Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-02-06
| The Coming Campaign---A Rebel View and
ApneaI,
from the Richmond sentinel. Jan. /

Appeais
From the Richmond Sentinel, Jan. L.
The year 1864, the filling of whose circle
will form another stage in the march of time,
will also mark most interesting and critical
period in the fortunes of our confederacy
To the tinsid the ne'c-boT7t gear tooers glOonily
To tie prudent there agpedrs cause for a1riolss
solicitsde seltile heroi itself sees that TIE
tag of Car, the crisis Of The struggle, IS upon us,
and that zee must prepare ourselves for tie ire
gae,,dous shock As when the skirmishers are
driven in, and the distant cannonade is ended,
two great armies rush to the death grapple,
and wrestle for the victory, so now the pro-
gress of the war has brought US TO that final
stage in which decisive blows are to be given
and received.
We cannot contemplate the coming of the
next and the fourth campaign of the pending
war without solicitude. We shall be strongly
pressed by the enemy. They are making JatSy
preparations IHey are buying nlerceaaraeS for
tie tight as men buy sheep for tie stanaJies. 1hey
are paying 6oMltits tie haif Of ,chich tie gorld
'aeycr heard Of before. IHea are spending money
,gih a reckless profession that contrasts strangely
aciM their Mature gGTSimORy. The cupidity with
which they have ever sought their own adj
vantage at our expense IS far transcribed by
the lavish desperation with which they sacri-
flee their wealth for our destruction. Ameri-
can patriots of the better days were accus-
toned to say Millions for defence, not a cent
for tribute" This maxim remains to us alone.
Our enemies have altered it to read, "Mil-
lions for tyranny, not cent for honesty and
justice.
Our enemies, too, 1cW commence the merit CAM
paign ,ch some advantages of position achich they
did not haze IN tie beginning Of 1868. They
sciH begin at Chattanooga instead Of Nashville :;
at VjcksJayg instead OF Memphis. They come
flushed also with wild hopes, and they are an
mated with increased arrogance.
1t will be incumbent upon us during the
current year to call out all our resources and
put forth all our strength. We must make the
most rigorous battle Of ,eIieh are are capable
Everything is at stake-property, honor, lib
erty, life ITSELF and giant danger presses.
The Phillistines be upon thee, Samson !"
Ii we thus act our part the dangers which
menace us will all be averted. The ship may
be among the rocks and the sound OF the
breakers may be heard, but steady captain
and brave and united crew shall bring her
safely out of her peril. Our real danger lies
not in the martial array the enemy may send
against US, for under the blessing of God we
have already shown ourselves able to with
stand them; bit tie point Of anxious SOiicitasde
IS, are Ue all prepared and reSolced TO do oar
srbOle duty.
Do we appreciate the magnitude and the
| vital character of the crisis that is upon us !?
Are we all ready to make every sacrifice
which the cause may require to go into the
ranks, if called for; to contribute our prop
erty; to be ready with our personal service,
wherever wanted, and to count not our lives
dear unto us if our country is to be served !?
Are we ready to respond, without murmuring,
to the military laws which Congress shall
judge the exigency to require? Are we pre-
pared to hail the law which shall impose
heavy taxes upon us to retrieve our currency
and establish our finances?
Fellow citizens, if we are not ready for all
this we must become so. Such spirit and
resolve among us are the condition, as they
will prove the guaranty, of our success. But
we must win this victory among and over our
selves before we shall be ready to meet the
enemy. W. must be ready risk al, and Offer ALL
If ,Cc do net lciSh TO lose 0H Egery nlaa ,rhO IS
d6ie 10 leUel mtsket must be ready to shine ia
arms If too old or intTm for tie army, Mea as
State guards, or home defenders. or reserves Ev
cry producer must arouse his utmost energies
to provide food and clothing for the soldiers
and the people. All must be ready to re-
nounce comforts or endure hardships without
murmuring or complaint. Oh, it is an honor
W Sulitl III ouCii 81 NduSC3 anu III bhN h"Fpf
days to come, such suflerings will be told over
from glad memory with an honest pride.
10 secure this cordial action of hearts and
hands we must avoid everything calculated
to chill our ardor, to discourage our efforts,
and to estrange our feelings from each other.
There are some, in this supreme hour of life
and death, when we are fighting a foe that
comes in upon us like flood, when our coun-
try itself is at stake and threatened with de-
struction, ,chO make Their part to be ertremolg
noisy about State rights and ha5eas corpus, and
tie largest liberty TO eUeIy person actO is disposed
TO abuse IT, They are wise as the man who
cried "Fire," in the midst of a universal
deluge Others there are who dog the steps
of the President, assail his acts, assail his
motives, attack his usefulness, do all they can
to make his efforts unsuccessful His leading
officers and generals are often hOnOred with
like discriminate abuse. From al these men
tie people must turn array. Whether in Con
gress or out of it, they are doing the enemy's
work. They are diStraeting aS, achea djstrae-
ton Is destruction. THEY are dicidipg 'ghen
dUisioa Is death
We must unite, heartily and cordially. If
we do, our success is assured. If we do not
we shall inevitably go down. We shall die
the most inglorious death that can beiall
people-die of want of public virtue, die
of giving ear to factiOnists and demagOgues,
and breeders of dissensiOn.