Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-28
Brig Gen. = 4 O 5
Letter OF John Mitchell on the Amer
lean Question.
To the Editor of The Nation:

RICHMOND. Va. Sept. 30. 1863
Your readers may be pleased To hear voice
issuing directly out of this champ clos OF saught.
err Outside mankind knows little Of IL. save
what comes through the report OF the Yankee na-
ton which hens ~ in on every side The arena
OF this mortal struggle Is CLOSED and curtained:
you only know that natiob here Is fighting for
life, in darkness and IN silence. aud from afa-
of YOU see but the stream OF carnage ascending
to Heaven: while our enemies dance and shout
all around. and grmaco like satyrs-screaming
ont 10 all the ends OF the earth the delight they
feel in the storm of human passion md carnival
OF murder that roars and raves within.
Nobody believes Yankee nov; and perhaps
the Conlederacy has rather gained than lost in its
repute with foreign nations (though, 20 be cal-
did. that signifies little to u.s. from the fact that
the telling of the whole story has been prvi-
lege OF our enemies; tie Yankees have the ear
OF the world. aud We wish the ear of the world
much Joy. IL must be- sick and weary of the in
credible brnggadoco aud atfoclous hut lmpoient
threats which form the staple of all the utter
nuccs of that people about this war. The rogues
have taken full advantage of the privilege they
enjoyed. OF an uublockaded Intercourse with
other people. and they have flci the world with
their lies, but that business il problb 0vcrd0ne:
and now. when they even say what Ia true.
body believes them
| my tell YOU now in general that there l.
now in this Coufcderacy much more Immunity
and determination To resist the pretenslons OF the
Federal Government than ever there was IN the
American colonies 10 resist George ~ | and his
Parliament There were more Tories" during
that war OF the revolution than there are in the
ConfedeIacy to-day All the stories which the
enemy tell OF returning Union sentiment, and
dis election against government. are either
pure abrlcatIons or gross exaggeratlon or
course there some cowardly wrefche> here
there are everywhere-who wouh accept
peace, even with reconstruction of the Union but
they dare not say so openly Even the word
peace has become unpopular throughout the coun-
try; and We are fast settling into the conviction
that society must be placed and kept permA-
nent War iootng-that every faculty aud energy
OF the country must be- highly organized. brought
to IT, utmost development. AMI bent I, the one
single purpose OF long aud DESPERATE battle.
We all know here that peace there can be lone
Our enemies cannot afford 10 make pe Ice at alt
True. war i expensive 10 them. but peace would
be utter and sudden ruin. IL Is only the eypec-
tation of such n complete subugaton OF the Con
iederacy would place the whole land and
goods of all Coniederates in their hands for con.
fscation that keeps up for ono day the credit of
their greenbicked currency. Let the war stop
and that currency stops, and drops, and goes TO
the devil The greenbacks maintain the war
and the maintains the greenb lcks. Besides
kee States-and far the most influential and rul
ing portion-the capitalists-have their all m
vested IN. and depending upon. a cOntnu nee Of
the war; they the contractors, the ship
builders the manufacturers of all sorts OF military
material ard orinance stores; the hanks have
lent Tor. : thew choose TO say here loaneF all
Their money to Mr. Chase; the railroad stock
ho.ders-an immense interest in that country
making immense profits by the war-al
which however WOulI. Or-t naV
peace. turn into fairy money. Ii peace be made
the terms of our independence. then comes for
the Yankee country instant bankruptcy, reputia
ton and universal perdtion In short, their
fund for redressing their balance sheet lies here
in the Confederates' lands Those lands. with
all their woods and waters. mills and hshinss,
must 20 into the hands Of Yankee conquerors
and belong to them and their heirs forever (as
their conhscation law enscts.) or-fhere is an
end OF the great Yankee nation; and you know
OF all the mighty nations
In the fast and in the West
The glorious Yankee nation
l. the gloTiOuSest and the best
Therefore there il To be no peace-uOne. until
either the Confederacy shall be subjected or abso-
lutely conqered or until the remaining States or
Rump) of the old Union he shvered Ia pieces
and lost in anarchy, disinlegration, aud shameful
extinction. This is well understood now in this
Confederate country-they must conquer aud
subjugate Us utterly, or We must destroy them
root and branch. Confederates did not wish TO
bring the matter ~ this extreme issue; bnt as our
enemies will have il so. lie, them have IL.
But you may Ilagine-taking the 'oes from
Mr.. Stewards long dccument-tbat great part
of the Confederacy has been actually conquered.
or restored to the Union or brought under
the law"
Now, in war of invasion. where the assailed
people await an attack upon their soil il
must happen that portions Of Their land viii be
occupied BY the invading army; but | never