The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-09-20
THE CRISIS.

we nolo IL 10 DC as certain as any future event
can be, that the enemy, between this day and the
4th of November, will make more strenuous exer-
tlons than he has yet made to destroy our ar
mics and involve in their destruction the ruin of
the Confederaey. Military success is absolutely
essential to the success of Lincoln at the next
election. With it, bis reelection is certain; with
out it, tho probabilities of his defeat are very great
As, with him, aud with his party, a triumph at
the polls is an affair of much greater importance
than the good of his country, he will think it
eheaply purchased by the blood of fifty or an hun
dred thousand soldiers. Before that time shall
have arrived his drafted men will have begun to
pour in They will be absorbed as fast as they ar
rive In the old reg giments, and not undergo the
previous ceremony of drill at home. They will,
therefore, be much the more readily turned into
serviceable men, if they do not become exactly
what may he called soldiers before the time above
designated. It will be necessary, on our part to
bring out the reserves far as possible in order
to reinforce General Lee in Virginia and General
Hoodln Georgia There is ample material for
these purposes if the proper steps be EMPLOYED
out f the number Of men who have already been
returned by the Conscripton Bureau, but have
never served.
First. There believed TO be upwards of eight
thousand men, of eonscript age, belonging to the
State Government of Virgicia alone. Fully as
many are attached to each of the State Govern
ments of North Carolina Georgia and Alabama.
Hete are thirty-two thousand men at once-a pow
erfal army of themselves. IF General Lee bad
them we'll disciplined at this moment, he would
settle with Grent, before another week had passed
over our heads. If General Hood had them,
Sherman would leave Atlanta much faster than he
came to it. By some means or other these men
should be come at The Confederate Government
cannot do it, but the State Government can, by
tue simplest process in the world. Let each State
Legislature be assembled at once, and take mea-
stres to place all State officers who are of the re
q1ired age at the disposal of the conscrpt officers
We especially recommend this policy to the Leg
sature of Virginia. There can be no reason in
the world why these men should not be subjected
to the conscripton as we'll as other persons; and
the legislation which should make them so would
be the most popular legislation it is possible to
think Of
Second. We have no idea of the number of men
detailed special duty, for special bects
Some of these details absolutely necessary; but
we have no doubt that, if the system revised,
the business would 60 quite wei! and the
army be greatly the gamer. 1t is necessary, for
instance, to detail large numbers for agricultural
purposes. The army and the population must be
fed; crops must be planted; bread must be made.
Yet we are satisfied that, in the details for agrcu
tural purposes, great reforms might be made and
large accession of numbers gained by the army
In some places too many men have been taken off
by the conscription. This is more especially the
case 10 the mountain counties, where there few
negroes In other parts of the country too many
have been left, if the distribution of the burthens
of war with impartiallity be an object with those
having authority, sure it is. With re-
gard to man ufacturiDg, the is somewhat ditfe
rent. Skilled workmen are not so numerous we
could wish them to be; and our army must have
al hos ShDoc hats and uunpcwdoT Rut
in all these operations there are many persons en-
ployed who have little no skill, and who might
be substituted by older men, and in many cases,
by negroes. In fact it is great abuse, 10 any
case to employ white men of conscrpr age where
negroes could da the work quite as we'll There
should not be white driver, for instance, in the
service, unless 10 cases in which uncommon intel
lgence is necessary.
The duties of the Bureau of CONSUMPTION have
been, and continue to be- discharged with great
intelligence, industry and success. But they ex-
tend no farther than to the asccrtaiaing of the
whereabouts and status Of the conscript, and the
turning of him over to the military authorities.
What may then be done with him, it is part of
the business duty of that officer to decide. If
he be detailed, OF desert, or be made justice of
the peace, mail carrier, 1t is certainly no fault
of the Bureau. In some one other of these
ways, and not because the proper return was not
made, the country has been robbed OF the services
of large army, which, properly employed, might
have secured most important advantages. 1t is
not too late now to secure the services of much
the larger part of these men; and hope those 10
whose power it lies-whetber State Legislature or
the Confederate authorities-vill do it.-Rich-
maond Dispatch.
Before taking the State officers it would be well
to take a few thousand of the Confederate officers
who are now quartered in the different toa ms OF
the Confederacy, with little nothing to do. The
Provost guards could be dispensed with, and thou
sands of assistant quartermast-rs, commissaries,
agents, impressing officers, &c, might be sent to
the army without the least injury to the public
service. Some few of these officers, we knew, are
necessary, but there are many of them of no use
whatever, except to draw pay and rations and an
noy people who working for the cause. Re-
form in this respect is badly needed.
No doubt the services of few thousand State
officers could be dispensed with here at home, but
large army might be made up from the useless
Government officers and agents now scattered over
the couatry. We hope this matter will receive
the early attention of Congress.
N. g. BRIaADEs-Gen. Kirkland having re-
covered from bis recent wound, has been assigned
to the brigade latterly commanded by Gen. j. q.
Martin. Col McRae of the 18th y. G. Regiment,
i IL o1I hrs1~ IA