Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-01-04
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS RIGAfs.
RICHMOND WHlG.
mONDAL MORNING, JAN. 4, IseA.
The Means and Policy of the War.

Mr. Brow Of Mississippi, in his speech IN 'he|oehae
or drafting the whole population Of the Coniederacy
into theArmy, said they O things specially need
a5-bstter money and more men. He omitted q third,
certainly 81 important as either Of these, and without
rbieb both of the Others would be worthless 'r6
eaev of food If his proposition or that for oonscrpHng
ali under fay i've be sdOped, 1t will take from aS-
culture args portion of the proprietors and all the
oyeyseers fs for any thing and wi bout white supsrin
endence We all know that negro labor will not support
self We must therefore if we subtract all the most
profitable producers from farming, make our caicua-
ions to ish the war this campagn-'or there will DO
,othing to feed an army on another year. However
q, terins the prosp may be Of such contamination
a il wise to stake our all on single cast OF the de
But would the proposed sweeping CONSUMPTION really
usmsnt cur force In the Reldl 1t is very doubtful
Uder the present law requires about ten officers to
each ccuut to look asr describes and enrol eouserPt
With the new proposition in force 1t would take about
Ten times shat number-wbch would be quite as much
a would be gained by the enlarged consumption.
Instead of dragging sehoobOys from their forms and
old men from their farms, the wiser policy would be to
reduce the exemptions under the existing law This
aas already been done as to one very large Glass OF
exempts viz: those who had put substitutes in tie
service, but there remain still many whose absence
rom ths FIELD is not nspensabe to the necessary avoca
tons of life or tie efficient discharge OF public business
Tbe idea of aeolishipg all exemptions, as It ia said will
90 rec mmendsd by the Committee on Military Affairs
and leaving Il to tie Executive to detail tho'e who are
% make the laws those who are to consrue them,
and those who are 10 enforce them-as well as those
Who stand between the government and the people, the
picket guard of liberty tie conductors OF the Press-is
proposition infinitely too far the road to Dicta
torshp to DO tolerated by body Ofinteigent Repre-
sehtatives The Governor of Sovereign Common
.ealth would cut noble figure appyirg,to the Con
ederase agency for exemption from the field and the
privilege Of performing the duties Of his station.
But there are, however, some limitations andredu'->
ions in the Exemption law necessary to be made. 1t
! also certain that there are great many men d.
aied or serving as Provost Guards, or absent with
out leave o. nangorng about The hospitals, or louOg
pe about camps for want Of horses absent from ac-
i've service on one pretence another WHO ought 10
he AZ once ordered % the fed From these sources all
he men hat the country properly care for orreay
needs can be obtained. Small armies skfllly hand
ed and well fed are far more efficient than large IN
rigldly and disOrderIy masses Without prOVidOns.-
With abundant food in the country, wage this
var indefinitely with small forces and With little or no
money.
Our authorities made the mistake in the outset Of
linking there would be noWar, or brief and moon
siderable one, and we have experienced, in variety of
gays. the peg allies Of the axe The President ex'
pressed the opinion, il his message rs January, that
.ne campaign Of 1868 would close the war. How ser-
ously he erred the present array oil forces msssed
against u.s. and the certainty Of great battles yet to be
fought attest Sach mistakes should caution Us against
wing upon the dctum or theory of any one that the
sue mus. be decided this year. and summoning to the
isd as if for last desperate encounter, the whole
power of the country. Mistake here would be fatal
Should our hopes fail, are ruined, iretrievaby.
There would be nothing left to fall back upon-and the
enemy, knowing this, would have an incentive TO hold
,u, such as they have never had before. They might
hen truly say that overthrow was only question
0. lime, and that 4 very short time Toe only certain
reliance we have is that of wearing the enemy out
To enable Us 10 do this We must husband well our re-
,Ources, and prepare for long val. When they see
that tn is our policy, they viii be- disheartsned aud
eady to abandon an undertaking that doOmS them to
an aga of bloody aud hopeless strife. If We would
shorten the war, let us prepare to make it long.