New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-10-08
JErP. DAyuss CONFESSION.

JEFF, DAyIs,s CONFESSION.
The man who knows most intimately and
completely the condition of the Southern Con-
federacy is undoubtedly Jefferson Davis. The
man who has the deepest interest to conceal
that knowledge is also Jefferson Davis. yet it
is Jefferson Davis who is author of tho speech
which proclaims to all the world that the mill.
tary resources Of the Rebellion are well nigh
exhausted, and its hopes of success oil but van
shed. The Macon speech is perhaps the most
extraordinary confession ever put forth by a
great criminal before he actually stood upon the
galows which was TO DO tho fit end of his career.
This speech is so frank and truthful that its
authenticity is little suspected by single
Southern paper, but there seems no cause for
doubt. 1t is certain Davis has recently been at
Macon, and has spoken there, and that what
processes to be report of his speech appears in
The Macon Telegraph. Tho date is so long ago
as Sept. "a, there has been abundant time for
contradiction, but none has been made. We
conclude the speech is accurately given in sub
stance.
We know not whether this singular confession
will be received with more rage by the Southern
or by the Northern comrades of Mr.. DAVIS
All the hopes of the former. and all the political
hopes Of the latter, rest on the military strength
and resources of the Rebellion. Yet Mr.. DAVIS
declares that two-thrds Of the Rebel troops are
deserters, and that not many men between
eighteen and forty-fve are left in the Confeder-
acy. In other words, the military chief Of the
Rebellion is driven TO own that the people fall
off from his cause, and that the armies are
reduced far below the least strength ever
claimed for them. For if We put the
Rebel forces at four hundred thousand men
when the summer campaign began, we shall find
by the estimate Of Mr.. Davis himself that not
more than I30, 900 men remain in the field. This
number includes the troops both east and west
of the Mississippi, and is meant to represent not
the actual but the nominal force of the Rebel
armies. What must be the morale Of those
armies, two-thirds of whose men have deserted
in the face of the cnemyi What their hopes Of
victory against forces whom they know TO be
twice, thrice, four times superior
Mr.. Davis confesses not only that his armies
are two.thrds wasted by deserton, but that
there arc no men to fill them. Gen.
Grant said the Rebels were robbing tho cradle
and the grave to fill their ranks. Mr.. Davis
eonfesses it is true "You have not many men
between eighteen and forty-fve left" And the
President of this great Confederacy, the leader
of gigantic Rebellion, is driven to appeal To
women for support. The chance Of persuading
his soldiers back into the ranks rests on the de-
fusion of their wives and daughters. Place
is to be kept for boy of eight years old at the
licitation Of his mother, and her example Is
nmended to the rest. Nay, the chief Of n
c.eat army condeScends to beg that he may be
personally informed by letter concerning de-
serters To bring the military necessities OF his
condition clearly before the people, Mr. Davis
tells them that even Macon, "flled with stores,
sick and wounded" must be defended, not by
Hoods army, but by the "old men;" "and
when the enemy is driven beyond Chattanooga
/ O, they, too, lcan join in the general re-
joicing." Better have said tho young men, for
they will have chance to grow old before Sher-
man quite reaches Chattanooga in his retreat.
The empty boast that he shall be driven back,
is in ptiful contrast with the exhibit of military
deficiencies which the rest Of Mr.. Davis's ha-
rangue presents.
The leader of the Rebellion has heretofore
solicited the respect of Europe by the decorum
of his public speeches and state papers. In de-.
pertinent he has been the rival Of Mr.. Turvey-
drop, and in gentlemanliness has admitted
no peer but Gen. Mcclellan. Yet this per.
fumed chevalier now permits himself TO talk
of Butler the Beast" with whom no Commits