Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-01-07
The Hopelessness of the Rebel Cause-A Sug-
geSfien TO its Leaders.

The HopeesSness of the Rebel Cause-A Sug'
gesticn to its Leaders.
From an article in the Danville Reuisso, by DR..
Breckenridge, of Kentucky
When the war began, there were, according
to the usual rate of estimation, i've and a
half millions, or possibly six millions, OF fight
ing men in the country; of whom not above
one million and a quarter, or possibly one
million only, could be fairly assigned to the
population claimed by the insurgents. There
remained, therefore, to the nation, available
for the purposes of the war; from four to i've
millions of fighting men-nearer five than
four, probably. Not more than million and
a quarter, perhaps not more than million OF
these, have been called into the Federal ser
vice. So that there remains not less than
three millions of fighting men in the loyal
States who have not taken up arms; while,
as our previous statements show, the number
Of fighting men Who have not taken up arms
as yet among the insurgents does not proba-
bly, exceed one hundred thousand. Allowing
the whole number called into the field, the
number rendered incapable of further ser
vice, and the number of veterans now under
arms, to be about equal on each side, what is
to be decided is, the ability of the remaining
one hundred thousand insurgents to fight the
three millions of remaining loyal men. 1t
one party were five times as strong as the
other, and the losses were equal, as soon as
they had lost million of men each, the
stronger side retained four-ffths of its
strength, while the weaker side had spent it's
entire strength. This is the process which
has actually been going on-the result toward
which the parties have been rapidly tending
the end which must necessarily be reached
when a bloody war is carried on between
those who are very strong and those who are
not strong at all. In the earlier stages of
such war, and for limited time, certain
equality of force may be brought into the
field, and doubts may appear to cover the re-
suit but as the end approaches, the explana-
ton just gwen shows how the success of the
powerful party must necessarily advance at a
constantly increased rate Nothing can be
more certain, or, as we suppose, more obvious
than these facts or results and the whole of
this war completely illustrates the inevitable
force of the process, and has constantly tend
ed to the unavoidable result. 1t never was a
question with US, of Greeks against Asiatics
but of one American against four or FIVE
others-eitber of the four or five as good a
man as the one, perhaps better. 1t never
was a question, with US, of the weak party
fighting in some sacred cause, and the strong
one in some vile and dishonorable one : but
of the strong party upholding cause of the
highest glory and the supremest necessity,
and the weak party fighting without even
decent pretext, for objects in part utterly
preposterous, and in part desperately wicked.
How, then, is it possible to doubt that the
cause of the nation, inrespect Of ali adequate
warlike population, is invincibly strong, in
any comparison whatever and in comparison
with the weakness of the Confederates, grow
i1r w ~, 81
success of the insurgent cause be any longer
even imagined, except upon the basis of some
change III the condition Of the parties, which
only a miracle could produce 3? Two or three
hundred thousand veteran insurgents, with
almost no available reserve of fighting men,
might prOtract the war and do much mischief;
but that they can finally, or even long, main
tain themselves against an equal number of
Federal veterans, with reserve that is prac-
tlcally lnexhaustlble, can not be imagined.
If these insurgent troops are so embittered
against the United States, that they are re-
solved to brave any fortune, sooner than to
return to their allegiance to it; how much
better would it be for them to quit the des-
perate folly and mischief they are now en-
gagged inland escaping the destruction which
awaits them-march into Mexico, drive the
French out Of it, and-follOwed by their wo-
men ana CnllQreQ-oStaDllSn themselves III
some portion of Spanish America, where all
who choose to share their fortunes, might
join them from the United States, and where
they would lay the foundations of glorious
future. 1t would be wonderful thing, if IL
the providence of God, this monstrous con-
spiracy against the existence of the United
States as one Of the great nations Of the earth
should end in making it still more powerful
and durable than it was before in totally
changing the condition of the black race on
this continent, and by consequence, in some
degree, throughout the world; in creating a
great Protestant Anglo-Saxon nation, in he
vast region on this continent so long abused
by papal and Latin races besides working
out, in regard of two great European nations
| results in all respects the opposite of those
they hoped to derive from our ruin. No event,
in modern times, has been SO fruitful as the
war to establish the independence Of this na-
ton. Who need doubt that the far more ter
rible war waged to maintain and perpetuate
the existence then won might be used by God,
in a manner more fruitful?