Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-08-31
THE CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
The Rebel Cause Fast Failing from
: Il IL ExhauStiOn. s4
fhe Daty Of the AerfR-TAe Reimbursement IF
the Union Arny-President Lincoln and the
= Rebellion-Lstter from Gen. Seymour, Late
3 ly Prisoner Of War.
sf NNvv Ynpr auupsr1Q
To the Ea:so, Of the Nec YorI Times

. - ~ NEW YoRK, August19
To tie Ea:.o, Of the Neac York Times
/ have just received the following most in
teresting letter from Gen Seymour, lately
released from under fire" at Charleston. As
an old West Point officer, with Gen. Andei-
son at Sumter, and stationed many years IN
the South ne knows the Southern people
we'll Heis brave, true soldier, devoted TO
the [ MON, and, although, at the time OF the
unfortunate battle in Florida, he was accused
of lukewarnness By those ignorant of his
character, he has proved 10y his actor on
many battle field, as well as by his plu Ky
talk to the rebels at GordonsvIlle, when cap
tured in May last, that he vas every inch 10y
al to the old flag Yours, &c,
W E. D., Jr.
WnLIANsTowN, Mass, Aug. Is, '64.
Ny DEAR SIR:-You ask for my impressions
OF the present condition of the Southern
CoufeJeracy, and YOU shall have them For
the benz fit of our cause wish they might be
impressed upon every soul in the land, that
ire confidence begotten Of my hree months
observations in the interior OF the South
might be shared by every man who has the
least connection with the responsibilities Of
this struggle. And am sure that these opin-
ions are cot peculiar to myself Every one
of the fifty officers just exchanged will
from the iails of Charleston, or she pens Of
Macon and AndersonYille win confidently
tell the same story.
Tie re5el cause IS fast failing from erha1sS-
ton. Their two grand armies have been re-
inforced this summer from the last resources
of the South. From every corner of the
land, every old man and every boy capable
of bearing a rife has been imp ed, willing
" or unwillingly, and hurried TO tie 'front.'.
a.'- hn fip-t IN Gfr
was at the expense Of Hoods. Gov. Brown
told the truth with plainness that very
bitter, but IL none the less the truth. Let
me extract few prominent statements from
his proclamation of July 9, addressed to the
. Reserved militia of Georgia"
. \ late correspondence with the President
of the Confederate States, satisfied nay mind
that Georgia is to be left to her own resourc
es to supply the reinforcements to Gen. Johns
tons army, which are Indispensable TO the
protection of Atlanta, and 10 prevent the
State from being overrun by the overwhelm-
ing numbers now under command Of the Fed
eral General upon our soil
@ But there is need of further reinforce
ments, as will be seen by the accompanying
letter of Gen. Johnston. And it
becomes my duty to cal forth eUeTy man in
the State able to bear arms, as fast as they
can be armed, TO aid in the defence of
homes, our affairs and the graves of our an
cestors.
g If the Confederate Governments will not
send the large cavalry force (now engaged IN
raidIng and repelling raids) to destroy the
long line of railroads over which Gen. Sher-
man brings his supplies from Nashville, and
thus compel him to retreat with the loss of
most OF his army, the people of Georgia,
rho hage 0jrea1g been dram upon more hearty
IA proportion to pop,siati0n than those Of any
ottef State Ia tie COnteeiracy, must at all haz-
ards, and any sacrifice, rush to the front.
eff Gen. Johnston's army is destroyed, the
Gulf States are thrown open to the enemy
and We are ruined"
There must, indeed, have been desperate
weakness when Georgia, and the Southern
cause With il, were so neglected that Lees
army might be made equal to the task of
holding Grant to the Potomac or the James
aRd-the people Of the South are intelligent
enough to understand, and to appreciate the
fact, and they have lost heart accordingly.
The following is from a letter written by
one rebel to another, that accidentally fell
into the hands of one of E.y fellow prisoners,
and for the authenticity of which youch:
9 Very few persons are preparing TO obey
the late call of the Governor. His summons
viii meet with no response here. The people
are soul-sck, and heartily tired of this hate
full. hopeless strife. They would end it if
they could; but our would-be rulers will take
good care that no opportunity be given the
people to vote against it. By lies, by fraud,
and by chicanery this revolution was lnaugu-
rated; BY force, by tyranny and the suppress
ion of the truth il is sustained. 1t is nearly
time that it should end, and Of sheer deptet1o7
1t must c7td befOre long. We have had enough
of want and woe, enough of cruelty and earn
age, enough Of cripples and corpses There
: baroay-a1
ing widows, and orphaned children in the
land. If we can, let US not increase the num-
Der. The men who, to aggrandize themselves,
or to crafty their Own political ambition,
brought this cruel war upon peaceful and
prosperous country will have to render fear
full account of their misdeeds to a wronged,
robbed and outraged people. Earth has no
punishment sufficiently meet for their villalny
here, and hell will be hardly hot enough TO
seattle them hereafter.
There is certainly a no small proportion of
the Southern people despite the lying dee
laratious of their journals, a. we had good
occasion to learn,) that not only favor the
progress of our arms, but that daily pray that
this exJermnating war may soon be brought
to a inality by our complete and perfect sue
cess They have had too much of despoIism
not enough OF the triumph promised them.
Many intelligent gentlemen, do, indeed, eX-
press strong hopes OF their ultimate lhut-
pendence, bur such hope is not shared by
the masses. Disappointed from the first in
not having been acknowledged by foreign
Powers-nore bitterly disappointed in their
general expectation that Northern cowardice
or dissension would secure their ends-but
single chance remains, and that is tie result Of
oar ,tert election for President If Democrat
succeeds to Mr.. Lincoln, they profess to feel
sure Of negotiations, and sure of their Con
federscy. They believe Democrat will be
elected In Mr.. Lincoln's re-election they
see only subjugation, humiliation, for the
war must then continue and continuance is
their failure and ruin.
In military affairs it is an excellent rule
never to DO what the enemy desires-is IT
not equally true in politics? Certain it Is
that tie only remaining hope lies IN -Hr. LIN
coins defeat.
Now, l am not enough of politician to
know whether the election of a Democrat
can result as favorably to the South as IL an
ticipates. The wish alone may be the parent
Of their belief. But, | assured all who ex-
pressed that belief, that the North, a mass,
is as united a. the Soulh-that no Democrat
could be elected on a peace platform-and
L