Year: 1864




From the Richmond Sentinel, Jan. IL.


The year 1864, tho filling of whose cir
Gle will form another stage 10 the marcl
OF time, will also mark II notwithstanding
and critical period in the fortunes of OuI
confederAcy. To the timid the new horu
year lowers gloOmily. To the pruden
there appears cause for anxions solicitude
while even heroisIn itself sees that the tug
of war, the crisis of the struggle, is upon
US, and that we must prepare ourselves fOl
the tremendous shock. As when the skir.
mishers are driven in, and the distant can.
nOnade is ended, two great armies rush tC
the death grapple, and wIestles for the vic.
tory, SO now The, progress OF the war has
brought us to that Gnal stage in which de.
cisive blows are to be given and received


We cannot contemplate the coming OF
the next and fourth campaign of the pend
ing war without solcitude. We shall be
strongly pressed by the enemy. They are
making busy preparation. They nre buy
ing mercenaries for the fight rs men buy
sheep for the shambles. They are paying
bounIies the half of which the world never
heard of before. They are spending money
with reckless prOiusion that contrasts
strangely with their native parsimOny.-
The cupIdiiy with which they have ever
sought their own advantage ut our expense
is far transcribed by the lavish despera-
ton with which they sacrifice their wealth
for our destruction. American patriots of
the better days were accustomed TO say,
"Millions for defence, not cent for
tribute" The maxim remains to US alone.
Our enemies have altered it to read, "Mil-
lions for tyrany, not cent for honesty and
Justice"


Our enemies, too, will commence the
next campaign with some advantages of
position which they did not have in tue
begiuuiug of 1868. They will brgiu at
Chattanooga instead OF Nashville; Mt
Vicksburg instead of Memphis. They
come flushed also with wild hopes, and
they are animated wiIhiucrcHSed arrogance.


1t will be incumbent upon US during the
current year to call out aIl our resources
and put forth all our strength. We must
make the most vigorous battle of which we
are capable. Everything is at stake
property, honor. liberty, lite itself: aud
giant danger presses. "The Philistines be
upon the Samson"


live thds act our irIr: III. danger which
menace US will all me arrrted. The ship
may be among the rocks and the sound Of
the breakers may bc heard, but steady
captain and u brave and united crew shall
bring her safely out oil her peril. Our
real danger lies not In the martial array
the enemy mmy send against us, for under
tue blessing OF God We have already shown
ourselves able to withstand them; bnt the
poiut OF anxious sOliCituIe is, ARE we all
prepared and resolved TO do our whole
duty?


Do we appreciate the magnitude and The
vital character OF the crisis that Is upon
US? Are we all ready 10 make every sac
rilce which tue cause may require, to go
into the ranks, if called for; 10 contribute
our properly; to be ready with our personal
service, wherever wanted, aud to count not
our lives dear unto US il our country is to
be served? Are we ready to respond, with
out murmurIng, to the military laws
which Congress shall judge the exieency
to require2 Are we prepared To hail the
law which shall impose neavy taxes upon
US to retrieve our currency and establish
our finances?


Fellow citizens, if we are not ready for
all this, We must become so. Such IL spirit
and resOlyc among us are the condition,
as they will prove the guaranty, o: our
success. But we must win this victory
among and OTer ourselves before We shall
be ready TO Iueet the enemy. We must be



wish to lose nll. Every man who is able
to level n musket must be ready to shine
in arms; il too old or infirm for the army,
then as State guards, or home defenders,
or reserves. Every producer must arouse
his utmost energies TO provide food and
clothing for the soldiers and the people.
All must be ready to renOunce comforts or
endure hArdships without murmuring or
Oh, it is an honor TO suffer 10
such q cause; and, in the happy dRys to
come, such suferiugs will be told over
from glad memory with an honest pride


To secure this cordial union of hearts
and hands we must avoid everything cal
culated to chill our ardur, to discourage
our efforts, and to cstrange our feelings
from each other. There are some, in this
supreme hour of life and death when VIC
are fighting foe that comes in upon us
like flood, when our country itself is ut
stake and threatened with destruction,
who make it their part to he extremely
noisy about State rights, and hubeas cor
pus, and the largcst liberty to every per
son who is disposed to abuse it They
are us wise rs the man who cried Sire"
in the midst Of universal deluge! 9th
ers there are who dog the steps of the
President, assail his acts, assail his mo-
tives, attack his usefulness, do all they
can to make his efforts unsuccessful. His
leading officers and generals are often
honored with q like indiscriminatc abuse.
From all these men the people must turn
away. Whether in Congress or out of it,
they are doing the enemy's work. They
are distracting US when distraction lis
destruction. Ihcy are dividing US when
division is death


We must unite, heartily and cordially.
If VIC do, our success is assured. If we
do not, we shall inevitably go down
We shall die the most inglOriOus death
that can befall a people-die of want
of public virtue, die of giving ear to fac
tionists and demagogues, and breeders OF
dissension. -....s ..-....-r.


We believe our people will thus unite
and thus devote themselves to their coun.
try. We do not all ike the Sims ,rn