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ATHENS, GEORGIA;
WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY 18,1864,
Largest (Hrculatioa ef m Paper ever published ii Atfeeas!
^aerSEDFlKST AND FOURTH PAGiS.-CS^
Agent.—Mr. M. P. Caldwell is an agent
for th is paper in Oglethorpe county.
Fire Dollar Bills^
We are corapelled by force of circum
stances—by the universal custom of every
body else—to take five dollar biHs subject
to a deduction of 33}. We regret this;
but inasmuch as we cannot'pass, them for
their rull value, we are compelled, in. this
case, to “do as every body else does.”
How can any body be expected to
write editorials when waiting in suspense
to hear the news of the two great battles
whi,ch will probably decide the fate of free
Government on the American continent?
For more than a week we have been in
'this condition. Day by day We have anx
iously awaited the arrival of the train,
hoping we should receive decisive news.
Up to the time we write (Monday morning)
we are still in suspense, though all the
while hopeful.
Such news as has come to hand 1 will be
found in other columns, and we hope that,
before going to press, we may receive news
x>f the signal discomfiture of the enemy
both, in Gcdrgia and Virginia. At all
events, we shall give the very latest up to
•the time of going to press.
Interesting Letter.
We publish this week a letter from the
North, written by a clergyman of distinc
tion, who is now a prisoner in New York,
and personally known to many of our
readers. The letter will no doubt be read
with much interest.
Mr. Harris* Speech.
We publish at full length this week the
speech oi Mr. Harris, of Mary land, the
delivery of which lately caused ouch ex
citement in. the Federal House of Repre
sentatives. It will be remembered that a
resolution for his expulsion was immediate
ly offered, but failed to pass.
Death of a Soldier.
Mr. — Roberts, a Confederate soldier,
whose mother resides in Franklin county,
died in this place.at the house of Mr. Mc
Allister, on Saturday evening last, and
*wasin torred Sunday afternoou. His moth
er, who is a widow, has lost her husband
and three sons in this war. She walked
thirty miles to see the one who died here,
and found him speechless. Without wait
ing to seo him buried, she returned to take
oare of a fourth son on furlough at home,
who was not expected to livo when shi
left! ________
Bank Bills for Cotton.
Seo advertisement of A. M. Cochran,
Esq. Ordinary of Hall county, who pro
poses to pay Bank bills for raw cotton. ,
165“ Seo Col. Young’s address to the
people of Northeast Georgia.
A Contrast.
If any thing were wanting to show the
great difference between the Northern and
Southern people—to exhibit in a striking
light tbo great superiority of the latter in
their utorn, unyielding devotion to liberty,
—the suspension of the privilege of the
writ cf habeas corpus by the two Govern
ments and the manner in which the act
has been treated by the People would con
vince the most skeptical that all* that has
been claimed for the Southrons is true.
At ;he North, ground down by military
despotism, the People sullenly submitted,
although (hey know it was the death-knell
of their liberties. No Governor, jealous of
tbo rights of the States, raised his voice
againtit the tyrannical act—no patriotic
Legislature uttered its protest—no press,
as the guardian of the Jffiblic liberties,
sounded the alarm; but all, all quietly sub
mitted, without an effort to be five.
Hei e. the Governors and Legislatures,
a portion of the proas, and the People,
with im unanimity unequalled, demand a
repeal of the obnoxious act. Already the
Legislatures of the only two S^tos which
have >een m session protest a* nst, it and
demand its repeal. AU the others *ili
follow, unless Congress “ takes time by the
forelock” and does the work at once, which,
by tbo way,-we have no doubt they wilfdo.
The following is a lislofthe Chair-
men oF the different Standing Committees
of the present Confederate Senate:
Foreign Affaire, J. L. Orr; Finance, R.
W Barnwell; Commerce, W. S. Oldham:
Military Affaire, E. 8]
fairs, A G. Brown ; '
9 Imliarri
M
won!
According to on* : old fashioned notions
of liberty of conscience and ..freedom of
speech, there is no special sin in differing
in opinion with any mao—even Mr. Davis..
All of these gentlemen have heretofore
uuited most cordially with us in opposing
other administrations, and never dreamed
-then, any more thaw we do now,' that there
was any great enormity in so doing..
There are different ways of bpjiosing an
administration : for example, there is a
regular, systematic, factious "opposition,
right or w&rag, which is the result of pre
judice or something worse. No one will
dare accuse ue of this sort of opposition to
Mr. Davis. There is another kind of op
position, which may be called special: for
example, an individual agrees with tho
President’s recommendations in the main,
but opposes -a few of them. To thfo class,
we belong. We have generally agreed
with and defended the President.. On a
few points we have differed. One of these,
is the repeal of the habeas corpus—-the oth
ers we need not enumerate now.
We expect in the future, as in the past,
to pursue a perfectly independent course-
sustaining the President when wo believe
him to be right and opposing such of his
recommendations as we believe to be wrong
or impolitic. Those who are not willing
to grant us this latitude in the copduct of
our paper, had better discontinue at once
—for we shall never conduct a paper upon
any other principles. Whenever we so far
ignore our manhood as to pledge uncondi
tional support or opposition to. any admin
istration, we shall not fall out with our
friendBjif they denounce ns as a knave or;
fool—for we canhqt perceive how any hon-;
est man of common sense can pledge him
self in advance to the support of an ad
ministration without knowing what meas
ures it may propose.
If the People are not willing to sustain
tbo Watchman in its independent: course,'
lot it go down—it shall never become a
lick-spittle organ of any man or any party
while we control its columns. .
For the comfort of those who have ex
pected to kill it off by withdrawing their
support from it, we take pleasure in stating
that for each one lost we have added fifty
other names to our list, so far.
STARVATION IN THE MOUNTAINS.
Little do the people at largo dream of
the sufferings of our population in the
mountain counties. With* most of the
agricultural labor withdrawn, (for there is
little slave labor there) their corn crop
greatly damaged by frost last September,
and the country since that time oaten up
by Confederate cavalry and damaged by
Federal raids, is it to be wondered that
what the women and children and old men
raa le should now be exhausted ?
By letters from respectable citizens, and
from conversations with reliable men from
that section, who have visited this place to
haul corn to the people, we learn that they
are now actually suffering great privation
me 61 the best citizens having,nothing
dry bread and others subsisting upon
and weeds l Their means for making
crop this year are very slender—their
oxen being impressed for the array and
their horses and mules perished for lack of
food, as well as their miloh cows and hogs!
/Our informants do not pretend to say that
all the domestic animals have perished or
that all the people have been fedueed to
- such straits; but inform os it is tiue of
great numbers. i
What keeps back the corn appropriated
for these people.? Wagons are daily going
away empty, while the people are starving.
Until recently there has been large sup
plies of corn here for tho upper counties.
What is keeping back the remainder of it ?
— -
Interesting Correspondence.
A portion of Anderson's Brigade having
passed resolutions censuring Gov. Brown
and the Legislature of Georgia, Geo. An
dbR8on, at the request of the meeting, for
warded the resolutions to the G'overnbi 1 .
From the correspondence below, it will be
seen that ilis Excellency lifts certain gen
tlemen clean out of their boots !
Headquarters Anderson’s* Brigade, ).
Near Zollicoffer, Tenn., April 14,1864. )
To His Excellency J. E. Brown, Governor:
Sir:—In accordance with a resolution
to that effect, 1 have the honor to forward
to you a copy of the proceedings of a meet
ing held in this Brigade yesterday, for the
purposes set forth therein, ild ;
I am, Bir, very respectfully,
Your ob’t servant,
GEO. T. ANDERSON, Brig Gen.
Executive Department, )
Millcdgeville, Ga., May 2d, 1864. J
Brig. Gen. Geo. T. Anderson:
counts
Sir:—I hereby acknowledge the receipt
of your letter of the 14ib ult., accompanied
by the resolutions which purport to have'
been “almost unanimously adopted” by'*
the men composing your Brigade,
demning my action in convening f
Jature in extra session i~ « ^
I
lal ambit
or of
teresla.”
es and s
the originators and
and whoriovered tho
ions so folsbme as to
si veto modest merit, while they
the acts and impugned the motives fef tne
Governor and legislature of their own
State, stand the test of the just rule above
mentioned? If I mistake not, the name
of the chairman of the meeting, yhotAe a
‘Brigadier; General, has been mentioned by
his friends for promotion- to tho position -of
a Major General. Neither.-the Governor
nor the legislature of/bis State has any
power, under the acta of Qoogress, to grant
tho promotion. It can conn *from the Pre.
sident alone: The Secretary of* the meet
ing, himself a Lieutenant Colonel, Can be
made Colonel only at the will of the Pfesi-•
dent. 1 Tjie orator of the occasion, how a
Captain, cannot expect promotion from
the State authorities. The same may
probably be said of moist of the othersrwho
wore prominent in the meeting. While I
do not charge:upon them a desireto “ac
complish unholy ends” for “ self-aggran
dizement,” I must leave it for others to
say whether the judgment qf condemnation
ironounced by them was entirely unbiased
>y “ personal ambition” and a desire for
self-promotion. I apprehend the way
worn private soldier upon his weary march
by- day and his lonely watch At'night, who
serves his country only for liis Coun try’s
good, and ‘wh.ilo he meets the enemy in
deadly conflict At the hazard of his life, can
look for no.personal promotion from the
President which will give him biigjh com
mand or historic fame; has-taken a more
just and less cXcited view of this subject.
The helpless fUmilieq, so dear to many
of the gallant men whom you command,
as well as of thousands of o ther brave- sons
of Georgia now in military Service, were
dependent upon the action of the Governor
and legislature of your St ate for bread.
Tbo act of Congress which you so highly 1
approve had depreciated the Confederate
currency in the Treasury of the State, till
it woulf no longer purchase the Oread
which they must have or they must die of
hunger. In this condition or things, the
extra session which you denounce was
called—a currency, yvith whiqli bread can
be purchased was provided, and provision
wfis made which it is hoped wilt secure its
transportation to thorn and save their lives.
Was this an “ unhallowed purpose^” and
did it accomplish an “ unholy end ?” I am
willing for the hardy sons ot toil who obey
your orders, and whoso wives and little
ones at home are dear to them, to judge,
and l am content to abide their dccis.on.
The Governor and legislature of your
State whom you denounce, have appropria
ted for this year nearly ten millions of
dollars t,o feed and clothe the suffering
wives and widows and orphans of soldiers,
and to put shoes upon the feet and clothes
upon the backs of soldiers themselves., wlio
are often destitute and cannot got supplies
from the Confederate Government. Is
this an “unholy end” for which they de
serve your denunciation ?
But you and those who act with you,
complain ofihe resolutions passed by the
legislature in reponse-to my message, on
•the subject of the suspension of thoAiieas
corpus, and those relative to the terms up
on which peace should bo sought.
. Whatever-may bo tbo opinions of those
officers who managed the mooting over
Whiehyou presided,'I venture to say that
not one private soldier in every ten in your
Brigade, believes it is right for Congress to
suspend the privilege ot tho writ oihabeas
corpus, and authorize the President to ar
rest the people, and send them in irons to
'the Islands or dungeons of othor States ;
and confine them at his pleasure, and deny
■to the Courts the right to enquire into the
cause of the imprisonment, or to place tho
case upon tho docket, and give the accused
the benofit of the speody and impartial
trial guaranteed to him by the Constitu
tion of his country. This ii not the Con
stitutional liberty which so many Geor
gians have'died to. defend. Ho who pos
sesses this control ovor the personal liber
ties of tbo people, has in his bands the
powers of a monarch, call him by what
name you may. • 'V
Again, I apprehend the private soldiers
under your command, whose promotion
and self-importance do not depend upon
the continuance of the war, will be unable
to discover any dishonor in the resolutions
of the General Assembly of their State
upon the subject of peace. The Legisla
ture has declared that negotiation*As "well
as the sword, has its proper part, to perform
in terminating this bloody struggle., The
torms of adjustment proposed by the Le
gislature are the identical terms.by which
South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and the
other, States of the Confederacy stood the
day that each seceded from the ITnion. If
they wore right then, why are they wrong
now ? What soldier who wears no stars,
and lias no office, would, not be glad to see
the struggio transferred, upon these princi
ples, from the battle field to the ballot box,
as proposed by the Resolutions of the Le
gislature of your State, which seem to
meet your hearty condemnation ? •
In conclusion, permit me to remark that
I have the most reliable ^ information.from
your Brigade since the meeting; that what
purporta.to be the almost unanimous ac
tion of ttyose who compose it, meets the
sanotion-mf but a very email fraction of it.
' The Resolutions were, as I-am informed,
prepared by. some of the officers before the'
men were convened. When called for to
ratify what the officers, without consulting
them, had eoncooted, a comparatively small
part of the Brigade attended, and of those
present, a smaller part voted, and of that
small number, part voted against tbu Re
solutions, and the meeting ad journed amid
cheers which resounded through your
camp for him whom it was; the'purpose of
the managers of the meeting^ condemn:
AU know the great advantage which
the officers have over the men-iti the man-
Mr.
For the Southern Watchman.
" Lexington, May 14th, 1864.
I^fitor: Gur quiet village within a
week, past has .been wakened up wonder
fully. lATe have had a series of brillianlly-
iroUen-up And admirably-performed ta
bleaux, charades, &c. for tbo noble, patri
otic and Christian purpose of raising con-:
tributious for the hospitals for our Georgia
sohliers-and for the purpose of supplying
religious reading to the soldiers in camp.
Thp amiable and accomplished Principal of
Meson Female Academy, Miss S. Shackle
ford, seems to have been the first to inau
gurate the movement, and with her young
misses and,tiny “ little rose-buds” gave the
first entertainment to a full, yea, packed-
full boose. Following this, came “our
young ladies” in charades and music, assist
ed by some of our young and old <(?) gen
tlemen. To eny that the whole.series was
good, would be but-faint praise indeed.—
While dre have this evidence of woman’s
patriotism, woman’s devotedness to truth
and, to justice, let it go out to our brave
boys now facing our enemies, and cheer up
tbeir,hearts and nerve their arms in fight
ing our battles. Let them know that our
women—our glorious women—not only
work for them, but pray for tnem and care
for them in sickness and anguish, as well as
in health—last at the cross and first at the
grave—apd that while the lamp of patriot
ism burns on earth, especially on the-soil
of our simny South, will be found the ves
tal virgins, who shall continue daily and
hourly to feed that lamp and keep its light
forever bright—forever burning os a beacon
to the wprld. •
“0, woman! in our hours of ease.
Uncertain, ooy and hard to please,
* * * .. .*
] When pain and anguish wring the brow, «
A ministering angel thou!”
The nett receipts have reached five hun
dred dollare, I learn, which will be disposed
of as before indicated—to our hospitals and
to procuring religious hooks, &c. for the
Goorgia.soldiers. I have no doubt, but for
the vpry unfavorable weather, the sum re
alized would have been much larger. Such
as it is, whether it be considered small or
great, I tyn satisfied that a blessing will
attend its distribution, for it is the free
will offering ot.the pure in heart, and God’s
promised blessing will surely attend it.
Moure, truly, R. ,
From the Southern Presbyterian.
From the North.
New York, Feb. 1864.
Bear Brother Porter: I wish I had time
to write you' all that I have to say. First,
I will speak of religion. Tho universal
testimony of pastors and the church papers
is, that religion''is at its lowest ebb. I
hear of no work of grace in the churches.
There is no spirit of prayer and humility
among the professors of religion. As to
conversions in their armies, I have never
heard of any. It is not a matter of wonder
that religion has died out. The clergy of
the Nort h as a body are the most time
serving and blood-thirsty men in it. This
is not simply my opinion, I have heard the
declarati on from some of their own num
ber! You can have no conception of their
truckling servility. There is old Dr. Mc-
Elroy, of the Scotch church, who, a year
ago, was conservative and in favor of peace,
is now in favor of prosecuting the war until
the South be conquered.
Dr. N. L. Rice is another sad example.
I have talked with him repeatedly; he
believes in his heart that this war* upon
the Seutbi is a most atrocious crime; yet,
under the threats of the abolitiouists.in bis
congregation, and from the fear of losing
bis position, be now prays for tbe success
of the Federal armies. Rov. Jas. Brooks,
of St. Louis, is anothor; he was arrested
and Oast into prison with me, and was load
in his professions ot fidelity to the cause,
yet, under tbe influence of Gov. Gamble,
who was an elder in his church, and the
other Lincolnites there, he has. preached
and published a sermon, in which he argues
from Scripture, the “ diVine right of kings
and passive obedience.” It is precisely
such a discourse as grebed the English
pulpit in the days of James II. These are
the infirmities of good men. As to the
bloody harangues of the out and out war
clergy, no pen can depict them. They
rejoioe in the carnage of the battle field,
and in the spectacle Of widows and orphans
driven homeless from tbeir burning dwell
ings. They delight to see Southern ladies
stripped, whipped and exposed to the in
salts of Gheir former slaves. Not a pulpit,
nor a religious (save the mark) newspaper
in the North condemns the brutalities of
a Butler;,'the butcheries of a McNeil, or
the baseness of a Turchin. They and the
Christian people of the Federal States open
ly declare that “ rebels have no rights,”
and hence that it is right to exterminate
them, to Beize their lands, free their slaves,
and to do whatsoever else seemeth' to them
good.
“ Resolved, That the Lord bath given
the earth to His saints.
Resolved, That we are the saints of the
Lord.”
The result is as might be anticipated—
farue religion is dying out. In tho North
west an anti-church movement is be<nm.
Those who are opposed to the war 'and
abolitionism, will meet for worship with
out any church organization. Again, the
Roman Catholic Church is gaining large
ly, because of its supposed conservatism.
Bnt tbe most extensive movement is to
wards infidelity. 1 enclose a slip from the
“Herald,” of yesterday. Such are tho “re
ligious notices,” which appear every Sab-
bath. Cora Hatch, is a pretended “ me
dium;” she scouts the Bible, denies the per
sonality and existence of God, and pro
Claims the blankest Atheism. One even
ing a young man rose in the audience and
openly eharged her with living in concu
binage w ith his father who had abandon
ed his own family. Yet the crowds striv
ing for admittance to her ball are So areat
■ire hero
torwriMorvjJ^J
my views f u i| y J
fil to get that ho».
, , my eoncl usioti3 U»
L no .worth never seemed to 2
ted m. the prosecution of the J®
erramed to conquer the South
more confident ef ita ability to do »o Sti
dint of much lying, the government
Washington has persuaded the people tu!
a very short and easy campaign in
spring will end t iie war. ; This expectation
together with the - enormous bounties fiv ’
$660 to $800 to each soldier, secures ,!»
merous recruits. They will make a
perate effort :n the next campm.^ 8 *
Should they succeed m penetrating tm-tT
er into rite Codtederaoy, in capture '
few - more places, they will be greatly 0 , n
couraged, and the war fhdefinitely prolon!’
qd. But on the other hand (which God
grant,) should they be baffled and defeated
I bolievo the war will terminate. Theroik
evidently a reaction taking place already
as is shown in the rapid increase of the
circulation ot the peace papers ; in tho n u .
marouB publications in favor of slaved
And the great demand for them; in the
large vote given for Vallandighara, which
was a vote not only for peace, but for revo.
lutSpyg to secure it; m the majority gi VCQ
in this city, for Gunther, the peaeo Jandi.
date for Mayor; in tho large minorities in
all the States, opposed to the afiminislrn.
tion and its policy ; in the disaffection cf a
large portion of the Union party in tho
border Spates. I do not lay too much
stress u]3on any or all of these things, hut
they oil pointono way, and indicate a wide
spread dissatisfaction with tho present
posture of affaire;. They will amount to
nothing so long is the apparent buccossqs
of the Faderahai mies maintain confidence
Tn the final triuuc ph of Federal power.—
Tho hope of subduing the South keeps all
these elements under; tho prestige and
power of the government is resistless.—
But when the time shall come (as it surely
will sooner or later,) that the people of
this country sha 1 lose their confidence in
the ability of their tyrants to suppress
“tho rebellion,” and to pay its enormous
debt, all these elements of discontent, in
flamed ty a sen.se of disappointment 1 and
the dread ot ruin will burst forth into rev-
o) a tion. The passive submissou of these
people to the loss of their liberties, to the
burdens of an aggressive war, and to the
oppressions of‘ tho meanest tyrants that
ever disgraced humanity, is inexplicable,
I think., upon any other hypothesis than
the one I have mentioned, viz: that they
are allured with the hope of compensation
in the conquest cf the South. History I
believe, does not present an instance of a
people, accustomed to liberty, tamely sur
rendering it w thout a struggle. Some
powerful motive must exist to account for
the anomaly; that motive is, as 1 have
stated tlie expeciation ofamplo reward lor
their sacrifices, coupled with persuasion
that when triumph is secured, they will
easily' regain tbeir lost rights. Both ex-
pectations will hi defeated, they will not
recover their liberties without a terrible
struggle. When these convictions shall
be fastened upon them, their bowls will
rend the heavens. They will madly rush
into revelation, into anarchy, into civil
wiir. The people will rise against their
oppressors, the poor will assail-tbe rich, the
States W ill attack the Federal power.
Improbable as these events may now
seem, I believe the time is approaching
when the Confederacy, at peace, free and
prosperous, will ook down from her elo-
vated position upon tbe North struggling
in tjie throes of n mortal agony. I would
not be saprised if a still greater revolution
in public sentiment here should occur, and
that abolitionism, as the cause of the war
and of these troubles, should become more
hateful to these unthinking masses than
secessionist!! now is, and that its now tri
umphant leaders should bo hunted and
hounded with a deeper animosity than
Southern exiles are now incurring. I bane
these opinions not upon any confidence in
tbA integrity and sound principles of these
people, I believe them to be utterly desti
tute of either. They have-no fixed ideas
in religion, morals or politics. They rush
hither and thither like a herd of irantie
Buffaloes at tbe d i&play of a red 'rag. Hav
ing failed in tratapling down the South,
they will turn in the madness of their baf
fled fury and wreak their vengeance upon
their present masters.
When will these things bo ? Should the
South be successful in tho approaching
campaign, they will occur, I believe, next
fall. Should the North, on the other hand,
obtain further advantages in arms, they
will bo postponed;. But how'ever late, they
will surely come suddenly and terribly.
Revolution in the North will be the guar
antee of Southern independence; a revolu
tion to be brought about, not by the re-
■tdrning'reason, tho awakened humanity,
or the quickened piety of those people;
for they have neither sense, charity nor
revereu ce; they are brute beasts and sav
age. barearians; ‘they neither fear God
nor regard man.” The lust of power, the
lust of wealth, and envy of a superior race,
have fiiiod them with the subtlety and
malice c-f tbeir father, the Devi).
But'the revolution I predief will bo ex
torted by shame and fear and suffering.—
The triumphs of our armies will produce
a financial crash here ; these two events
will hurl them fVom their pinnacle of pride,
into an abyss of despair,'terror and ruin,
which, aa I have stated, will lead directly
to revolution, ana rchy and civil war. The
future before those wretched creatures is
so black and awful that, could I. for a mo
ment forget thejr Satanic outrages upon my
people, Ti might pity tBenvin anticipation.
The masses of .hem seem to bo uncon
scious of their da iger, and, as in Addison’s
“ Vision of Mirze h,” are trooping along
tbe brid|»e of lifa.forgetful of its broken
arches, il* trap doors, and tho raging tor
rents below.. T&9 recklessness of specula*
i city more than twenty
tint are open every
eight to ton
along tl»°
janTonn*
itter any