Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-04-02
r,he Rebel SituatiOA'

The Rebel SltA"sAVA'
:, { sbovn by late southern papers that JUG
;mnrsssmept of provisions by the rebel au1noi-
;t,es Is not confined to the vlclni'y Vi Nun
r,ord whence came the first report Oh soch
,,roooed;no hit IS extended throughout the
g coofederacy.' 1t is difficult for us to real
ize fully the immense bearing of such s'a''
&c .4a;rs in rebeldom upon the issue OF the
slaveocratic war against the Union. The red
Il government is reduced to the necessity Oh
forcibly and mefcilessly robbing its own peo-
ple. ESQ many as are1eft after the wholesale
conscriptons) to furnish scanty supply 10 us
so,ders Will the next harvest relieve them
These !. southern papers complain that
these very impressments will drive the
people from the production of necessary ar'l-
Giles, "thus sapping," says one, 1.-THE very
foundation of the confederate government, ana
even of society in the confederate States -
This cry has already come up from Virginia
# now comes from other States. The eonleo
crate Neys. of Jefferson, Texas, has long
article upon impressments in that State III
says:
nBut q short time since the people OF this
. State were startled by the announcement that
the whole State was put under martial law
This was done at time when not single nos
lilo foot trod the soil of Texas and military
dasnot. clothed with unlimited and underlined
mowers. established in each county; and tree
men. like slaves, were compelled to procure
masses TO attend to their business, when they
had occasion to leave their own county. Inc
rsion of terror peruaded the Whole land, and
no man dared 10 speak Adore has breath.
The cry is renewed again In the land for i'm
pressments for the government, by It's agents,
now travelling over the land, with orders, either
genuine or pretended, from some military otti-
eer to press certain articles, unless the holders
will part with them, at their own prices. Cot
ton, corn, sugar, hides and leather seem to be
the most prominent articles. These agents,
some of them with instructions in their pock
cts authorizing them to offer fifteen cents per
pound for hides, offer ten cents, and threaten
Imprisonment if not obtained for that:
Such annoyance have these threats pro-
duced that when we meet with one of these
gentry, and he commences his catechism, ape
feel that instant dread of lsene ne do ahen ne
are IN the presence Of q noted robber or thief.
Men begin TO shun them as they would leper.
[ could give instances where the wives of SOL
diers in the army have been induced 10 part
with portion of the necessaries left for their
support, from fear of these threats. These
gentry have no legal right to put into execu-
ton their threats"
So in Georgia. The Augusta (Ga.) Con-
stitutionalst of the 9Th has leading editorial,
which is but a prolonged remonstrance against
"the remorseless seizure and impressment of
property by the confederate government now
taking place all over the. SOUTH 1t says of
such impressment:
alt is an arbitrary, high-handed measure,
for which there can be no palliation, and If
persisted in, 1t WW dripe the people from the
production Of all articles Of prime necessity,
,Tcept What maybe sufficient for the aecessi-
ties of their families, thus sappiag the eery
foundations Of the Confederate Goueraaseat
and eoea Of society IN the Confederate &otes"
In Columbus, Georgia, person making
seizures of bacon from private parties, claim
ng, says the Columbus Sun of the 18th, to be
N agent of the confederate government was
rrested by the civil authorities, and was at
lat time awaiting trial The Sun predicts
lat bacon, which before the seizure was re-
'iling at 80 cents, ''will be up to sSl,25 in a
W days-all the result Of seizures. Prom |
lie testimony Of their own papers, it appears,
It, that the rebel resources in fighting mate
al, from the old men to the boys, have been
,hausted by the repeated conscriptions; and
it be admitted that their armies are now
IL, they have nothing remaining to fall back
pom; I'd, from the same and other sources,
I'd not least from late appeals of Gen. Pillow
+ the loan Of slaves to the confederate gov
nment, that they are driven to a precarious
pendence upon their negroes for reinforce
ents and Sd, that they are driven to pillag-
g those left at home, even to the wiyes and
miles Of their own soldiers, of the necessa-
S of life, to keep their armies supplied
Add to this the probable fact that Admiral |
rragut has just obtained control Of the Mis-
sippi river and its tributaries, between Port
ldson and Vicksburg, so far at least as to cut
in measure, the vast amount of supplies
lich the confederacy has hitherto received
IN Texas and other territory west of the
and the certainty Of speedy
erthrow of the rebel government and col
pse of the rebellion, has never before been SO
,parent as now. "The winter of our discon-
MT" is over. Our government is provided
18th all the means necessary for any emergen-
y. Even our defeat in battle would but pro-
ng the dying agony Of the rebellion. But
If armies are in the best possible condition.
nd promise success. Foreign Intervention is
0 longer thought Of. Crackers and copper
eads are Sinking, and the coming campaign,
q believe, will rejoice the hearts Of all loyal
eopla, Of whatever party and whatever sec
ION, by Fastening to its downfall the lettering
abric Of treason, and restoring the supremacy
+ the constitution and laws Of the Unien
throughout the land Of rebellion.
~ a letter from Port Royal says the