Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-02-04
The Coming Campaign---l. Rebel View and
Appeal

3
From the Richmond Sentinel Ian 10
/ The year 1861, the filling of whose circle
will form another stage in the march of time
will also mark a most interesting and critical
period in the fortunes of our confederacv
To tie ti,ad TIE ,aetr-5o,7, gear iosoe7s clooni.
To TIE .p,1sdeHt there appears cause for cnrioiss
Sotcitsde aelLs egen beroiSnl itself sees that the
tag Of 1saJ tie CRISIS Of tie struggle is upon u.s.
and that are mast prepare ourse',es for the ire
nte5tdous shock. As when the skirmishers are
driven In, and the distant cannOnade is ended
two great armies rush to the death grappIe,
and wrestle tor the victory, so now the pro
gress of the war has brought us to that final
stage in which decisive blows are to be given
and received.
We cannot contemplate the coming of the
next and the fourth campaign of the pending
war without solcitude. We shall be strongly
pressed by the enemy. They are making busy
preparation. They are buying mercmay7es for
the fgLt as men buy sheep for the shameless They
are paying 6ooaticS the ha,f OF srlicb tie acorld
5terer heard Of before. They as'c spending money
Scitb reckless pToJaSion that contrasts strangely
19jH their nottre pd1Sjmong. The cupidity with
which they have ever sought their own adj
vantage at our expense is far transcribed by
the lavish desperation with which they sacri-
can patriots of the better DAYS were accus-
toned to say Millions for defence, not cent
for tribute" This maxim remains to us alone.
Our enemies have altered it to read, mil
lions for tyranny, not Il cent for honesty and
justice.
Our enemies, too rW commence the ,,ert cam
Pajg7t 1cih some advantages Of position arica Hey
dit not hare IN the BEGINNING of 1868. Then
aciH begin at Chattanooga instead of NashoUe;
at I'ichsburq instead Of Memphis They come
flushed also with wild hopes, and they are an
mated with increased arrogance
1t Will be incumbent upon us during the
current year to call out all our resources and
put forth all our strength We must make the
most rigorous battle of lclich ace are CAPABLE.
Everything is at stake-property, honor, lib
erty, life itself: and a giant danger presses
The Phillistines be upon thee, Samson r'
If we thus act our part the dangers which
menace US will all be averted. The ship may
be. among the rocks and the sound of the
breakers may be heard, but steady captain
and brave and united crew shall bring her
safely out Of her peril. Our real danger lies
not in the martial array the enemy may send
against us, for under the blessing of God we
have already shown ourselves able to with
stand them; bit the point of anxious soLcitatde
IS, are acc all prepared and resolved to do our
cbo1c duty.
Do we appreciate the magnitude and the
vital character of the crisis that is upon us 1?
Are we all ready to make every sacrifice
which the cause may require: to 90 into the
ranks, if called for; to contribute our prop
erty; to be ready with our personal service,
wherever wanted, and to count not our lives
dear unto us if our country is to be served I?
Are we ready to respond, without murmuring,
to the military laws which Congress shall
judge the cXlgency to require? Are we pre-
pared to hail the law which shall impose
| heavy taxes upon US to retrieve our currency
and establish our finances?
Fellow citizens, if we are not ready for all
this we must become so. Such a spirit and
resolve among Us are the condition, as they
Will prove the guaranty, Of our success. But
we must win this victory among and over our
selves before we shall be ready to meet the
enemy. We mast be ready risk all, and offer all,
il ne do not IRISH to lose oH. Ecery man RHO is
able TO leoel nntSIet mast be ready to slime IN
arms # too old or infrna for tile army, then as
State guards, or home dTGderS or reserves. Ev-
cry producer must arouse his utmost energies
to provide food and clothing for the soldiers
and the people. All must be ready to re-
nOunce comforts or endure hardships without
murmuring or complaint. Oh, it is an honor
to suffer in such a cause; and in the happy
days to come, such sufferings will be told over
from glad memory with an honest pride.
TO secure this cordial action of hearts and
hands we must avoid everything calculated
to chill our ardor, to discourage our efforts,
| and to estrange our feelings from each other
There are some, in this supreme hour Of life
and death, when we are fighting a foe that
comes in upon US like food, when our coun-
try itself is at stake and threatened with de-
Struction, arbo make 1t their part to be extremely
noisy about State rights and habeas corpus, and
the largest liberty to eyerY person echo Is disposed
to aJaSe it, They are us wise as the man who
cried g Fire." in the midst of universal
delugCl Others there are who dog the steps
of the President, assail his acts, assal his
motives, attack his usefulness, do all they can
to make his efforts unsuccessful. His leading
officers and generals are often honored with
like discriminate abuse. From all these men
tie people must turn array. Whether in Con-
gress or out of it, they are doing the enemy's
work. THEY are diStracting as, mhcn diSt,'oc-
ton is destruction. IAey are dieidiag as wln
dUiSi0n IS de0th!
We must unite, heartily and cordially If
we do, our success is assured. If we 90 not
we shall inevitably go down. We shall die
the most ingIorious death that can bcfall
pcOple-die of a want Of public virtue, die
Of giving ear to factOnists and demagogucs,
and breeders of dissensiOn.