Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-08-23
ooNDITI0N OF THE SOUTH.
Letter from General Seymour.

Letter from General Seymour.
The following letter, referred to in our
dispatches yesterday morning, from Gen
era! T. Seymour, who was lately released
from imprisonment at Charleston, describes
the present condition of the South, and
shows the necessity of reinforcing the
Union armies:
i'WILLIAMsroN, Mass, August l5, 1864.
"My Dear Sir: You ask for my impress
sions of he present condition of the South
ern Confederacy, and you shall nave them.
| For the benefit of our cause, l wish they
might be Impressed upon every soul in the
land, that the confidence begotten of my
three 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 I
am sure that these opinions are not Pecu-
liar TO myself. Every one of the fifty Off
/ GERS Just exchanged will express the same
every one of them, whether from the
/ jaiIs of Charleston, or the pens OF Macon
and Andersonville, will confidently tell
the same story.
"THe rebel cause Is fast .fiaiIiHg from sz-
hGustioH. 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 aud every
boy capable of bearing a rife has been
impressed, willingly or unwilliugIy, and hur-
ried to the front. Lees army was the first
SO strengthened. 1t was at the expense of
| Hoods. Governor Brown told the truth
with plainness that was very bitter, but
! it was none the less the truth.
| s.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 made 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
to appreciate the fact, and they have lost
heart accordingly.
"Tte following is from letter written
by one rebel to another, that accidentally
fell into the hands of one of my fellow pris-
oners, and for the authenticity of which l
7ouch
Very few persons are preparing to
| cbev the late call of the Governor. His
summons will meet with no response here.
/ The people are soul sick, and heartily tired
/ of thi. hateful, hopeless strife. They would
end it If they could, but our wOuld-be rul-
ers will take good care that no opportunity
be given the people to vote against 1t. By
lies, BY fraud, and by chicanery this revo-
luton waa inaugurated; by force, by ty-
rauay and by the suppression OF truth, it
is 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 aud
carnage, enough OF crippies and corpses:-
There is an abundance of bereaved paren t5,
weeping widows, and orphaned children in
! the land. If we can, let Us not increase
the number. The men who, TO aggrandize
themselves, or TO crafty thir own political
| ambition brought this cruel war upon a
peaceful and prosperous country will have
10 render feartuI account of their mis-
deeds to a wrouged, robbed and outraged
people. Earth mas no punishment suth-
ciently meet for their villalny here, and
hell will hardly be hot enough to scathe
them hereafter
"There is certainly no small proper
tiou of the southern people despite the
living declarations of tdeir journals, as we
had good occasion TO learn, that not only
favor the progress of our arms, but that
| daiiv prav that this exterminating war may
soon be brought TO a fnality By our com
plete and perfect success. They have had
TOO much of despotism-not enough OF the
triumph promised them. Many intelligent
southern gentlemen do, indeed, express
strong hopes of their ultimate lndepen-
dencs. but such hope is not shared by the
masses. Disappointed from the hrst in not
having been acknowledged by foreign pow
ers-more bitterly disappointed in their
general expectation that northern coWar-
dice or dissension would secure their ends
but single chance remains, and that IS
the result OF our next election for Presl-
dent. If a democrat succeeds Mr.. Lincoln
they profess to feel sure of negotiations
and sure of their confederacy. They be-
lieve a democrat will be elected. In Mr.
HncoIn's re lection they see only subjuga-
ton, aunihiIarion-for the war must then
continue, and continuance is their failure
and ruin.
.In military matters it is an excellent
ruIe never TO do what the enemy desires
is it not equally true in politics? Certain
it is that the only remaining hope OF the
south lies in Mr.. Liucoln's defeat.
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 oe
parent OF their belief. But, assured all
who expressed that belief that the North
as a mass. is as united as the South-tna'
no democrat could be elected on the peace
platturm-and that any President VINO
would inaugurate any measure leading to
peace on the basis of southernindependence
Z would be promptly hung BY loyal accla-