Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1865-04-05

SN~A-SN'SANSJ'
a correspondent Of the Louisville Dem
oc,ai, Republican,, writing from Naiehez.
h hisssslppl, under date of the llth inst
writes us follows in respect to the South. .
; western and Trans-Mississippi Depart
ment:
lhat is aiallacious theory which argues
that rebellion will die in the Transmits
sissippi States because CRUSHING hlo
have been dealt it on the Atlantic board
The lille OF The rebellion does not entirely
; depend upon the fate Of Richmond. These
far-oh hStates--removed from what thew
consider their head by thousands ofmneS.
rapid torrents and wel-nigh inlpassable
mountain barriers-possess elements of
Vllallly drawn from no eXtraueous sources.
Out lnherent In themselves, which will
render their death as 10 secession and in
surrectlon as TO the Old Union q matter
. nearly Independent Of the demise Of their
Klehmond head, or even of the fight of
deli. Davis to England to Join his dear two
hundred thousand specie dollars "gone
before" More than this, rebellion still
lives IN the Southwest and beyond the
Mississippi. not because of Richmond but
IN spite OF Richmond. Their oapltai ha 9
been as much q source Of weakness TO the
rebels rs Washington has been To us Tho
southwestern States have not only uuoid-
ed resisted, as best they could. the nd
vance CT tho Federal arms in their own
section, but they have furnished a largo
proportion OF the legions which Lee now
marshaIs to oppose Grant, and with which
johnson 30 stubbornly resists the advance
OF persistent sherman. At the peril of
leaving their own frontiers open to the
attack OF armies, they have furnished men
who have fought in every campaign from
Mannassa and the Peninsula down TO Sa-
vanah and Fort Fisher; and fought, too.
with valor and desperation worthy of
sone better cause than resistance toright-
iu lily constituted authority.
In addition to The defense Of their own
and distant section of the Confederacy,
the rebe. commissariat would make but u
sorry show without their assistance.
louisiana and Texas are but little be-
hind Georgia in the supply of cereals,
while il is no exaggeration to firm that
two thirds cf the beef and pork needed
for the consumption Of their armies has
been furnished by Texas alone. Outside
OF Richmoud the most important arsenas
toundries and manufactures of munitions
of war are to be found within the borders
of these Southwestern provinces OF the
rebellion. They pQssear rUil vYhiob yields
its products almost tor the asking, ana u
climate whose genial spn ripens for them
TWO crops in a single season. The people
have an intimate Knowledge of their own
country, and fair appreciation Of its ca
paOililies for offensive and defensive war
fare, while they indubitably have the
courage and ingenuity TO use them to good
advantage for their own purposes. Their
territory is intersected by numerous
streams, rendering pursuit difficult, while
bayous and navigabe rivers literally grid
iron the country with means Of comnuni-
cation between the different sections.
/ Such are some ofthe advantages posses
Eed by the Southwest for prolonging the
war advantages not to be lightly esteem
ed, and upon which we pred ica,ed the
proposition at the outset, that the fall of
Richmoad did not necessarily involve the
determination OF the rebellion in the
Southwest.
Actual military occupation and lheorot-
ioal paper occupation, have some few
points Of difference Oar possession Of
III 90 N'hilAl 10 bD lHp iANAil1 NN NytAl lNlEkt
rs the general opinion Of the North sup
poses The Federal army has done wond-
erfully well, taking into consideration the
immese area OF territory to be held, and
physical obsticles to be overcome. There
are comparatively few at the North, how
ever, who apprehended in its full force
the fact that we hold only SO much
ground in the Lower Mississippi Valley as
our gunboats and fortified posts can cover
With their shells. This is the real state
Of the case. 1t is only since General
Davidson assumed command at this post
that the pickets have been sent outside
the actual city limits. Before his advent it
was no unusual affair for gu errillas to
make their incursions within rifle shot Of
the town AT Fidalia, on the opposite, or
Louisiana bank of the river, the rebels,
but short time since, gobbled wagon
train coming in for plantation supplies,
within sight Of General Brayman's head
quarters Az Plaquemine twenty miles be-
low Baton RoNge, they captured fourteen
priyales belonging to n. Y colored regi-
ment, within sight of the town, and not
half mile from the camp Of the fort
garrison. A few days afterward they sur
surprised q party from the same regiment
while cutting drift would in a bayou firing
upon them, wounding one, and conpell-
ing the squad to take shelter behind the
house. Such incursicns are not rare. nor
are they confined to this section alone.
In q recent trip through the Bayou Ia
fourche district, and down to Brashear
City, numerous occurrences similar TO the
above were vouched for by officers, pri-
Yates and civilians. 1t is warfare more
annoying and dangerous than the opera
tions Of a regular organized amy, since
one never knows where nor when these
maurauders may make descent, whilO
the location aud movements of a larger
force can be definitely ascerlained and
correspondent measures taken, The men
who execute these predatory dashes arc
acting independently of all constituted
authority. 1t is q matter of entire irdiiF-
erence to them whether Richmond stands
or is swallowed by an earthquake yet
their efforts subserve the interests of
the so.called Confederacy none the