New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-11-16
TNE REBEL DISTRESS.

THE REBEL DISTRESS.
| The inhuman uterances of portion of the
Richmond press, importing that the semi-star
walton of our captured soldiers in Dixie Is the
result of calculation and purpose, can deceive
no one who reflects that i'll treatment Of prison
ers of war is regarded by all Chrislendom with
lloathing adherence. The Rebels may be cruel;
thcir oracles clearly eyince on intense malig-
nifty; but they are not downright fools; and
they would not iansh our captive brothers If
they were able to feed them. The simple fact
that they allow Us 10 send them food as well as
clothing proves that poverty rather than cruelty
impels to their present course And this raises
directly the question-IIow long can govern
men, that is unable, just after harvest, to feed
twelve thousand prisoners, continue TO subsist
armies numbering al least Two Hundred Thou
sand menl
Our country was very poor throughout the
greater part of our long Revolutionary struggle
its Government often out Of money and
| NEARLY out Of credi,-yet we do not
believe dozen of our prisoners OF wa
(and we had them hy thousand) ever
went without food a whole day or were hungry
through "A week How Is H. then, that, IN the
third year Of this contest, The Rebel. are unable
to feed twelve thousand prisoner
| Consider tina, they src peculiarly, emphau'
caly an agricultural people. having no great
cities save thosc y, hold and suhsifiD and 40
considerable share Of their population employed
| in any pursuits but those which wait on TIE
War. There are not to-day over SlK Millions
Of people remaining under iho Confederate hhg;
and Of these very nearly Three Million are
slaves trained 10 agricultural and household
| labor and for the lat year almost exclusively
cmploycd in the production Of food. saying
nothing Of the female and other White labor
tha, has contributed something 20 tc general
product, can il BE- that these Three
/ Millions Of slaves have grown 30 little that
there is famine m the land before the setting in
of Winter. md whci, the great Indian com crop
Is hardly yet harvested
Rely on il, the Rebel famine "a The result
rather Of despair than Of ab-nlute des'tui'on.
There Is food yet among them; but nobody
chooses TO barter II for the promises OF The slave
holding Coniederacy. Their Corn or Pork j. o
resource again extreme want, and they know
that their currency t. Of no value whatever. SO
prices rise, like newly inflated balloon. IL spite
of all mnnncrof regulations; aud, "hlr farmers
+ and dealers orc roundly cuI,cd 10y Ue Rebel
organ, for asking uncomfortable prices aud
hcapng up riches by grinding The faces Of the
poor. tho owners Of food ireinblc az every step
lest il announce the coming Of The Comnis-
snry or other oirca 10 coniiscatc their sole rci-
ancc Tor the ne &C The Goicmmcni, paying
them generous pricc- therefor, but in paper they
do not want, and Of which they can make no
earthly use. BE the price ever 20 good, the
money il 50 bad 10 render i of DO avail.
Hence, 10 matter how great the abundance Of
fgod-and we presume it insufficient for the
year, but ample for present use--li Is withheld,
hidden, buried; being scantily dolod out to pri-
yate purchasers, and unwllingly yielded to the
Government AZ all.
We ark cool Observers to weigh the facts as
now presented-not by rs, but bythe Richmond
journals, AID other adyices from the Rebel
meiropolis-and judge what vitality remains in
the Shareholders Confcderacy. The tales of
dcsertcrs would Of themsclye4 70 for little the
result Of the recent North-Carolina electon-
which is VIGOROUSLY a triumph over the earnest
upholdors Of the Rcbcllion-tho anxiety Of the
late Rebels Of Louisiana to get back into The
| Union in order TO save Slaycry-the cagcrness
of our Copperhcads 10 commit the Government
10 a Pro-Sayery reconstruction" before any
proiler Of peace on any terms is heard from the
Rebel chicfi--lhc steadily increasing indisposi-
ton Of Western Europe 10 burn is fingers in the
Confederate mcss--the stcadiaat and rising cour-
age Of the loyal States, As cyinced by the recent
Eectons--all point TO one result. Military i'm
becility or trcachcry may posiponc-as they
have so often already postponod--'he overthrow
of the Rebellion but We shall be disappointed
if there is trace left of the COnlcderacy on the
lst of May next.