The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-09-02
CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
Letter from Gen. Seymour.

The following letter from Gen. T. Sey-
mour, who was lately released from i'm
prisonment at Charleston, describes the
present condition of the South, and shows
the necessity of reinforcing the Union ar
mics:
WILLIAMsrowN, Mass, Aug. Is, 1864.
MY DEAR SIR: You ask for my impress
slons OF the present condition of the South
ern Confederacy, and you shall have them.
For the benefit of our cause. I wish thew
might be impressed upon every soul in
the land, that the confidence begotten of
my three months observation in the inte-
rior ofthe South might be shared by every
man who has the least connection with
the responsibilities of this struggle. And
| am sure that these opinions are not pe-
culiar to myself Every one of the fifty
officers just exchanged will express the
same-every one of them, whether from
the jails of Charleston or the pens of Ma.
con and Andersonville, will confidently
tell the same story.
me rebel cause IS fast failing from &C.
hdustion. Their two grand armies have
been reinforced this summer from the last
resources of the South. From every cor
ner OF the land every old man and boy
capable of bearing rifle has been inn
pressed, willingly or unwillingly, and hur.
ried to the front. Lees army was the
first so strengthened. 1t was at the ex-
pense of Hoods. Governor Brown told
the truth with plainness that was very
bitter, but it was none the less the truth.
4
There must, indeed, have been desper-
ate weakness when Georgia, and the South
ern cause with it, were so neglected that
Lees army might be equal to the task of
holding Grant to the Potomac or the
James; and the people of the South are
intelligent enough to understand and ap-
probate the fact, and they have lost heart
accordingly. 1a7
The following is from letter written by
one rebel to another, that accidentally
fell into the hands of one of my fellow
prisoners, and for the authenticity of
which will vouch:
Very few persons are preparing to obey the
late call Of the Governor. His summons will
meet with no response here. The people are
soul-sick, and heartily tired of this hateful,
hopeless strife. They would end it if thew
could, but our would-be rulers win take GOOD
care that no opportunity be given the people
to vote against it. By lies, BY fraud, and bv
chichanery, this revolution was inaugurated:
by force, by tyranny, and by the suppression of
truth it was sustained. 1t is nearly time that
it should end, and of sheer depletion it must
end before long. We have had enough of
want and OF woe, enough of cruelty and car
mage, enough Of cripples and corpses There
is an abundance of bereaved parents, weaping
widows, and orphaned children in the land. If
we can, let us not increase the number. The
men who, to aggrandize themselves, or to graf
ify their own political ambition, brought this
cruel war upon peaceful and prosperous
country, will have to render fearful account
CT their misdeeds to wronged, robbed and
outraged people. Earth has no punishment
sufficiently meet for their villainy here. and
hell will hardly be hot enough to seattle them
hereafter.
There is certainly no small proportion
of the Southern people despite the lying
declarations of their journals, as we had
good occasion to learn, y that not only fa-
vor the progress OF our army, but that
daily pray that this exterminating war
may soon be brought to finality by our
complete and perfect success. They have
had too much of despotism- enough
of the triumph promised them. Many in
telligent Southern gentlemen do, indeed,
express strong hopes of their ultimate in
dependence, but such hope is not shared
by the masses. Disappointed from the
first in not having been acknowledged by |
foreign powers-more bitterly disappolnt-
ed in their general expectation that North !
ern cowardice or dissension would secure |
their ends-but single chance remains,
and that is the result of our next election
for President. If Democrat succeeds
Mr.. Lincoln, they profess to feel sure of
negotiations, and sure of their Confeder-
acy. They believe Democrat will be |
elected. In Mr.. Lincolns reelection they |
see only subjugation, annihilation-for the
war must then continue, and continuance
is their failure and ruin. n. .a,ll