Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-01-17
yyn,cn Shall We Believeel

The Ohio State Journal of Monday tells
It's readers: sFrom present indications we
infer that in very short time 1t win be
safe TO leave the Rebellion In the hands of
the Southern people themselves, who will
spew out its authors with loathing that
cannot be expressed in words"
"a Union General" who writes from "in
the field before Petersburg" which COM
munication is published in The New York
Times of the 18th inst, in commenting on
the movement among the rebels to make
; General LEE dictator. says:
SIT is measure looking rather to more
energetic prosecution of a game upon which
the South has staked its all, and will be
played until human passion and human
folly shall have been exhausted from the
Southern heart. Continually the declara-
tion Is reiterated that complete separation
is the only and undying aim of the South
ern people. Every hope of foreign aid,
however slight, has, passed away, and they
have manfully supported the bitterness of
their disappointment. Every prospect OF
active sympathy from Northern Secession
lists has faded from the horizon; yet there is
but little practical evidence Of despair. and for
all material purposes The South is just as reso.
lute at this moment, as on the day she opened her
guns upon Fort Sumter" .''-.''.'
And that:
'The South is rather girding up her loins
for another trial of strength. That strength
will be better mployed-certainly with the
more cordial confidence and cooperation OF
the people-under Lee than under any other
leader of whom rebeldom can boast. A
soldier is what the South wants. No State
craft can do it service. Its best General
should be at the head of its affairs, so long
as its policy is purely warlike.. :,
Sand, indeed, the South has no small
reason to hope for some change of fortune
as the result of Northern mismanage-
ment. We have no particular claims to
glorifcation on account of any superior
wisdom, or energy, in the conduct OF our
side of the problem. Ourenemies have been
successful on more than one field, on which
Northern blindness or stupidity, or politics,
or personal influence, or lack of numbers,
have combined to forbid the fulfillment OF
our hopes.
"We earnestly submit, therefore, that If
the people desire this war to terminate, eve
ry possible effort be made to get our best
citizens to fill this draft, and in the full
numbers called for by the President. There
Now, which shall we believe, or rather
which ought we to believe-The Ohio State
Journal or this Union General? If The
Journals judgment is correct, that Sin
very short time, it will be safe to leave the
Rebellion in the hands of the Southern peo-
pie themselves" there is no particular ne
cessity to fill the present call for 100000
men with "our best citizens" and " in the
full number called for by the President."-
The opinion of this Union General is un-
doubtedly correct, that in the South there
is but little practical evidence of despair,
and for all material purposes, the South is
just as resolute, at this present moment, as the
day she opened her guns upon Fort Sum-
ter" And if our people, and the authori-
ties they have placed in power, shall per-
nit contrary opinion to influence their
action, they will be compelled to harvest
crop of grievous disappointment.