Year: 1863

fscating their property, and menacing
the destruction of their institutions.


There was no better reason for yield
ing up their liberties for the prosecution
OF this war than there would have been
in the Mexican war. And we trust that
the record of the Confederates may al
ways present the illnstrious contrast
which it does up to this time, of guard
ing the sovereignty of States and indi-
vidual liberties even in the very agony
of war waged for our entire destruction.
Here, up to the present moment, has
been no press censorship, no post-ofice
espionage, no arbitrary iinprisonments,
no universal suspension of the ha6eas
corpus By military authority, afterwards
unidentified by acts Of servile and
cowardly Congress. Onr Congress and
our State Legislature still govern the
country, each within its own sphere and
jurisdiction; snd any power Of military
arrest has beoNcarefully limited by pre-
vioas laws, ana confined within the mar
rowest limits of necessity by the modera-
ton of the executive This state of
things is a source of just pride, and must
be maintained to the end of the war, if
possible


1t will also be very well, very comfor-
table and gratifying, if we can see out
this war without renouncing any OF the
iuxuries of refined life if we can all
continue to wear fine cloth without in
jury done to the cause or wrong to the
soldiers or to the poor; if the ladies can
continue to be radiant in silk and lace
without paying the enemy a premium
for continuing the war; if they can ride
sleek horses without damaging our ar
tillery service; if, in short, this giant
struggle for the life and honor of our
people, and of our children, can, in some
miraculous manner, be brought to q
speedy end, and not entail upon US any
privations, not stint us in any Injuries,
not call for even the temporary concen-
tration of all the powers of the nation
in the hands of the military chief-this
would be highly agreeable, but, we fear,
unprecedented in the history Of man
kind


Most persons, however, are lazily in
clined to plt off the hour of painful ef-
fort, privation, selfdenial, by q sort OF
vague idea that the difficulty will be
over soon. They say still-as they have
been saying steadily for year and a
balf-that three months or six will see
an end of the war; that it will be time
enough TO do without accustomed luxu-
ries when we can no longer procure
them; that the country is mourning
debt at any rate, and few scores OF
millions more or less matters little; fur
ther, that home manufactures are coarse
and piebeian looking; especially that
women in homespun are frights.


The fact is admitted that rich dresses
are much more becoming to that amia-
BILE sex, and we should always desire to
see thTsp Asszplendent in ali the rarest
r,ssnes of all the looms of France, or, ct
Ie;lsri elegantly neat IN the fabrics OF
Lowell. Yet they, and all O. as. mad
better consider aLYhat cost this sort of
style IS kept up; rot present cost in
money alone-though that is much, while
our soldiers dine on quarter OF pound
Of bacon--but future possible cost IN
freedom and glory TO our country.


In the first place, the war may very
probably, we think certainly, last two
years longer at least In the next place,
every dollar We paw for even the most
necessary articles, to say nothing of luxa-
ries, brought through the lines, is dol
lar paid into the Yankee purse. The
Yankee would lose that trade if the war
were at an end and our ports open; sd
that all the large sums expended for
smuggled articles are direct bribe to
our enemies to continue the war. AS for
the moneys given in payment for English
and French fabrics which come to us di-
rect through the blockade, and which are
not furnished TO our market by Yankee
merchants (and it is the smallest por-
ton, those moneys are not gained by
the enemy, but they are lost to US; and in
this way gain to the enemy. They add
to the load Of our debt, which is hereafter
to be paid By great sacrifice Of our
staple.


a certain amount Of that ruinous
trade with foreign nations is needful for
the supply of our armies with arms, am
munition and shoes; anything beyond
that, for the indulgence of private luxury
and extravaganza, is waste of our lite
and blood. 1.-THE women would but lay
this to heartl Ii they once could fully
comprehend that in buying articles that
come from abroad they help to take bread
out of the soldiers mouths, to make the
arms fall from their hands-fnally, per-
haps, TO defeat all their gallant efforts,
(Which the Yankees cannot do without
our helpl; perhaps to fling US at last
under the execrable domination of the
/ vilest of all the white races of this world :;
to make our place blot on the map and
our name kissing; if they once laid all
this to heart, they would make haste to
renounce the ponps and vanities, and by
the mere act Of refusing to wear foreign
garments they would do more for their
country than if they built dozen iron
clad frigates.


In truth, we shall soon be forced to
put ourselves on a war footing in all
things. Our tables, our clothes, our very
liberties, must be put on war footing.
The President is not of opinion that we
shall see peedy end to it, and has in a
letter lately published indicated the ma
ture and extent of the effort yet to be
made.


We are asking the planters and far.
mers to discourage the planting of cotton
and tobacco for patriotism; to form
county committees and collect supplies