Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-10-15
What the Rebels Expect from their Friends.
CONFEDERATE VICTORIES IEsCRK DEMOCRAT,

( soAtkPAhAlh VICTORIES INsIek DEMOCRAT,
SUCCESSES
1t any OF our readers, Democratic or Re
publican, have the slightest doubt of the bear
ing OF the state elections on the war. let then
reSu the following extract from leading Con
iS paper, the Augusta Constt,ttionalis
lGa.) OF September 9th
Our people will recollect that two or three
OF more months ago we heard great deal
ana That continually, of the wonderful thing.
.ae peace men of the North were going to do
many In our midst built strong hopes Of peace
vi the "Ctloh OF the malcOntentS in Lincoln's
AO"iii ha.E even were proposing terms OF
peace, inviting the Northwest to a free use OF
our aiiSSisSlppl, and actually going so far a.
10 ask the northwestern states to abandon
New England and the middle states and conc
with Us under our pro-slavery constitution
But since about the 4th of July. since the ga.
pltulation of Vieksburg and the retreat from
pennsylvania, we have heard scarcely y whis-
per OF peace from beyond the Potomac. The
people OF the United States have become
ela'eu al their successes and have gone crazy
on she sensation of crushing the rebellion
anu suDJugatlng the insurgent states.
we CONFESS that we have aiwavs built stroag
hopes 0" tie dlofsion and dissatisfaction of the
northern people, the gradual bit SIRE or0artb Of.
an G"'$poEen peace party, and tie final outbreak
% me utSurectlonay elements mhich erjst on,o,a
the enemy but aclich By one means or otbe, has
so jar been Snothered or checked But we bavo
always held that the only way to build nm
peace party among the Yankees. and to set
at liberty the furious opposition of the anti
Republicans, was by successful war on lin
coins armies in the field We still hare oregt
expectations from the peace men of the North and
tile explosive wrath Of the opposition masses.
OUT we were never more fully convinced than
no" Oh the essential Importance of thick
last and heavy blows from the Confederate
armies, IN order to give gtolty, svste,n and
o'90l."z@''o!' TO TIE peace men, and to unloose
'ile heice impulses OF the enthralled and ter
rorized people
Mr. Nallandigham himself. as we have
neard, e'"tp0at'calty declared that the success OF
oo"Sl'e'm arms alone could give strength aqd con-
1'o,e|''y 20 "'e peace Increment, and we verify
peileVe that II Ficksburg had been held, and
Lee hau thoroughly defeated Meade on his
own own ground, tie Woods, and Cores, and Ial-
t0"o1g|anS, and Mels' followers, agoaM haze been
rampant for peace and separation. and that not
one drafted man would ever have worn the
United States uniform-the livery Of bira
ling or degraded soldier-in the CITY of New
1ork' But Nicksburg fell, and Lee failed to
oVer"helm Meade, and so the peace men are
as mute as frightened mice, and the drafted
foWaies are forced easily into the ranks.
1his popular feeling must be checked and
changed, and there is no means of doing it
but by determined and successful conflict
aC one or more points. The heroic holding
out OF Charleston helps US to some extent
OUT something more must be done. The elec
tlon Tor Governor Of Ohio takes place early
III November, we believe, and the new Yam
kee Congress meets in December. In order
J"0oTadly TO affect the Otio election and the or
g0'.'zot'o'' and action Of tie meaU Conqress, a
majority OF which is against the Republican
party, but not firmly decided as to anytbino
else, 1t Is to the last degree essential that the
confederate armies win one or more decisive
battles within the next thirty or sixty DAYS,
II Johnston and Bragg can defeat Rose
Grams and Burnside, Charleston still boldino
out, or IT Lee, with his recruited army, can
defeat Meade with all the aid of his new con-
scripts, demoralized and disaffected as thew
are represented, then we may expect the most
to10ra6(e results IN the Ohio election, and Lin.
coin Congress. But unless something Of the
KIND Is accomplished speedily, then a long
farewell to peace digham will
be defeated and Wood and his party paral-
yzed or overawed in Congress, and peace
postponed indefinitely, without foreign aid