Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-01-07
A Richmond view of the r. ebel Situation

Richmond View of the r. ebel Situation.
The Richmond Examiner Of December 81 con.
talns an exceedingly lugubrious editorial, from
which the following is extracted:
To- day closes the gloomiest year of our strug.
gle. NO san nguine hope Of Intervention buoys
up the spirits Of the Confederate public as at
the end Of 1861. No brilliant victory like that
OF fredericksburg encourages as to look tor
ward to a speedy and successful termination
OF the W ar as in the last weeks of 1862. Meade
has been toiled, and Longstreet has had a par.
tial success in Tennessee; but Meade advance
was hardly meant in earnest and Beams
Station is poor set off to the loss of the gallant
men who fell in the murderous assault on
Knoxville. Another daring Yankee raid has
been carried out with comparative impunty to
the invaders, and umoroHs capitalists NAV
we'll pause before they nibble at eligible invest.
ments in real estate situated far in the interior.
The interior has been fearfully narrowed by
the Federal march through Tennessee; and
owing to the deficiencies of our cavalry service
Lincoln's squadrons of horse threaten to be as
universal a terror, as persuasive a nuisance,
as his squadrons OF gunboats were some months
since.
The Confederacy has been cut in twain along
the line of the Mississippi, and our enemies are
steadily pushing forward their plans for bisect-
ing the eastern moiety. No wonder, then, that
the annual advent of the reign Of mud is hailed
by all classes with q sense OF relief.
Meanwhile the financial chaos is becoming
wilter and wilder. Hoarders keep q more res
olute grasp than ever on necessaries Of lite.
Whatever number Of men, or Whatever
amount of money shall be really wanting, will
be forthcoming. Whatever economy the
Strengthening Of our resources m ay req uire, we
shall learn to exercise. We could only wish
that Congress was not in such a fe verish mood,
and that the government would do something
towar ds the establishment of statistical bureau,
or some other agency, by which we could ap-
proximately ascertain what we have to con-
trib ute, and to what extent we must husband
our resources. Wise, cool, decided, prompt
action, would put us in good condition for the
spring campaign of 1864, and the close of next
year would furnish a more agreeable retrospect
than the dnin.us mira bills of blunders which We
now consign to the dead.
Non. producers, who are at tfe same time
nor spectators, are suffering more and more.
What " as once competence has become power
ty, poverty has become penury, and penury is
lapsing into pauperIsm. Any mechanical oc-
cupation is more profitable than the most in
tell-ctual profession. The most accomplished
scholar in the Confederacy would be glad to
barter their services for food and raiment, and
in the complete upturning of our social rela-
tions. The only happy people are those VINO
have black hearts or black SKINS.
Unreasoiing confidence has been succeeded
by depfes sion as unreasoning, and the Yam
KEGS congratulating themselves on the re-
suit, VI hich they hawk about as the .sbegin-
ming of The end" We all have heavy score
to pay Of, and ve know it This may dep.ess
ms, but our enemies need not be jubilant over
our depression, for we are determined to meet
them.