, as was plauslbly urged; and
acceded to the demands for doubtful powers
rather than possibly damage the cause By
revelations Of d1scord in the Government.
And al for what, but to make him irrcspousi-
bic to any tribunal. and utterly deflant Of pub
should be most imbued with the self.sacrilc-
Ing and ennobliDg sentiment which underl1es
our Effort, tcems unnble to rise to the level Of
It's requirements. If tho cause were para-
mount with him his agents would be meas
u,ed solely. By their capacity to benefit 1t;
mind, occupied and Alled with the grandeur
Of the issue, for vices monopo1ized by weak
ard tyranpical ru1ess. Republican or Demo-
crat-persona1 fAvorite or otherwise-Lfnco1n
die1nisEes agents who have lost the confidence
of army ur people, and If he retaina Chase,
Stanton, and Hallcck, 1t Is because their
measurable success In finance and war, iuati-
1es their. retention against party claGor.
But no display of incompetency aud con:
scqueut disa1ter-no public opinion, how
ever general aud authoritative ~
yet operated to dethrone one Of Davis pets.
Buell. was court 1'artIaled for not annihilatfng
Bragg after driving htm from Kentucky,
willis Bragg was caresaed for defeating the
inst expectations Of the country and pre.ery-
ed in command to receive another defeat from
Rosecrans. 20 with Pember On, another H.
stance Of rapid promotion withouta solitary
display. in field or council, Of ability to jasst
fy It. Removed from Charleston for off1cial
Recommendations 30 pern1cious as tobe re-
buked by GeacfA Lee, he is sent, with aaoth-
er promotion, to mora Important post, ~ If
tho President expected inspiration from
another star to the collar. At Vicksburg,
when the natural feeling Of e1ultation at the
question Win mise, bow came the dis:ster
about! The opinion to be just must be found
ed on facts. Indiscriminate praiae or blame
will not redeem the past or secure Us from
future reverses. From the very hest state
ments, Pembe1ton had a to,co Of fully 10 900
troops. Grant moYed 1o ved on him from Grand
to $1,000 when be 'inveeted VRksburg) men,
because lArgo force, with the Increased i'm
pediments, would have inteferei with the
celebrity Of movement, on which his SUCCESS
greatly depended
The route OF Grant offered many natural OBJ
u An rn$f 9hA III If
sltght field works, would have tended to neu-
trallze the disparity Of force. Maasing *, 900
mer 1T, ,0C0 being len in Vicksburg IS sufi-
Client Earr1son) behind snch poaisions, would
have delayed If not repuleed Grant. Delay
es en- Of = few days WAS Of vital importance,
for Johnston would have been enabled to come
mp with reiLforcemcuts. and the stores from
jackson aud the contiguous country could
have been thrown into Vicksburg. Instead
however, Of this, it feems that Pemberton
weakened his army bJ detachments from it to
impede the enemy's advance, which Of course
through the country. Jackson fell with al
Its alores, which could not be removed or de-
st1o5 ed BY us, and finally Psmberton had to
meet Grant with an army weakened, as before
stased. and suffering DISASTROUS defeat with
hssyy lois Of prisoners and guns, hed into
Why was 50 Important q point as
Grand Gulf not fortified In the long period OF
bib command? Why deferred until the ap-
proach Of the enemy mAde unmounted guns
and munitions m easy prey? Why MSS VickB-
burg caught with insufficient suppliess
Grants object WAS known months befare.
a Ths contiguous TO say nothing 81 the E, stores
fvrty days. rations? And Why, abo1e
all, IS Pemberton must have known the
coLdition # its commissarait, did ho crowd
fully 1000 men into It. In excess Of Its
wants tor defense, to consume its scant sup
plies, or become food for powder and dlsease?
The 1npregnable character of the works went
for nauglt, aud Grant, who had evidently pen
etrnted Pemherton'e Want Of providence made
tne Issue rest on hunger Instead Of assault.
Hence, Ne find but one general assault, and
garrieon taxed. When defeated, he should
have re'reated on the open country, for tho
above and other reasOnB, for 1t is now abso-
latelJ certain that by not doing 50 he not only
destroyed all hope OF rescuo from Johnston,
but also precjpitated tho fall Of Vicksbnrg BY
the supcrxerTiceAhle troops he threw into it..
The Government had thought Pemberton's 5
force sufficient, and hence Johnston was sent,
| with no forco Of his own, beyond 1900 or
5000 men, but to take charge Of Pemberton's .
| army In consequence Of the alarm Govern
| hts Imputed unpopulArity and incompe.ency
To create new army Of z, 900 men, from an
! exhausted country and weak ~ well is distant
| po1nts-up0n the spur Of the occasion, was
| even more than could be expected; but to
dash them, mostly militia, On Grants ninety
thoufand, entre1ched front and rear, and
with = river In front, would have argued mere
recklesenese. Upon these facts the Judgment
Of the country must rest, whether This first
display Of quality In tho field, coupled with
his connsels at Charleston, sustain or not his
fitness, and the persistence Of the President
| in maintaining him at so important = point.
| In conclusion, observe around me IN i'm
| patience, mingled with subdued resentment,
which fo1hfd1, unless at the expense Of a
counter-reyolution, the continuance of Mr.
| Davis education Of military proteges at tho
| probable sacrifice OF the life and resources, d
well Is the cause Of the country. Our mill
! tary friend, whose letters and general i1fpr-
| nation snablo him to speak with authority on
! In this letter. They agree In the main with
the intelligent opinion hereabouts.
Ihave to uxgs on your attention the matter
| Of which wrote you last, and our trteud u.
Will be able to strengthen it By many new
| tacts. The mails are so out of Joint, and the
/ enemy such frequent visitors of our linea Of
communication, that I entrust this to our
mutual ttie1d C.. who will pass near your
post office. and will mail It. With usual sig
nature, am, with your address. most cordi-
ally and truly yours, MOULTRE.
Mr. Cox,s Scripture Mended.
To the Editors Of the Evening Post:
Yonr paper Of the 2oth inst, quotes "Sun-
| Is A. tho Hebrews looked to tho coppeshead
which Moses erected In the wilderness, and were
healed, 70 1t is only in and through and by the
Demoetatie party TINT salvation can come to this