The New York herald., 1865-05-17


Kirsy smith snA Hzas Rebel Aray sl
Texss-A New Danger 20 Msximiiisn.
Kirby Smith, the rebel general In command
Of the Transit -Misissippi Department d, accord
ng TO our last advioes from him, still full of
aght, and has hopes of foreign assistance to
help him through with some sort of Southern
confsderacy. The collapse Of the concern east
of the Mississippi does not appear to frighten
him, and he had still on the 26th of April q
considerable army around him at Shreveport
ready to follow him in any warlike adventure.
The rebel people Of Texas, too, in various
towns, had been holding public meetings on
the fall of Richmond, and regarding that little
affair as matter of "no consequence" they
wore quite as belligerent a. Smith.
New, II Smith Is not natural
born fool, he knows that his Southern
confederacy, like JeA.'s rebel scrip, Is past
redemption even at the rate Of one cent for
every thousand dollars. Smith, however,
though no great shakes a. general, b not .
fool In regard to Southern independence"
He uses Il 10 humbug his oredulous soldiers
and 10 gull and swindie the silly rebel people
Of Texas. He has for some time past been doing
O good business with Mexico a. cotton specu-
lator IN the name Of the Davis oonfederacy;
and he is now In position, with ell the mon,
means and Abilities at his command, for mag
ni6cent operation which he will be very apt to
undertake. Fugitive rebel generals, governors
and other State officers, rebel Congressman and
what not from Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Mississippi. Louisiana and other
Southern States, are gathered around Smith at
Shreveport They are refugees, implacable
rebels, desperate and ambitious men who have
struck for Texas as the last chance OF escaping
the dreaded alternative Of submission TO what
they call "the damned Yankee government"
These men are tho political backers and advi-
sers of Smith and his associate cotton spocula-
tors. They are supported throughout Texas by
q similar body Of mere Shareholders, who have
emigrated to that great State with their slaves,
from most of the other slave States during the
war, to be out of the reach Of the remorseless
Yankees We dare say that by these emf
grations the population Of Texas has been
increased since 1861 TO tho extent Of one hum
dred thousand whites and three or four hundred
thousand negroes The results are immense
crops Of cotton, corn and wheat, and CORES
ponding increase In the slave property and other
agricultural live stock of Tcxas. It is the only
rebel State that has prospered from the rebel
lion, and 1t has prosperod at the expense Of all
the rest But the slaveholding emigrants who
have thus settled In Texas, it may we'll be
imagined, are ready to fight to "the last ditch"
for their Southern oonfederaoy, and Texas is
their last ditch. In this view these are the men
who oan be- swindled TO any extent by Kirby
Smith.
We will assume that be and the posse of
vsgabond rebel political leaders around him
have, agreed that their Southern confederacy
Is gone, that they cannot hold Texas, and that
It will be no place for them under the rule Of
tho abolition Yankees. We will further sup
pose that they, with Kirby Smith as their
leader have agreed with him to 60 under the
escort of his army through Texas and into
Mexico, there 10 set up their tabernacle. And
then We may inquire what Is there to prevent
the success Of this enterprisei Smiths army Is
stated to be thirty thousand men-an army OF
bold and adventurous border ruflans. From
the floating rebel materials Of Arkansas,
Western Louisiana and Texas, and from the
paroled rebel armies east of the Mississippi, be
may In Q few weeks increase this force 10 an
army Of ffty, seventy-Ave, or even hundred
thousand men, with the inviting prospect held
out before them Of Southern confederaoy In
Mexico.
Why nott The enterprise will cost nothing
to him and his followers. In marching through
Texas they may gather up millions Of
dollars worth Of cotton, corn, cattle, sheep,
pork, &C., and horses, mules and wagons sufB-
cient for their transportation. The moment
they are across the Rio 0raude Northern Mexico
will be theirs, and they will have subsistence
and supplies Of all sorts TO last them till they
are permanently established in occupation Of the
country. In fact, by simply drawing upon
Texas they can be immediately supplied for the
march to the Mexican capital; and should they
start upon this expedition, what Is there In the
way that can resist for q moment . veteran
army Of Southern regulars, irrogulars, BUSH
whaclers, border ruffians and Texas rangers,
even of hfty thousand mens
We regard this theory Of Kirby Smiths situ-
alton, surroundings and designs as sufficiently
plausible TO suggest q new danger to Maxi
milan and his Mexican empire, even ifhe should
secure by negotiation Kirby Smith and bis fol-
lowers as his allies. At all events, in view Of
the temptations Of Texas cotton and Of the en-
pire of Mexico, we shall watch with more than
ord;naru infereaf the aolntinn of Smith,a nro.