The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-11-18
The Spirit in Virginia.

We have before us letter from Portland
man now in Winchester, Va, and recently an
officer in the army, in which the writer speaks
very freely in relation to the rebellious spirit
still prevalent in the South, and which is
found cropping out in almost all places and on
all sorts of occasions We know our readers
will be grateful for the following extracts. Re
fering to the true Union people of Virginia
the writer says:
"Hurrah! for the Union people of the
South, who have stood the test. Three cheers
for the Union girls am boarding in a whole
family OF them. Right in this city of Winches,
ter, which, has been under the rebel ana
Union rule alternately during the Wnoie VIZ
changed hands sixteen times, 10 say .o11-
ing OF raiding parties. These girls nau rielius nus
and acouanta,,ces in the rebel army, anu
many time have they eiappea their iiands
for joy at the open doors ana WINDOWS, III the
faces of rebels stampeding through the streets
Will tha Yanks in hot pursuit; and when the
t myn NV were turned and our boys were COM
naIled to leave the town to the rebels, their
p poor little hearts would tremble and their
ewes fill with genuine tears of sorrow as with
altering lips they babe a hasty "good bye" to
their friends in the Union ranks. God bless
those in the South who had sufficient inteIli-
gence tcslook higher than Estate rights" and
beyond the miserable doctrine that "their
State soas their COUNTRY.
Here we have the other side of the leaf:
Il think can see unmistaken evidence that
the over-lenient policy of the administration
is not having the soothing effect hoped for. 1
meet people every day who voted for Union
men to attend the convention and sent
them with instructions to stick by the Union
and not favor the secession of the State-if
they could help 1t (?) They found when they
got there the pressure was so great that they
could not help it (?) Finally when the ques-
ton was brought before their constituents the
latter voted against secession, but when the
State was taken out by bullying and decep-
tion-out went the Union constituents and
were Union men no longer. At the final CO.
lapse of the rebellion the southern blood was
cooled and the people far and near were sub
dued and humble. In the expectation of rigid
measures, punishment of leaders and confisca-
ton of property of prominent rebels, they
hauled in their horns and were becoming
good .felIoaos. The kind hearted administra-
ton was blinded by their professions and APP
parent humility. No sooner, however, than it
is considered safe, they come cut with their
true colors and all over the south the people
are fast resuming their bragadocia. Mutter-
ings are heard far and near, to the effect that
another rebellion is not impossible and that
if they are not left pretty much to themselves,
such a thing is quite probable. These are not
surnaises. hear such sentiments from intel
ligent men who boldly acknowledge that they
have given their means and influence for the
rebellion and would do so AGAIN. No less a
man than Gen. Pendleton, chief OF artillery in
one OF the large Virginia armies, said in my
presence, in so many words: 'The war is over
for the present, bnt if the Yankees don't treat
us better than they did, ere haze got IL to go
through Nth again. He said this to youth
who said he should have gone into the rebel
army if he had been old enough. Such men
as Major Gen. Pendleton are well calculated
to foster the rebellious spirit of the people of
Virginia"