Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Jltmg and |pVg ffeil ROBERT J. HARP, Editor. MACON, GA., FEBRUARY 9, 1865. Rates of Advertising. Twenty-five cents per line, or $1 per square es ten lines, each insertion. RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION. Twenty Dollars a year. Ten Dollars for its months. Invariably in advance. NOTICE. Rev. A. 11. Mitchell, D. D.:, Chairman of the committee on Chaplaincies for the Mobile Conference M. E. Church, South, desires infor mation from Missionaries, Chaplains and offi cers in reference to Regiments or Brigades that are destitute of Chaplains. Ilis address is Summerfield, Ala. THE WEEKLY HERALD •Will be furnished FREE OF CHARGE to Chap lains and Missionaries or to other persons duly authorised to distribute iu Commands which have no Chaplains, for GRATUITOUS CIRCULATION amongst the Soldiers, Marines and Sailors of the C: S. Army and Navy. SUBSCRIBERS Outside of the Army and Navy will be charged TEN DOLLARS FOR SIX MONTHS, Invariably in Advance. All Profits Arising from Subscriptions (if ant accrue) will be faithfully bxpend- B» TO INCREASE THE SUPPLY. TO THE SOLDIERS. Directions for Obtaining the Herald. Give us the number of messes in the command which you think it will be profitable to supply —and be very explicit in giving the directions how to send. Business Department. All communications connected with the Edi torial or Business department, should be ad dressed to Rev. Robert J. Harp, Editor and Pub lisher, Macon, Ga., and all subscriptions should be sent to him. .»■. Donations. All contributions of money for circulating the paper in the Army and supplying the soldiers with Bibles, Testaments, Hymn Books and Tracts, should be sent to Rev. J. W. Burke, Treasurer Soldiers’ Tract Association, Macon, Ga., who will publish in the Herald once each month an acknowledgment thereof. .©.* Agents of the Soldiers’ Tract Associa tion for the South-Western Depart ment. Rev. W. F. Camp, M. D., general collecting and business agent for Florida, North-Eastern Mississippi and Eastern Alabama. ltev. Whitfield Harrington, general agent for Mississippi Conference. Rev. T. C. Weir, M. D., general agent for the Mobile Conference. Rev. G. Jefferson Pearce, general agent for the State of Georgia, Rev. W. A. Parks, general agent for Memphis and Tennessee Conferences. Rev. S. M. Cherry, general supply agent for Army of Tennessee. Georgia’s Record. We call attention to the Advertisement of this book—which we noticed editorially last week. Send and get a copy—and assist the author in carrying out his laudable enterprise. e -»■ To the Citizens of South Carolina and Georgia. —l have brought, vour sons and broth ers to aid in your defence. They have their arms, but they need horses. Can you not sup ply our wants? All horses furnished will be paid for by the men or the Government. I ap peal to you to aid the men who begged. that they might be allowed to risk their lives in your de fence. Wade Hampton, Maj. Gen. Tumbling. —The Mississippian says : From an intelligent gentleman who left Mobile on last Sunday morning, we learn that the news of the appointment of peace commissioners to Wash ington had quite an iffect upon the gold market. Ho says on Saturday evening he sold gold at S4O, and in two hours afterwards he could have bought it back for $l2O. Our informant also informs us there was a corresponding fall in the prices of goods, and but few purchasers. Take Courage! Why should we despair of our cause on ac count of reverses and failures from which no revolution of any age has been exempt? The sea never ebbs that it does not flow again. Re action is a part of the economy of nature, in which the spirit of nations finds its analogy. — History assures us that the tide of fortune in prolonged wars, never sets continuously in one direction. A people struggling for national ex istence against appaliug obstacles should learn the valuable lesson, that as the bitterness of herbs is a tonic to the body ; so the bitterness of apparent misfortunes is the means which Providence uses to give strength to their reso lution, and firmness to their purpose. The courage of a patriotic people never reaches that calm repose of desperate fletermi nation where hardships become their play things, and perils their chosen companions, un til they feel themselves menaced by difficulties apparently overwhelming. The revolution of 1776 was varied by constant depression and re action. We see them at one time retreating be fore a victorious enemy, three-fourths of the army having deserted, the remainder dispirited, the people disheartened and on the very verge of despair; but anon they have gathered up their scattered resources ; have roused them selves for the renewal of the conflict, and the enemy harrassed on every side, with his com munications threatened, is compelled to seek safety by slowly retracing his steps; the confi dence of the people is restored and the ranks are again filled up by those who voluntarily re turned to duty. ' Thus the fortunes of war klpt the feelings of the people constantly vibrating between the points of hope and despondency. In the early part of the revolution the army by losses from killed, wounded, captured and desertions was reduced to about 5000 naked and mutinous sol diers ; against at least 40,-000 British and Hes sion troops —and even sad remnant neither the Paymaster, Quartermaster General, or Commissary General hall a dollar to relieve their necessities,their only being to ‘stretch their credit.’ During the second year of the war, after the army had been strengthened by recruits and inspirited by some slight successes, the tide of fortuue was again adverse to their cause. Within a few weeks they lost New York, with the flower of the army, and all their artillery and military stores at that place, the entire Rebel fleet was destroyed, Fort Washington was surrendered with 2000 prisoners 200 pie ces of artillery and a large amount of stores— Fort Lee was hastily evacuated, leaving every thing behind except the men, and the three weeks flight was commenced into Pensylvania before a well appointed and jubelant army, while of the miserable remnant of our forces, the General said, “they are much more dispo sed to seek safety in submission than by manly resistance.” During the third year of the war, the true hearted,patriots were greatly depressed by the formidable combinations of Tories; the army was panic striken by the raging of small pox, and their principle depots of military supplies at Peek’s Kill, Westchester and Dunbury, were captured by the enemy. To this was added the disasterous retreat from Ticonderoga, the loss of Fort’s Clinton and Montgomery, the heavy losses at the defeat of the Brandywine; the defeat of Gen, W'ayne; the defeat of Ger mantown; the capture of the Capital, and the destruction of seventeen vessels of war. Hence, the dark period of, the winter of 1777 and 1778, The people were nearly in despair, Croakers multiplied, the commander-in-chief was fiercely assailed—officially censured by two of the States; the people condemned him, ambitious aspirants intiegued for his overthrow and utter ruin, Congress withdrew its confidence and meditated superceeding him—.yet he could not defend himself against the vile slanders C ircula ted, and “ suffered in silence rathenthan endanger the cause of his country clearly perceiving that a fublic defence would involve the developement of facts which the enemy ought not to know.” This was the dismal winter when the army went into winter quarters at Valley Forge, entirely with out shoes, “most of them without shirts,” but “ few of them possessing the luxury of a blan ket,” tnousands of tlum excused from duty on account of nakedness, and most of the remain der unfit for duty, on account of diseases con tracted on from exposure, and for want of food. Truly it seemed as if the sun of the nation hod set, and all the hopes and aspirations of a patrioti people lay prostrate and bleeding amid the ruins of a glory that had seemingly departed. Yet the prayers of Washington, and a few brave Christian men who rtllied round him, secured the interposition of that God who is ever pro pitiable to the oppressed, and the army rose as if strengthened by some misterious power, and was led on through snow and ice, to smite again the bosting foe. Yet, their education was still incomplete in this bloody school? they were to suffer new reverses in the fall of Savannah, the overrunning and occupation of Georgia, the an ihilation of the army under Gen. Ash at Briar Creek; the capture and burning of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk; the capture of all the most important public works and military sup plies at New Haven, Stony Point and Plerplanks; The capture of Fort 96, the auihilation of the army under Gen. Gates at the battle of Camden the defeats at Gilford Court House, at "flob kerks Hill, and the fall of Charleston, with the surrender of our entire army, including 7 Gen erals, 4 frigates of war, and 400 pieces of artil lery. But to these, were added the difficulties arising from divisions in Congress, the revolt of the troops from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the ruin of the currency, and the dissatisfaction which extended over several of the States, dis posing them to make the best terms they could with the enemy. It may be truly said that we have had no such trials as those to which our fathers were subjected, and as yet, though there has been much similarity in the two revolutions,we think neither our people or soldiers have behaved as badly as did some of . those of 76. Yet there were enough brave and true men of far reach ing and comprehensive views, who knew their rights, and were actuated by motives as grand as the liberties of a nation, whose spirits rose commensurate with the magnitude of the perils which encompassed them, and whose firy words smote with lightning energy the popular heart, inspiring courage in the faintarousing the supine into activity and infusing indomitable resolution, daring enterprise, and quenchless courage into the ranks of the army, to cheer them amid the most adverse - storms and save the ship of State from going down. * We have ottered this brief review of facts, hoping that if any reader of the Herald is dis couraged with the present prospects of the Con federacy he may find iu the history of the strug gle of 76 something to strengthen his faith. The Federals take as much territory as did the. British—they may, and probably will take Charleston, Richmond and Mobile ; let us not be appaled at this, the more our strength is con centrated—the more the enemy’s strength is diffused, the less we will be affected by his siA pericrity of numbers. The spifit of revolution is like an impeded mountain stream, i the narrower the limits in which it is confined, the sooner it will rise above the obstructions and pour its triumphant floods over the barriers within which it has been con fined. You may dam it up again; piling *the obstructions to the very skies, yet it will con tinuously augment its volume stealthyly ascend ing with ever accumulating force by day and by night, until down rushes the roaring mass spreading desolation in its path. Tims will it be when our lines are contracted and our forces concentrated. Take courage then—have faith in God—faith in the justice of our cause—faith in ourselves. ■No fate can befall us more dreadful than sub jugation. We had better die with our arms in our hands than die by everlasting inches of physical and mental torture, inflicted by an insolen enemy. If we ever lay down our arms, prostrate ourselves before our triumph ant enemies, and kiss the fqpt of the haugh ty tyrant. Then, when the Yankee, who is ever greedy for blood, and delights in tor turing the helpless victim, sees that we are completely in his power, he will draw the whet ted sword of persecution and persue with re morseless satisfaction the victims of his cruel ty, until the grave or banishment shall hide every Confederate from the land of his birth. A correspondent of the Montgomery Adver tiser, a Cuban in the Confederate service, de nies the statement going the rounds of the Northern papers, to the effect that Abolition doctrines are gaining ground iu that island, and that its people sympathise with the North. He ays “slavery is as essential to Cuba as it is to the Confederate States,” and that “ the Cu bans can never forget that, in their dream of independence, from 1848 to 1853, they found sympathy and aid o.nly in the Southern States. If the Cubans have given up the hope of inde pendence by revolution, they know that, should a time come when, by negotiation or otherwise, Spain would consent to relinquish her hold on Cuba, the Southern Confederacy would be the only nation to which they eould safely attach their destinies.” When we hear that a friend has detected some fault in us, we are always disposed to do him the same favor. The grave is the true purifier, and, in the charity of the living, takes away the blots and stains from the dead. A great many households, like ancient R.ome, suffer grievous’y from the Tartars. News Items. Foote, is reported to have arrived within Sheridans lines on the 29th ult., and declining to take the oath of allegiance, was sent to Washington. Siiermax, on the 2nd was reported to be mov ing on Braxton Bridge, which is about 28 miles from Branchville. . The Confederate Flag.— A bill passed the House of Congress en the 4th jnsi.., establish ing anew flag for the Confederate” States, only changing the former by substituting the red bar for half the white field formally composing it. Peace Commissioners. —The Commissioners sent by Mr. Davis to have an interview with the Washington government returned on the 6th. The only condition upon which Mr. Lincoln will negotiate, is our submission to him upon the terms which he himself shall dictate—in other words—there can be-no negotiation about terms, they having been already decided upon for us. We have no rights, and consequently no voice. They were met by Seward and Lin coln, at Fortress Monroe. Petersburg. —The trains were running upon the Rail road in the lines of Grant’s army on the nights of the sth and 6th, it was supposed they were concentrating a force on the right. Heavy canonading had taken place on the left while a demonstration was made on the 6th in the direction of Vaughes station, reaching Vau ghan road crossing Hatchers run and driving in Gen. Gordon’s pikets. From the Christian Index. Spirit of Christianity in United States Papers. “ While pouring out their prayers for all the rogues and cut-throaty they hire from Eu rope to fight us; and expending millions in Christian com missions to their army, and striv ing to amaze themselves and the rest of man kind by the extraordinary amount of efforts made to spread religion abroad in the earth, they call for vengeance on us as savagely as if men defending their homes were unpardon able criminals—steal our servants, rob our and children, take bread from helpless old men,burn the homestead,scatter the impov erished people, and then give glowing accounts of the splendid achievements and sign the let ters as brothers in Christ and chaplains of the army. # * * -3f -X- -X- It the devil has not gotten the the upper hand of the churches at the North, then it seeni3 somebody very nearly related to him has. It will be curious to have this matter ex plained after the war is over. When the ele gantly attired gentlemen of the cloth come down to us folks in the grey homespun, and in. the most affectionate nasal tones, with eyes turned upward, declare as in other years liow their God shall he our God, and sweetly talk of forgetting old scores and brotliering us like we were the most precious and beloved of all saints, what shall we say ? The past will then peep over their shoulders like a stolen darkey rolling up the whites of his eyes and saying out of his mouth, full of great shining teeth, ‘ha! ha! ha !’ ”—lUch. Chris. Advocate. Stirring Words. The Churchman concludes an excellent ed itorial upon the present situation of the Con federacy in the following stirring words ; “But beside these; we have a just and no ble cause; no juster, no nobler, was ever fought for. We an earnest Christian people, who, day and night, are calling upon God. We have been greatly blessed-of God in the past, which affords ground.of hope for the future. We have a kind and merciful God to trust in, a God who hears and answers prayer. All these things we have. And it is for us to turn away from our sins, and in humility and ear nestness, beseech God that he may be gracious to us. We have many sweet and precious promises ; let us trust in them. Though now afflicted, God can turn our mourning into joy. O let there he, on the part of all the people, a turning away from sin. Let there be, on the part of Christians, such earnest, crying, that it shall pierce the very heavens. And the prophet tells ministers what to do, when he says; “ Let the priests weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, spare thy peo ple, O Lord. Could we but see all Christians moved with profound interest : all humblin'* themselves; all calling upon God, how soon would there be hope; how soon would the darkness disappear and the day-star of deliv erance arise. Let us, therefore, once more arm ourselves for the conflict; and trusting in God, by Ilig blessings, we shall succeed.”