The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1864-09-15

engaged In raldlng and repelllng ralds)
to destroy the long line of railroads over
which General Sherman brings his sup
plies from Nashville, and thus compel him
to retreat, with the loss of most of his
army, the people of Georgia, who have
already been drawn upon more heavily
in proportion to population than those Of
any other State in the Confederacy, must
at all hazards, and at any sacrifice, rush
to the front.
eff General Johnston's army is destroy
ed, the Gulf States are thrown open to
the enemy, and we are ruined"
| There must, indeed, have been desper-
ate weakness when Georgia, and the
Southern cause with it, was SO neglected,
that Lees army might be made equal to
the task OF holding Grant to the Poto-
mac or the James, and the people of the
South ale intelligent enough to under
stand and to appreciate the fact, and they
have lost heart accordingly.
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 [ can youch
every 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 they could; but our would
be rulers will take good care tha. no op-
portunity be given the people to vote
against it. BY lies, by fraud, and by chi
canery this revolution was inaugurated; by
force, by tyranny and the suppression of
truth it is sustained. 1t is nearly time
that it should end, and Of sheer depletion
1t must end before long. We have had
enough of want and woe, enough of cru
city and carnage, enough of cripples and
corpses. There is an abundance Of be-
reayed parents, weeping widows and or
| 2haued children in the land. If we can,
| let us not increase the number. The men
| who, to aggrandize themselves, or to graf
i-ify their own political ambition, brought
this cruel war upon peaceful and.pros
porous country, will have to render a
| fearful account of their misdee1s to a
wronged, robbed and outraged people
Earth has no punishment sufficiently meet
| for their villainy here, and hell will hardly
| be hot enough to scathe tEem 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) that not only favor
the progress of our arms, but daily pray
that this cxterminating war may soon be
brought to inality by our complete and
perfect success. They have had too much
of despotism-not enough OF the triumph
promised them. Many intelligent South
ern men do, indeed, express strong hopes
of their ultimate independence, but such
hope is not shared by the masses. Dis
appointed from the first in not having
been acknowledged by foreign powers
more bitterly disappointed in their general
expectation that Northern cowardice or
dissension would secure their ends-but
single chance remains, aud that is the
result of our neat election for Pres,dent-
If Democrat succeeds MIR. Lincoln, they
profess to feel sure of negotiations, and
sure of their Confederacy. They believe
a Democrat will be elected. In Mr.. Lin
coins reelection they see only subjuga-
ton, annihilation, 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? Ger
tain it is that the only remaining hope Of
the South lies in IM.. Lincola's deteat.
Now, / am not enough of politician
to know whether the election of Demo-
crat can result as favorably to the South
as it anticipates. The wish alone may be
the parent of their belief. But assured
al who expressed that belief that the
North, az mass, is as united as the South
that no Democrat could be elected on a
peace platform-and that any President
who would inaugurate any measure lead
ing to peace on the basis OF. Southern IN
dependence would be promptly hung, by
loyal reclamation, to the lamp-posts in
front of his own Presidential maEsion.
However that may be, if we are but
true to ourselves, there can be but one
result. Whnt sce need now Is naen-only
men. Not substitutes or hire.ings, who
go forth for any motive but the country's
good, and produce but little beyond the
depreciation of our armies, but m-n, such
as really constitute the State, and boast of
being freemen aud the SONS Of frcemen.
IF these fail to support their country's
cause in her hour OF peril, they are un-
worthy of continuing freemen, and should
blush ever to exercise freeman's privl-
legss.
But if bounties must be paid, let it be