Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-01-26
The Beginning Of the End.

light day by day, and week by week, which
seem, if not singly yet when taken together, to
argue both the weakness and desperation of the
rebel cause.
The finances Of treason have long since come
to rretrieyable disaster and for all the purposes
Of sustaining the Government in the further pros
ecution Of the war, confederate shnplasters are
worthless. When it takes $500 to purchase a
barrel Of -four, and $25O0 to buy horse, the
rebel cavalry ami the rebel commssariet must |
be rather expensive. The rebels have for some
time acknowledged this, and have not attempted
to purchase, Tut have taken tie shorter and
cheaper method Of impressment in obtaining sup
plies Their Congress IS now engaged in the
vain attempt 10 give some value to their currency,
and can think Of no better or more ingenious
way than to declare four.ffhs Of it utterly worth
less in order 10 give some real value to the re-
malnder a scheme which is certniny novel,
whether it is calculated to increase confidence in
the men and the Government which resort to
it or not.
But a deprecated and almost worthless curren-
cy, bad as that is, is by no means the most un.
promising condition in which the rebels find their
affairs They need recruits for their wasting and
now seriously depleted army. Their force in the
field has never been more than two.thirds as
great as the Union army, and is now probably not
one half as large as ours, while the territory re.
naming for our armies to conqu r is so much
diminished in extent, that our superior numbers
are beginning to tell on the rebellion more than
at any former time. But our volunteers are adding
strength to our forces in the field every day, and
this, together with the almost universal re-enlis-
ment Of the veterans renders it certain that our
Government will open the spring campaign with
asplendid and hopeful army as large or larger
than ever before.
10 meet this preparation on our part the
rebels have no resort but CONSUMPTION. TIE
soldiers in their army are to be kept there wheth-
er they desire TO remain or not and they are re-
sorting to relentless draft which takes every
man between sixteen and sixty five, and puts him
into the service. By this last spasmodic eff
fort they are striving to raise an army that will
in numbers at least, bear as great proportion
to ours as it has heretofore. 1t does Mt need
an enemy, however, to point out the result Of
this sweeping conscrpton. The arms bearing
population OF the States which the Richmond
Government can reach, is already in the army.
Not enough have been hitherto left at home to
raise the wheat and corn and meat necessary to
feed the people aud the army, and the result is
that already both the army and the people are on
scanty ratons. This their own papers admit
and the holder ones now declare that any further
c1nscription, while it may raise an army, will
simply leave the fields untitled and bring starva
ton and nakedness alike upon soldiers and citizens
The Richmond Examiner in speaking Of this as
pect of affairs, says
We regret to learn that there is very little
prospect of any considerable crops being made
this year in several Of the fertile counties in
Southwestern Virginia. be largest farmers in
. this portion Of the State-Campbell, Roanoke,
Charlotte, Bedford, etc,-haye pretty generally
furnished substitutes and devoted their time to
the production Of large quantities of meat, bread
stufs, vegetables and forage. In view OF the late
enactment rendering them again liable TO militia
ry duty, and the consequent impossbty OF at
tending to their plantations, these men have as a
rule hired out their field hands to railroad or
manufacturing companies, or sent them to the
cities and towns to be there employed. No corn
crop will consequently be made, and but compare
lively small extent of land has been put iu oats
or wheat. What little will be raised this year in
these productive regions will principally he under
the superintendent Of the few old or disabled
men, unfit for military service and will hardly
suffice for home consumption, leaving nothing for
the support of the army, which has heretofore
drawn abundant supplies Of provisions and forage
from these counties.
1t is evident from this and similar declarations
in rebel papers, that the attempt to fill up their
armies is about as mad and hopeless, as to gnaw
ones own flesh to appease hunger, process
which can but little while staye off the certain
death which must soon overlake its victim.
And 1t is from this lack Of men even more
than Of money, that the rebellion must 20 to
pieces. The Confederate government is, and has
been almost from the start, military despOtsm
The apparent unanimity at the South in resisting
the Federal authority has been. in part and to no
inconsiderabe extent, compulsory, and when the
strength Of its armies is assailed, and its power of
keeping large military force seriously under
mined, the beginning of the end must have come.
And it now seems as il this stage in the rebellion
had really been reached, If treason does not
strengthen its armies, it cannot on any field with
stand the REINFORCED and enthusiastic troops OF
tse Union, and must be inevitably crushed in a
short and decisive spring campaign. Ii it aug
ments its armies by taking the few remaining
whites from agricultural pursuits and the produc-
ton Of supplies, famine and nakedness will smite
army and people alike
We have not space here to enumente the
many other evidences daily accommodating Of the
wauiog power of treason, and there is little need
that we should. A rebellion without food, with
out money, and without the ability to raise new
armies except by methods which its own people
denounce as suicidal, mus, be on its last legs. 1t
may yet strike, as Heenan did 10 the last part OF
his late losing fight some violent spasmodc blows,
but its vital forces are seriously impaired, and so
rapidly failing that its friends and hackers will
soon be compelled to thow up the sponge, and
acknowledge that their chairman has heen thor