The Portland daily press., 1864-12-28
Trouble in Dixie.

The Richmond Sentinel, the mouth piece of
JEFF. Davis; is full Of discontents and COM
plainings. 1t sees, or thinks it sees, in the
spirit of fault-hnding which characterizes ma
ny Of the public journals, the downfall and
ruin of the Confederacy. If these chickering's
and ordinations do not cease, If they do not
unite and strengthen the hands of each other.
if they do not rally round and support their
Constituted authorities. and come more square
ly up to the great work they have undertake n
then, In the opinion of the Sentinel, their
cause will 60 down, slavery will be no more,
and they will be absolutely and forever ru
ined.
ITO wrangle is to dep exclaime this organ
Of the arch traitor. 1t brings to view the fol
lowing scrap of history: "Let us all hang
together" remarked one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence in ITO, eyes,"
replied another, "for if we do not hang to-
gether we shall all hang separately"
The Sentinel very properly and judiciously
advises all its readers to take the lesson to
themselves. Since Hood has been SO sound
ly whipped by Gen. Thomas, and the perse-
vering Sherman has triumphantly marched
through the heart of rebeldom and captured
one of their principal cities, public opinion in
Dixie has receiVed-a tremendous shock, and
the leaders of the rebellion begin to seri-
ously fear that hempen cord which they de-
serve according to all laws, human and d.
vine.
Never since the first gun was fred at Sum-
ter, have such fearful and portentous clouds
darkened the prospects of these traitors as
now hang over them. No wonder the people
begin to find fault with their rulers, and Bit
terly complain of their management of pub
lie affairs. 5 ~
1t requires vast amount of human sagaci.
ty and adroit manipulation to stop the mouths
of the people and keep them quiet in the
present crisis of the rebellion. And whether
the leaders will be able much lon ger to sup
press these complaints and uprisings of the
people is exceedingly problematical. The
prospect seems now to be fair for q general
outbreak which may require military power to
put it down. Their troubles are probably
greater than we dream Of in our philosophy.
We have been impressed with the belief
and that impression has recently been deep
ened-that the rebellion would suddenly col
lapse to the surprise of the most ahrewd OBJ.
servers of the times. We make no claim TO
superior wisdom, or to the spirit Of prophecy,
but we have felt, and do now feel, an instinct
i've impression that this great rebellion will
suddenly terminate and fall to rise no more,
in way that we do not dream Of. This i'm
preston has been upon our mind for many
months past, but after all we may be sadly
mistaken and the rebellion may drag along,
and, like the serpent, wriggle its tail after its
head has been cut of. And yet we do not
believe that such will be its termination.
The rebellion is SO outrageously wrong in
itself, has such weak, wicked and unreasona-
BILE basis to stand upon, that when 1t does fall,
it will come down like rent balloon that has
lost its sustaining and buoyant power. Ithas
no redeeming trait-nothing to which public
opinion can cling-no moral force-no princi-
Pile Of right-no solid foundation-and when
it does give up the ghost, 1t will die AZ in fit
Of apoplexy, and none will own it, shed tear
or give 1t decent burial. -