The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-08-12

+ z 2 = II
"In response to the announcsment that
General VIM. H. Lee and Captain Winder
have been placed in confinement atsQld Point |
as hostages for the two YankeeSoficers Finn
and Sawyer condemned by the Confederate
authorities, our Commissioner has informed
the Federal government that the Confederate
government will not be intimidated by any
such threats, and that the execution of said
officers will take place as soon as the Presi- |
dent may see ft 1t is hoped that the Exec
utive will see fteto give The order for execu-
ton immediately; and as we have now over
five hundred officers in our hands, besides
some six or seven Thousand priyates, it is in
the power of the government to carry retalia
ton to Very bitter extreme. The people
call for the 5deatbs of these two Yankees, and
it is useless to, delay their death anylongef"
fErou the NJ mp,,is Bulletin, August i fEa
Id During the last day or two have been
kfav ored with, opportunities OF cenversing with
gentlemen whosrepresent nearly all of the
seven seeded .Statess These gentlemen were,
as a general things intelligent, reflecting men.
who have watched the course of events inthe
Southern States, withsa hope of ultimate sue
cess. Several of those with, whom we con-
versed had been engaged in the military SER
vice of the Coufedemoy, for more than Two
years, thus proving how asanguine were their
hopes of establishing the independence the
Confederate States. ., But recentevents have
dissipatet those hopes, like mist before the
morning sun. ssBags8 eaa-E bs-a1 19a
sore of the gentlemen with whom we con-
versed was from Georgia. and had been one
of the first to take up arms in behalf tof what
| he deemed the sacred rights q the South
He now frankly acknowldges that he acted
more from impulse than from mature judg-
ment. He acknowledges that he was nista-
ken in another important particular ; thatwas
he had underestimated the character and feel
ted the proves and abilities of the people of
the South. When the question of secession
was brought prominently before the people,
on the election of Mr.. Lincoln as President of
the United States, a current of excitement
swept over the country with irresistible force
carrying every thing before it. y 5tsa.f
~" They (thes people of the South) have
measured their strength with the power of
this Government, and have found themselves
wanting in so many things essential to sue
cess againsta great power, that many persons
who twelve months ago reprebated the idea
of restoration with most bitter indsnation,
are now ready and waiting for some proposals
from the Government locking to a arestoration
of the Union as being the best and, only way
of alternating the distress of the people. iiF
" In the opinion, of our informant, he time
for deluding the people by boastful claims of
Confederate victories, is; past. 1t is hard to
make them believe the reports which are dali
" circulated by the newspaper press, of vic
tories achieved, by Southern arms. So long
as yicksburg held out, there was hope, for
they regarded it as inpregnable;y when
the news of its fall became known, the peo-
pie at once gave up all hope of final success
Nor was this feeling confined alone 10 the citi-
zens. 1t was shared by the armies. of the
Confederacy. The veterans who had fought
the advancing forces at Fort Donelson, Shi-
loh, and Stone River, and had seen all their
efforts prove to be vain, at once. became dis
heartened. -. 40 f,,4,.gaee ! :. a.s 80
!" These events, continued our informer,
4 have brought the people, both citizens and
soldiers, to reflect calmly upon the present as
pect of our political affairs Patriotic men
who, although they were the most ardent sup
porters of the Southern cause, began to- see
the terrible error into which they had fallen,
and are are now willing to acknowledge that err
ror, as he has done, and are now willing to do
all that yet remains in their power 10 correct
the political mistake which they acknowledge
to have made. ''Pis useless to disguise 1.-THE
fact that. the peoplelof the SouthIare earnest
/ ly anxious that the United States should
make some proposals of pesee, on,otheabasis
i of restoration of the Union Nor will they:
be guided by the opinions, views, or feelings of
those who have led them astray.I The news
papers do, not represent the sentiments of the
masses of the South. On the contrary. they
Ghe newspapers are ignored, and their senti-
ments cursed by a. large proportion of the
people. Our informant has travelled through
Alabama, Georgia and Western, North !Caroli-
ma, and has come to the deliberate conclusion
that the people are ripe for a restoration ofthe
Union on any thing like an honorable basis j
- The army is wearied and worn. The
men are disheartenedt aud deserving by the
scores. he copscription laws are ineffective
where there is not a force to enforce its proyi-
sions. The people are tired out.with the con-
test. They feel that they have been Inista-
ken in their views, and the best thing they
can make. of q bad undertaking is to return to
their allegiance and duty, and thus relieve
their country as far as possible, from the ter
rible calamities under which sheis at present
suffering. 81 bg5t .siaaat ad a4re
The Indian Troubles. s.;v.
4 A Milwaukee dispatch, of the lst inst, says