The Shasta courier., 1865-03-04
The Rage of Despair.

The Charleston Mercury of the 18th of Jan
uary is remarkable for its slashing criticisms
on the rebel army and the rebel leaders, and
bitter, passionate avowals of the desperate
straits in which the Confederacy is placed Il
wants ''no more JEFF. Davis foolery," but
. men, real men, earnest men'-not g mer
maids with heads of monkeys and fishy at
tachments." Georgia and South Carolina
are in no mood for trifing. "South Carroll
ma don't intend to be onquered. She intend:
to fight. She don't intend to be ehampered Oh
turned over to the enemy. When she is thus
dealt with there will be reckoning--a reck
oning where there will be no respectors o
person" But even more heroically exclaini
the Mercury:
1--WE stand to-day as gladiators stripped tc
the fight we are read, and trained to enter
the struggle for life or for DEATH South
Carolina is ready to become the arena of the
republic. Her sons are read for the contest
Make of her whole soil military camp
strip her to the waist: she will not shrink.
But give her her gauntlets and her sword.
and she is ready to stand or fall where she
is"
The condition of the Confederate soldiery
in the coast department is declared to. be dis
graceful. Lawlessness and disregard of au-
thority prevail everywhere. Most of the ca.
lamities of the Confederacy are charged upon
jeff Davis. lie it is who defes all law and
so breaks down discipline. Congress lies
postrate at his feet:
Reckless of the Constitution-regardless
of his relation to the legislative branch of the
Government-contemptu of their authori-
ty his nerve is only eminent in resistance,
where obedience would be alike duty and
honor. The man that cannot obey cannot
command. Unfortunately for us at this tune
our Executive is most eminently conspicuous
in both vices, is impractically obstinate and
lamentably weak"
Thus the Mercury runs on "What Gen.
eral," it asks, 81 has been cashiered for in
competency-whatL Lieut. General for ineffi-
ciency-what Major General for incompetent.
cy-what Brigadier for worthlessness what
Colonel or Captain shot for lawlessness in
their commands ?"
In its anger and contempt for rebel officers
and men, the Mercury breaks out into eulogv
of Sherman, as the model whom the g chivaI-
ry" should initiate:
"We want nerve in Congress-we want
nerve in our Generals. 1t is nerve that has
carried Sherman to Savannah-it is that
which is now carrying him to cut the Confed-
eracy in half. His is an army of discipline
AN army of soldiers not mob of ragamuf-
fins. He has no Generals with rolls of twenty
or thirty thousand men. and twenty or thirty
hundred in the field. His men stand to their
guns-not to peoples chicken. coops and barn
yards. His men are full in hand at their
posts. He holds them there. He is gen.
eral''
Having thus vented its spleen at rebel
Generals by eulogizing Sherman, it pllories
jeff. Davis in the same manner by discours-
ing Of Mr.. Lincoln, who, it says, has . run
the machine" with stern, infexible pur-
pose, a bold, steady hand, a vigilant, active
| eye, sleepless energy, a fanatic spirit, and
an eye single to his end-conquest-eman-
cipation." 1t adds:
. He has called around him in counsel,
| the ablest and most earnest men of his coun-
try. Where he has lacked in individual abil-
| ity, learning, experience or statesmanshlp,
| he has sought it, and has found it in the able
men about him, whose assistance he unhes-
itatingly accept, whose powers he applies to
| the advancement of the cause he has under
taken. In the Cabinet and in the field he
has consistently and fearlessly pressed ON
the search for men who could advance his
cause, and has unhesitatingly cut off all
those who clogged it with weakness, timid.
| ity. imbecility or failure. Force, energy,
brains, earnestness, he has collected around
him in every department"
The Mercury caps the climax by saying
that in Davis it finds g a contrast, appalling
! and sickening to the heart.'-Bee.