The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-09-23
The Rebellion OF To-day


ware.
The total area of these States was s34, 2Os
square miles, being nearly a third Of the area
OF the United States. The rebel States were
larger than Austria, France, Great Britain and
Spain, combined.
The population of the rebel States was H.,
Az ,O29, being more than one-thrd Of that Of
the United States
The number Of their slaves was 1851 ,524, |
being all the slaves in the United States except
IS ,987 in Mary land and Delaware.
The white population of the Confederate
States was 1892, 47s, being little more than
one-qUarter the number Of white people in the
United States. Allowing only every tenth
person to be soldier, this would give them an
actual military force Of $4,000 men.
These States we're largely supplied with arms
and ammunition Of the best quality, and with
great numbers Of military and naval officers
educated in the best schools in the world and
many Of them had seen actual service in the
Mexican war.
Under these favorable circumstances, the
Confederate States presented themselves before
mankind, with very hattering prospects of soon
becoming one Of the nations Of the earth.
What are their prospects to-day
The war has been carried on with varied
success; but the great event Of it thus far.
and that which renders the suppression Of the
rebellion ultimately certain, is the opening of
the Mississippi River We suppose we are in
debted for the conception Of this great enter
prise to the genius Of Gen. Scott, and for its
completion to the perseverance Of Gen. Hal
leck
Our occupation Of the river is complete. We
hold every fortified place; a feet Of gunboats
is on hand to patrol it; merchant vessels run
daily, without molestation, from Cairo to New
Orleans; and the Government has seized the
plantations on the eastern bank, and part OF
those on the western, and stocked them with
negroes, who are supplied with arms, and work
the land, paying share Of the produce to the
United States. Thus, rebeldom Is cut into two
parts, so effectually that no transportation of
men, arms, ammunition, clothing or provisions
can be made by the rebels from West to East.
or East to West. Nor can any communication
be had on the Ocean, for erery rebel port Is
captured. besiegsd, or biOckGded.
Thus, the Mississippi being opened and held,
the rebel forces on the west side, so far as the
6nal result Of the contest is concerned, are as
powerless as though they were disarmed. That
result is 10 be determined on the east side of
the river; and though hostilties on the west
side between our troops and the rebels will
continue, as sort of necessity, because they
have begun. they will have no influence on the
result on the eastern side, except as reports OF
successes or defeats in the West may depress
or encourage the armies Of either party in the
East
We dwell the more on this, because we wish
the reader to see that the separation we speak
Of is an absolute, permanent dxture-d militia
~ fact which has been struggled for during
two years and one that cannot be reversed:
e. q H. -~----leI H. casual event
of a day. of no other momeHt than to afford
occasion for newspaper paragraph But If
the Mississippi were not held by US, the We tern
rebels could do but little to aid their eastern
brethren, as we have already conquered, and
hold to-day Missouri, northern Arkansas. and
western louisiana
In their final struggle for independence.
which is just pressing upon them, the Confed-
crate States have, therefore, as a military fac;
lost all help from the west side of Mississippi
They have lost three States and part of anoth
er, comprising 3s2, 900 square miles, and to-
tai population of 1900, 900. of which more than
half a million were slaves
Coming across the river, the area of the reb-
ell territory is found to be 49,, 900 square miles:
but they have lost by conquest Kentucky,
Tennessee, Western Virginia and Eastern Lou
isiana, amounting to $4,000 square miles,
which being deducted, leaves 3lS, 900 square
miles as their actual possession in seven States
But at present the rebels DO not hold full pos
session Of any one State Deducting, therefore.
still further for what we hold on the coasts of
Virginia, North and South Carolina, Florida,
the western part of Mississippi, and the north
ern parts Of Georgia and Alabama. the num-
Der of square miles held by the rebels to day
will not exceed 27s,OOO, or one-third of what
they claimed at their organization
The rebellion has lost in population about in
the same proportion. Their total population.
east VI INC Mississippi Was o,cfl,OOu. DeuuCl
S,l22. 600 for kentucky, Tennessee, Western
Virginia. and Eastern Louisiana. and we have
left $4,000. as the population Of the seven
rebel States to-day. Allowing further for the
fractional parts possessed by us, as above men,
toned, and the whole population in their mill
tary lines will not exceed 5000, OOO In these
seven States, according to the census of 1860.
there were 2,429,l slaves. which. with the
free colOred people. being deducted. leaves
only two and-a-half millions of white people.
These, unassisted, are TO achieve the independ-
enee Of the COnfederacy, if it be done at all
In reference to the slaves, Of whose help the
rebels have boosted so much, every day. as our
armies advance, greater numbers are taken
from the side Of the enemy. and set to work on
our side, thus counting against them in a
double sense. According to the statement of
Mr.. Seward, on the 2sth of August. there were
1900 armed soldiers in the held. Of African
descent, $500 were employed as teansters
and otherwise, and so regiments of the same
class, of 1000 men each, we're in process of or.
ganiza.ion.
We have made these figures for the purpose
OF showing the reader, by statistical facts. that
the formidable organization which so lately
challenged place among the nations. no lon
ger exists; that in the struggle for existence