Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-04-15

tuition has not yet been tried ana add Srei 10 grei
and agony TO agony. o.,
Il nprbt NOT 10 be necessary to argue with Americans
in favor OF peace after finish the present struggle
Every man of right mind must believe that peace now
and hencefOrth with all the world Is the true motto oil
the American Uncn.-Jcrrnai Oh commerce
From the Richmond Correspondence Of tie Washington
Chro.'c.
JEFF. DAVIS AND GEN LEE-1HE FOOD CUES
TI0N-SpIBIT o. THE WOMEN.
The feeling Of the people toward the late chief any
tlinr brt eatering Whatever may lave bseH tie pop
ular admiration for jefferson Davis he has eng ego fo
reited f. He was net speaking terms With two-tbri
Of the Cor derat Senate ard IN the House e had guar
relied with Liz best friends. His obstinate adherence 70
Lis fl-ores n defiance Of The popular vi hes, and his
equally obstinate alpatE OF those whom the public
ould have put forward Lis dogget persistence ~ con
test which his advisers long ago conceded 10 Be hope.
less have altered the current of public feeling TIE late
nre has been Of great service 20 tie Union acIey dsas
irons as T. las been 10 individuals Il ha bten traced
TO his orders and the tremeu toUs revuscr IN popular
feeling came az an opportune fmc. Davis rarely showed
himself Of late hen he did, without ostenaton
He rode, accompanied By an order Ills pluck y con-
sidcrcd unGenable az his temper vas unendurtbe.-
At the time OF Sherdans first great scare he j. repre-
sente as having personally inspected the Notifications
and encouraged his men Bat be often demeaned him
self with passionate insoeuce that mas ircensed be-
yond measure more thsn ore naughty soutaror.
On the coutrary General &c IS the pOpUlsr idol He
Is quoted as model Of simplicity. n0desty and chYal-
rous daring lie rarely appeared save n citizens dress
Notwithstanding he has lost bis fortune By the var he
refused 10 accept house from che otizeDs Of Richmond
or proHercd SOO OJ from the Legislature OF his state
lie is regarded The greatest Of generals and ycu often
bcsr the remark that you had had General Lee the
war would not have lasted three months" l seldom
took exception for had inclination TO interfere with
little harmless boasting. Yet thing must not be
forgotten General Lee was educated Gs Al engineer
and deenCei their forte They rarely excel in the ag-
gresiye Like Ware IN front OF Petersburg they have
an owe for tLe strong points Of defence and hesitate
] p.;ffi1 bne1 Ipa- he ha :
failed Ia both Of his aggressive campaigns. But this is
aside I fear his nputaton must suffer II another re-
spect. It is the dYg Of humane man to end boodshet
when he feels il useless General Lee must have known
for some tue irCm The coRsIatqg. made against him
nal there was 10 chance OF success There rO1g
party in the Virginia Legislature in favor Of recout
ton ltbeCame equally strong IN the Congress but be-
cause they could draw nowledgmert Of weakness
from Lee their hands were tied Time and again they
sought to get what they felt the truth Of him bit he
eyaded the acknowledgment. Il am only soldier" he
would ssy: "if you furnish the mer and The me ins
can defend Richmond and prOract tie struggle through
this campaign but have nothing % dc with political
questions" He knew, however that Virginia was strip
ped Of men, that most rigorous CONSUMPTION had been
cheerrlly borne and that there prospect Of re-
cruiting the Confederate ranks He knew too that the
rebel credit exhausted that supplies were scarce and
that the unexamped cOnscrpton tended to make them
scarcer. Had he encouraged t. virginia would have
called convention revoked the ordinance Of secession
aud asked for restoration and thss thousands Of live;
might have been spared IN front OF Petersburg but be
left Richmond last il lie said with the intention OF dying
on the battle field. Let wish him wiser resolve. III;
authority over the Virginia mind ia despoc Yet few
regard him too much under the influence Of the stub
! born will OF Davis.
II ss said rou remember that the South would teach
their very children to hate and that that
| hate would become hereditary and unconque able.
have been amused 20 find in several instances how GU
rou5ly the effort has failed The people have been on
short allowance In hund eds ofnstance they have con
tented themselves with two meals day and that Of mea
gre character The children have 6ein Put ofby then
parents when desiring more, with no you must wat sill
| the Yankees come" Thus many Of them have sssoci
ated abundance it'll the Yankees and on the DAY OF the
entrance noticed than one eager child snd half
famished looking woman munchlug the hard tack ard
pork which came from a soldiers iaversack. ha e
| no disposition 10 exsggerate on this subject OF
! starvation. hut | an sure that one cannot look
at the pincbed faces and pale cheeks OF tie poorer
classes without feeling that u hss been soue me ce
they have known what il was 70 enjoy full diet and
am satisfied from the casual expressions let fall m the
innocent freedom Of private intercourse, that prVaton
has sat at the helm of household whose nm :tes
kent I'D a cheerful bold front Indeed doubt whether
the world has ever witnessed selfdenyns struggle
more cheerully maintained Ct" have hot seenlln ohd
or an oiange since the beginning OF the ste SAID one
aisns were as scarce as hens teeth Oyste 8, even
we're scarce since your blockade othe river and the very
sb refused 10 bite" Corn bread AMI bacon. not ham
was the staple diet ave hsv'nt had any preserves
said another "for three years." Yes Smost forg
| how they taste" Brown sugar of Che coarse't sort
coffee of corn and rye. tea OF raspberry leaves &c,
then were infinitely more abundant tlan the GEM ne
article might tell narrowing stores were il not
a dissertation of private confidence OF the meagTeness
and extreme simplicity of the living Yet these men
have borne it all without the slightest degradation
Clad in homespun, and shod with brogans hardly Goof
enough at one time for their neg oes tey the
erect bearing and manly air Of former day and the
women In faded clothing and old fashioned attire ART
lust as cheerful and az defiant a. ever Am proud
! their pluck while condemn their cause. Tney sr
true rrt Americans and spite their regrets at he fail
ure OF their independence" II does me good ever
now and then to witness the aashes of the old American
autrss
| OF the women 7 might write volumes. Thy tav
much TO auswe- for. They have BEEN s"rN'v mis- ed b
the ess and ~ pulpit. They have cred ted The iaS'