Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-02-03
REBELLION RUN MAD,

ed of the Rebellion is now taking place in
the unfortunate section of our country sub
iected to its control The beginning of the
end has come. Trade was long ago at an
end. Money is worthless The basis of
taxation has been destroyed The area over
which the wretched despotism holds sway
is so narrowed down by Union successes that
one-half of its so-called representatives in
Congress have no constituency and the
Southern papers are protesting loudly against
men from Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas,
louisiana, and other States completely un-
der Federal sway, and likely to remain so
burdening the small remainder with unen-
durable taxation, and In their desperation
dragging every male between sixteen and six
tyfive years of age into the army. Universal
disappointment in the result Of their stupen-
douS crime has been succeeded by universal
distrust and terror. In every little village
throughout the South there is perfect sys-
TEN Of military despotism-the Provost
Marshal exercising supervision, by the aid
of guards and detectives, over the acts and
expressions OF every one. The system of
espionage is as great and the terror as wide
spread as in France during the domination
of Robespierre
The new Consumption Act of the Rebel
Congress is spreading CONSERVATION all
over the South. 1t sweeps off the whole
able-bodied population. There is no draft
ing-no chance for substitutes-no commu-
taton-no exemption. Everybody is in
the army. and if anybody chooses to neglect
his duty to report at headquarters, his first
notification of expected duty is by arrest as
deserter. As a consequence, desertions to
come over into the country ruled by the
''tyrant Lincoln" as to the land of Canaan.
The discomfort, arising from this cause "a
lone has become wide spread, and in the
State of North Carolina has gone so far as
to find expression in combination for resis-
tance to the Confederate authority The Raj
eigh Standard says in reference to the Con
scription Act
IF the rights of the States are to be ig-
''nored and swept away by the mere crea-
''ture of the States-the common Govern
'ment-the people Of North Carolina acW
stake their olcn oHairS into their 0tCle
'hands' and warns the Rebel Congress
that by persistence in its course it will kin
IDLE flame which no effort can extin-
''guish. After reciting the special griev-
ances in contemplation, now become griey-
ances In fact, the Standard threatens that
the people of North Carolina viii rise a,
''their majesty and assert their Soreretgnty
"1'here IS no pOioer to prered uiena from
dong tstS, and acOe to the official character
''schO shall attempt to turn 4he arms Of Con-
'.federdte soldiers against tie people Of this
estate The dwellers in the Garden of
Eden when they listened to the tempting
promises of Satan were not more deceived
''and ruined than were the people of the
fair, happy and blooming South when they
listened to the far promises Of those arch
'deceivers, Iancy, Wise IL Go. !
What bitterness in such memory Has
all the precious blood been spent in vain
Have they ruined their country-robbed
their people-destroyed their young men
abolished industry neglected the arts of
peace-endured hardships-impoveri
themselves-for this
Nor is this discomfort confined to the
Press of North Carolina The Atlanta
Georgia, IatcUigencer, also finds fault with
the heartless impressment Act, which has
passed the Rebel Congress As the follow
ing article from late number, besides dis
playing its feeling on this particular subject,
also refers to several horrible practices
in vogue in Dixie, we transfer it entire to
our columns
''How TO RAISE MEN-Congress desires
what was never known in the civilized world
the entire population of the country aban-
doning all civil pursuits and taking up arms.
W. are not blind to the Importance Of rein
forcing our army We feel the necessity,
but believe that other measures can be d
dopted to perform the desired work. Con
gress has called into service the seventy or
seyenty-five thousand able-bo1ied men who
have put substitutes into the army These,
with the one hundred thousand now absent
from their commands, are amply sufficient
to meet all emergencies, and the civil pur-
suits of the country can still go on, for, if
interrupted any more than they are now,
fearful hardships and sufferings will be the
result 1t may be said that getting the one
hundred thousand men absent from duty is
easier said than done. We viii show way
to do it. Abolish the abominable practice of
furnishing men by branding in the forehead,
wearing barred shirts, and putting them in
the stocks. Remove from command and
reduce to the ranks those officers who are
tyranizing over their men and treating them
like brutes and cashier all those who, from
their want of proper discipline and loose
treatment of their soldiers, absolutely en-
couraged deSertion, and are as much to
blame as the deserters. Let this be done,
and then let the President issue a proclama-
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