Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-30
LOYALTY OF THE sOUTn.
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS.
From the Louisville Journal

From the Louisville Journal
The Southern people as a mass never willingly
TOOK up arms against this Government at first,
and they never remained in arms against Il will
lngll. They were 80 free that they never sup.
posed 1t possible that they could be enslaved.
They lost sight Of the maxim advising them of
tnat eternal vigilance which is the price of
liberty. They did not resist the incipient steps
OF despotim, because they had no idea of what
was coming. They hoped, and many Of them
thought, that the difficulties would fnd solution
short OF the fiery trials which subsequently came
upon them. Had they been aware OF this in the
nrst place all the demagOgues on earth couldn't
nave forced them into revolt against the Gov
eminent whose power they had never known ex-
cept to shelter them from evil except to make
them freer and happier than any people ever be-
lore we're. Oh, II Is enough TO make one weep
tears OF blood TO know what the Southern people
have suffered, and TO know what made them
suffer 1t to know how the deadly coils of the
shiny boa-cOnstrictor were fastened stealthilv
around them, parayzing all their limbs, crusbiny,
their bones and joints, and bruising and man.
Cling their quiyerng flesh in his horrible and
lOaths0me embrace.
When the poor people that survive return to
their homes and lind them desolatc find that
their wives and their children have sunk in plv-
erty and starvation into untimely graves or find
them in rags and disease and crying for bread,
when these wan and weary men, many of them
themselves crippled for lite or wasted in health,
with their constitutions broken and their pros
poets in life blasted, it will be difficult TO restrain
their vengeance against their Oppressors. Let
them remit 1t, however Let them control them
selves. Let them remember that many of the
agents in the bloody drama were themselves
unwilling agents, and as far as possible drown
the recollection Of the past in the dark waters Of
oblivion.
There are multtudes of these men who, if they
shall ever again be able to gather their house
hold lares and penGtes around them and enjoy
once more the blessings OF peace freedom and
independence, will be the fastest and the staunch
est the most inteXibe the lion.hearted friends
of this Government and its institutions, Of its
laws and its principles, that can anywhere be
found between the two oceans.
They will defy the power III the worst spirits
of earth or Of The Internal regions to shake their
faith their loyalty, their alleg lance. The Gov
eminent will sympathize with such men. They
deserve cOmmisseratOn not censure,
From the New York Times.l
0bseryant gentlemen who have recently ira
yelled extensively through the States of the late
Southern Conlederacy, say that men are much
more abundant there than they had anticipated.
The able-bodied male populat on are by no me rs
killed oil by the war. High officers Of the Con
federate army say that JEFF. Davis told the truth
literally last winter when he proclaimed in n
public speech in Georgia, that two-thirds of the
Southern cOnscrip's had deserted from his army.
| The rebel chief declared that this immense pro.
portion of his troops were absent from the ranks
without leave; in other words they had escaped
| TO their homes, and we've determined to stay at
home. The Confederate military authorities could
not spare from active duty the heavy details of
men and officers that would have been required
TO traverse the vast and thinly settled regions of
the South for the purpose of hunting up aud
| hunting down these fugtves; and consequently,
| tens OF thousands and hundreds OF thousands of
men were enab ed TO escape a hated service,
| though many of them had from time to tine TO
conceal themselves, or resort to evasion or fight.
The southern COnfedcracy, at the beginning of
| this year. had about two hundred thousand
troops actually in its service. These were drawn
from a population of about six millions, ilolud
ing 10 some extent the Border States, as well as
the Mississippi States. Now, allowing
one.tenth OF a population as capable of bearing
arms "a large proportion for the SOuth,) we would
have six hundred thousand men, in all lit for
military duty. Two-thirds Of these, or four hun
drsd THOUSAND men, according to the estimate of
JEFF. Davis, were at their homes in their reSpec
tive States, eyading or refusing military service ;
and by the recent DISARMAMENT of the armies Of
Lee. Johnston and Taylor, one hundred thousand
more ableCodied men have been sent home,
making quite half million now in the States OF
the south. There are Of course modifying ele-
ments upon these statements but they are not
such as materially TO alter the facts.