New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-01-12

A correspondent of The Cincinnati Commercial
gives an interesting statement of converse.
ton with q spy who recently returned from
four months tour through Alabama, Tennessee,
Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina
and Virginia. Tho account has rather more
than the usual air OF veracity, and touches on
points of real importance.
The severity of the discipline in the Rebel
ranks has long been known. II now appears
that there is a regularly organized system oil
espionage in every regiment by help oil when
the expression Of Union sentiments Is prevented
or sayagely punished on discovery. Only the
bayonct helps tho soldier in the ranks. His pay
is ffty-Gvo cents q month in gold. He is cut
off wholly from family aud home; and II al
lowed at times to write, il never allowed 10 re-
ceive, letters. Such system is enforced ne
cause of the universal distress among the faml'
lies of the soldiers--a distress SO terrible that
the prostitution to which the women are driven
as q last refuge from hunger is common enough
to be the subject Of hdeous merrlment.
There are bread riots, but they must not be
spoken of in the press but tho soldiery learn 1t.
The property Of the poor is mercilessly seized
for The use Of what is called the Government,
but the property Of the rich is spared 50 far as
possible. Why mott 1t s war of aristocracy
against democracy, meant to concentrate politi-
cal power in the hands of minority, and to put
the white labOring classes about on level with
the black.
In the army which Bragg commanded there is
universal suffering from insufficient supplies,
and widespread disaifection to the Rebel
cause as well as discomfort with their privatons.
We hear from time TO time of desertions in large
numbers TO the Union ranks, but they must he
greatly exceeded by those who take refuge in
the hills and woods in organized bands. A life
Of irregular hardship and voluntary exposure is
preferred to military tyranny which scarcely
supports the sohicr whom it condemns TO a re-
pulsive duty. These irregular bands have fire.
quent conflicts with the parties sent in pursuit
Of deserters. and are as often rs not victorious.
Indeed. the evidence Is that the cavalry and
conscript officers are "sure to get the worst Of
it," Wha, can be the effective strength of m
army thus starved and depleted'
Throughout the Confederacy a North Caro-
linian is looked on with suspicion. The senti-
ments OF The Raleigh Standard are the senti.
ments OF the majority " ,ha people Of the State.
Even in South Carolina the poorer classes are
Unionists. Taking these statements with due
allowance, II is still evident that the dull
brains of the "whte trash" and the slow intel
ligence of even the better rank and file in the
army, are beginning to be penetrated with the
conviction that the success Of the Rebellion
must be more ruinous TO them than any possible
defeat.
OF course, il is easy 10 invent or to exaggerate
such accounts as those of The Commercial, but
disconnected sources to be put wholly aside
Nobody thinks il worth while 10 say that there
are bread riots in the North, or that soldiers
wives are driven 10 prostitution for support, or
chat our armies are on quarter rations. Equally
beyond Misrepresentation is the popular senti-
meni for the Union. Hut in the South, and in
all quarters Of it, are the signs daily more nu
merous which foretell the approaching crash.
Built on a lie and sustained by gigantic frauds
and inhuman crueltcs, the Rebellion, which
therefore from the beginning was doomed 10
failure, does AT last zee It's end visibly approach
ing.