Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-08-06

piercing cries OF mortal agony, as untold
horrors issue from it and travel in demon
shapes, and air indistinct and poisonous
with blood! >,
But these scenes were not 10 occur,
however sure might be the destruction Of
the enemy. There was one suggestion
to which Jackson had not q ready reply.
There were some thousands Of nom
combatants yet in Fredericksburg, among
them women and children; and General
Lee was unwilling to risk their safety by
firing on the town. He must reluctantly,
however, have declined the proposition OF
Jackson, for the fact is that the infantry
of the First Corps Git was the Second that
was to strip for the attack had been
posted to defend the artillery and were
waiting the signal for the bombardmcut,
when the order came to them to retire
within their breastworks. The next night
the 18th of December, 1S62-a Federal
army yet numbering some sixty thousand
men moved quietly out of the jaws OF
destruction, crossed the river without
molestation, and left the Confederates to
rejoice over another barren victory.
THE ULTIMATE RESORT.
He refers to the tardy decision Of the
leaders to arm the slaves in behalf Of the
Confcderacy, when the game was almost
played OUT
II was fatal Inconsistency. BY few
strokes of the pen the Confederate gov
ernmcnt had subscribed to the main tenet
of the Abolition party in the North and
all is consequences, standing exposed
and stultfied before the world. We
repeat that the only ground on which the
South could justify Slavery, was that it
kept the Negro in his proper situation,
in the condition that was best for him,
where he reaches his highest moral,
intellectual and physical development,
and could enjoy the full sum of his natural
happiness; in short, that while living with
the white men. in the relation of slave, he
was in a state superior and better for him
than that of freedom. Yet this important
theory was destroyed by the Confederate
government, when it proposed that the
Negro's freedom should be given TO him
as a reward for service to his country.
The concession which was thus made
to the Abolition party of the North by
the Confederate Government on the subject
of Slavery probably had m effect, OF
which the mind Of the South was un-
conscious, to reconcile il to the final loss
of its peculiar institution that was soon
to ensue in the conclusion of the war. II
explains in some degree the easy assent
which the South gave to the extinction OF
Slavery at the last, and indicates the
progress which had been made in lessen
ing its attachment to IN institution which
interest it had on the face of the earth,
and which had been placed rs the corner
stone i'm the structure of the Southern
Coniederacy.
THE LAST DAY AT RICHMOND.
We have room for only one more
extract depicting the last days at Rich
mond. The author here welds 4 graphic,
but bitter pen, at the expense OF the
falling Coniederacy and its chief
In the midst OF the services, a man
walked noisiIy into the church, and hand
ed the President slip of paper. Mr..
Davis read the paper, rose. and walked
out of the church without agitation. but
his face and nnerevidcntly constrained;
an uneasy whisper ran throughth crowd
of worshippers, and many fastened into
the street The congregation was soon
dismissed. The rumor had already gained
the street that Richmond was to be
evacuated;
but, although the government had no
motive now to suppress the sad truth but
on the contrary, was in duty bound to
inform the people and to prepare then
for the exigency, it is remarkable that
there was no authentic announcement OF
the intended evacuation.
Thus for n considerable part OF the alter
noon, Richmond remained without visible
excitement; for hours there were visible
on tho streets no active preparations to
evacuate whole population was kept
unnecessarily in suspense, blank, hesitat-
ing, knowing not what to believe or how
to act but it was calm before the storm
AS the day wore OF, it was noticed tha
wagons were driven to the doors ot the
Departments, and TO the public store
houses-many of them branded as gov
ernment wagons, many nondcscripts-
and al moving Off towards the Danville
depot. In less than Al houf
from the first appearance of the wagon
trains on the streets, the whole popula-
ton of Richmond was involved in n panic.
But where, in the dramatic and tumult-
Gus scene, was President Davis? When
he had received news of Lees defeat he
had skunk from his pew in st. Paurs
church, and while the fountains Of his
government were being broken up. and
the great final catastrophe had mounted
the stage, the principal actor was want
;nr. ha fho p,ocidnnf the Lender. the