Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-01-30
Importanf Advice from a Late Rebel

Presidents amnesty proclamation, write
4 q lengthy letter to the Mas hville Pres!
from which we take the following e1
tracts:
Notwithstanding the bravery and en-
durance evinced by her people is almos
unpa ralleled in the history of war; not
withstanding they have manifested de
termination of purpose truly sublime
yet may truly assert that no nation, il
so short time, has suffered so man,
defeats, had its flag lowered in the fac,
of the enemy so often, lost so much o
their territory, as the army of the South
! Seven times in two years have we beer
compelled to strike our colors and sur
render to our enemies our most import
ant strongholds. Nearly two-thirds oi
our territory, first occupied by our forces
and now claimed as our own, is under
the dominion and control of the Federal
authority All of the most important
agricultural territory of Kentucky, Ten.
nessee, a great part of Virginia and
Arkansas, properly termed the store
house of the Confederacy, we have been
compelled 10 &haadon, The currency,
upon the sustenance of which success in
war, in great degree, depends, has be
come almost worthless. The wages oi
the private, for two months service, will
not buy him respectable pair of shoes,
or procure him dozen meals TO satisfy
the cravings of hunger.
The army too is fearfully divided in
sentiment, large element of which is
nov, and ever has been opposed to the
doctrine of secession, one of the funda-
mental principles of the Southern Gov
ernment, and to the policy of establish.
ing another Government in order to pro-
tect injured rights. Force of circum-
stances, ties of eonsanguinity and inter-
est placed them where they are.
This element will accept the amnesty,
as soon as opportunity presents itself.
Already have thousands renounced their
allegiance to the rebellion, and daccepted
the terms offered by which they might
return to their allegiance to the Govern
ment
Where are the recruits to come from
now to Eli the diminished ranks Of the
ariny7 The old msn and the boys are
all that remain, and they are needed to
develop the resources of the country, by
which the army is supplied. 1t will not
do to place. all: in the field, or we cease
to have the means tor prosecuting the
war Hence, if from this class alone we
may hope to again swell the army, the
levy win neither be large.nor valuable
How Is it with the army of the Union
Their resources are iaexhaustible, and
judging from its movements, the army is
stronger than at any previous period of
the contest, and must necessarily be
flushed with confidence by their recent
successes. Then we may conclude that
the military strength of the South has
been tested during the last year, and the
result is the evacuation of every foot of
Tennessee soil, and most of Arkansas,
the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson,
two of the most important strongholds Of
the South, the loss of which divides the
Confsderacy In nearly two equal parts,
and opens to the enemy the navigation
of the Mississippi, throughout its whole
length to the Gulf. The army is npmeri.
cally weaker Gas we have before stated)
than it was one year ago,
If, then, when the army of the South
was more nearly equal in numbers and
resources than now, to that of the Union
if when we, instead of them, were en-
oouraged by success in a recent cam
paign: if when we possessed the adyan-
tage of the strongest fortified positions
the world ever new, we have been de-
! feated and driven back, and been com.
PEELED to relinquish the region from
which we have drawn our most import
ant supplies, and surrender our most i'm
portant strongholds, together with their
garrisons and means of defence, can we
with that army SO diminished, that il
greatly inferior to that which it con
| fronts, discouraged and somewhat dis
organized, with the floss of the advan
tages which we have enumerated, nov
hope to accomplish that which the lead
ing statesmen of the South declared
must be accomplished ere we achieved
our independence, namely, the over
throw of the military power of tn
United States2 By these facts we ar
forced to decide that we never can &C
complish it
! Then It follows that the Independents
of the Confederaey cannot be estat
lished.
Then, if the establishment of the Con
federacy is an impossibility, if from j
we may expect to obtain no protection
no guarantee of life or liberty, wha
shall We do2 Shall We propose to be
come an appendsge to some foreign pow
er in order to procure assistance in rs
heving US from the claims of the Gov
ernmsnt against which we have rebelled
i / know that such policy has been re
commended by Southern statesmen i
case of desperation. But would the buy
: ing of our release from that Governmen
be more honorable and secure to u
more of the blessings of freedom, Civ
us greater protection to ourselves an
| property, than to return under the am
nesty offered, to the UnionP Is not th
urited world opposed to our peculiar in
stitution? Have we any assurance the
would not demand, as condition of gi,
ing US relief and assistance, the destruC
ton of slavery? We have not; but t
the contrary, we have abundance of evi
dence that they either would deman
immediate or gradual emancipation.
Then assuming that the military proc
lamations of the President be pronounc
ed valid by the Supreme Court, to who's
decision it is referred, and assuming tina
the institution is destroyed by virtu
thereof, will we have lost anything b
accepting the amnesty? Is not the Cor
stitution of the Federal Government th
most liberal, and under it have we nc
enjoyed higher privileges than any Go,
ernment the world can furnishi Sue
is too well known and acknowledged /
be disputed IF the war is continued a
/ admit, even in the South, under the pre-
ent policy of the Federal Government
T slavery is doomed Its death will be il
3 stantaneous where the Federal forces e,
e ercise authority, and in the small, col
It tracted space held by the Confederate
!. it will receive such blow as will be fat,
$ to its existence Then what have we
!. lose by accepting the preferred amuest
that we can gain bv refusing it?