Shreveport news. [volume] (Shreveport [La.]) 1864-1865, 1865-04-18

dence. Let Us all be united now
Let Us rise to the height Of he great
occasion. Let US all be willing to
spend and be spent in the cause OF
our country. Let us contribute free
ly, all that We have. if need be, to
carry on the war until our final tri-
umph is secured. Let us take trater-
nal counsel together, and ca!ni Y con-
slider our condition and prospects,
Such survey, we believe. would
tend to re-assure and encourage the
less sangulne.
Ifwe consider the food producing
capacity Of our soil, we need feel
no apprehension as to our ability to
feed the people and any army we
may put into the field. 1t is need
less to 90 into details or a'!duce sta
tjs,ics in proof OF this. 1t is obvious
to every well informed mind. Al
though the occupation by he enemy.
and his ruthless policy of destroying
the harvcs,s, granarie5 and aSr!cul-
tural implements Of our people, when
ever he moves, has, undoubtedly di-
minished the amount of our cereals;
still, in view OF the fact that. in eve
~ State, without exception, its ag-
ricul,ural labor has been devoted al
most exclusively to the raising of
breadstuti-, while before the war it
was mainly devoted to the prpduc
l. nd ntb .r
ports, it is impos>ihl" to doubt that
there is an ample supply of food III
the country 1t il true that the de-
portation Of our slaves by the enemy.
and the barbarous policy OF arIniG .
them against us.-a policy reproba-
international law, have considerably
diminished our agricultural labor
But when We reflect that, in 1860,
our exports. almost entirely the pro-
ducts of slave labor. amounted to two
hun red and fifty million dollars, it
may toe safely assumed that our slaves
though reduced in number, are fully
euua. to the task of feeding both the
population at home and the army in
the field. Our transportation. it is
true. is detective and inadrIuate. bu.
this may be indefinitely improved by
more thorough and systematic or
carnations. We cannot believe.
that on our beautiful soil. so richly
blessed by nature, there is danger of
our failing in this great contest for
want of food, OF our being starved in
to submission to the hateful yoke of
the conIueror.
But if We look to the amount and
character of our population, We see
especial reasons why we should be
to hope for, nay. to be
assured of, our ultimate success. No
people of our number can BE- subiu-
gated. unless false and recreant to
themselves, their courage, faith and
fortitude fail them. We have upon
our rolls very large army of veter-
an soldiers. 1t is true. and very
sad truth to confess, that the number
present for duty is terribly dispropor-
tionate to the entire aggregate. This
is too notorious for concealment, and
we have no desire to conceal any
thing. We wish to speak frankly
and truthfullv to you of the actual
condition of things The number of
absentess from your armies has been
a fruitful cause of disaster. On many
a hard-fought field the tide of success
would have turned overwhelmingly
in our favor, had all been present
when duty required to participate in
the strife. We will not stop to in
uuire into the causes of an evil which
we have so much reason to deplore.
The remedy is plainly in the hands
of Congress, and it is our province
to apply it. But it is partly also, in
yours, and we appeal to you to use it.
Let every good citizen frown down
upon and indignantly discounten-
ance all evasions of military duty,
whether temporary or permanent, no