, 1865-04-14
(From the Spectator Marcb ~
sALUT PUBLIQUE IN THE SOUTH.

luC &OtilCuCIRUC 1CllCJil y VI DJHGCs
Mr.. Benjamin, has applied the true touch
stone to the Contederacy, and we shall
now soon see whether the South hayc
indeed, as Mr.. Gladstone so rashly de-
Clared three years ago, established their
right to be esteemed a nation or not. The
touchstone which MI. Benjamin applies is
the appeal onbehaIf Of the Government for
all the property OF private persons which
can be Of any use to the State in carry
inc on the War,-cotlon, food, slaves, eve
rything. All, he says, are wanted with
out free grant of all, the struggle eau
not long be continued, but if the South
will identify itself absolutely with this
war, and bring everything into the com
mon stock, then a new epoch will begin,
"a lite-and-death struggle will for the
first time commence. No doubt tins IS
the true test OF the claim to the national
title. Whatever were the crimes OF re-
vo!utionary France, and they were great,
France stood this extreme test. When
her resources in money were absolutely
exhausted, when formidable armies
threatened her territory, when telroc
reigned in Paris, the people s'ill support
ed passionateIy the only Government
they had, IN e%Xacting property, food, men,
all and everything that was necessary
to wage a war d foUtraHce against tleic
foes. The internal divisions were fierce,
but they were sileucad as az, lbs, the foe.
The truth is that France may in some
sense be said to be Of all nations in the
world the most Of a natjcn,-not the
most narrow, not the most welded 10
traditional preiudices, not the most inca
pable of accepting ideas from outs d.,
but the most completely filled with the
certainty that to Ftenchmeu the only life
is to live among Frcachmen, that they
mutually strengthen and invi40rate each
other, thar the individual is far greater
in the nation than he can ever be out OF
it. And this sentiment: really the touch
stone of national life, obIitorated abso-
lutely the sense Of horror towards the
deeds of the maniacs who ruled at Paris,
by inspiring still deeper horror at a ca
tastrophe which might rend asunder
France and subject the national genius
to a curb from without. Indeed the
more violent was the energy displayed 10y
the Terrorists in defending France the
more support they received from the ma
ton.
The same touchstone MIR. Davis and
Mr.. Benjamin now desire to apply to the
Confederacy. They do not for a mo-
ment deny, they tearIessIy assert, if they
do not even ~exaggerate, the gravity Of
the crisis. They are leaders equal to the
occasion, if only they have followers Will
ing to follow. Nothing can be franker
than Mr.. BenianIn's statement Of The
case, and in Kichmonl at least he GER
tainly carried the mob with him. II
now ask, has any man the right 10 hold
a bale of cotton from his country? No.
I say the same thing with regard to to-
bacco. Take all the cotton and tobacco,
and make it the basis of means without
which we cannot so on. | want more.
I want all the bacon, everything that can
feed the soldiers, and I want ii as a free
gift to the country. Talk of rights!
what rights do the arrogant invaders
leave you? I want another thing. War
is a game that cannot be played without
men. Where are the men? [ am going
to open my whole heart to you. Look
to the trenches below Richmond. Is it