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THE COUNTRYMAN.
75
family are out, again, in full array. I tell you,
General, in confidence, the only, way for you
to maintiiin your possessions, as you advance
along your route, is for you to leave a mouhted
police of a thoujand„men in every county. This
would take 138,000 men for the state of Geor
gia, alone. But what is that to you ? You
can spare that number, from your army, and
never trtiss ’em.
Let me tell you, General, about OUr people.
They are divided into two classes, as all other
people are—patriots, and their opposites. The
fifst will resist you all the time, except when
physically overpowered. The other class will
yield to you, in vour presence, to save their
property, if possible, but, like the mice, wifi
resume their play, as soon as you, the cat, are
out of sight. Sir, the only way in the world to
subdue the southern people, is to kill ’em—kill
’em all, sir. The patriots will never yield to
you, any way, and the traitors will yield to you
only in your presence.
So please hurry up my boys, Tom, George,
and Jack, and, if convenient, send, by them,
pay watch, spoons, and mules.
Yours, &c.,
. J. A. Turner,
Editor Countryman.
N. B.—Will the newspapers in Georgia, in
cluding the Savannah (yankee) Republican,
and the Augusta (yankee) Chronicle & Senti
nel, please copy, as this is the only hope I have
of getting tliis letter to Gen. Sherman ?
J. A. T.
Lines to .
BY CARLTON HILLYER.
Though careless and gay is the bloom of the tree,
And the days of her blooming are brief,
Yet, oft as she blooms, shall her golden lruit be
For the praise of her blooming, and grief.
So love, howe’er wild, in the changes of life—
And her changes are many, and hard—
Bears ever some fruit, ’mid the toil and the strife,
Some growth for the mind of the bard.
This passion of ours, tho’ aimless and strange,
Unlike all the passions we’re given,
Bears ever some fruit, ’mid the toil and the
chan ge,
Of the soul in its strivings for heaven.
Athens, Jan. 4th, 1865.
G. B. Lamar.— We are informed that
the above-mentioned gentleman, who was,
at one time, president of the Bank of the
Republic, in New York, and subsequently
president of the Bank of Commerce, in
SavanDah, and one of the largest cotton
holders, and, withal, one of the bitterest
rebels in the confederacy, has taken the
oath of allegiance to the yankee govern
ment. We suppose he did it to save his
cotton.. We are also informed that he has
addressed a letter to a gentleman, in this
city, informing him of his return to his
allegiance to the old government, and ad
vising him to do likewise, as soon as op
portunity offers.—Augusta Register.
“ In the reign of James I., when a per
son was invited out to dinner, he took his
knife with him, and, on entering the
house of his host, found a whetstone be
hind the door, on which to sharpen it.'’
Yankee Emissaries.—“ Surely
the yankee nation is the most impu
dent nation that ever existed. No
otbet Would venture to send emissa
ries to a hostile country, with the pur
pose announced in the subjoined ex
tract from the New York Tribune, re
lative to the rumored mission of the
two Blairs :
Our last despatch from Washington,
states that Messrs. Francis P. Blair
(senior) and his son, Montgomery,
have gone to Richmond, and that it
is understood that their errand is one
ol peace—or, perhaps we should more
accurately say, to see whether any
termination of our national struggle
is now attainable. We presume their
mission is not in terms official ; but
it were absurd to pretend—consider
ing who they are, and what are their
personal relations to the president—
that it is unauthorized.
While we consider Richmond about
the least hopeful point in the confed
eracy, at which to seek an acceptable
peace, and regret that the Messrs.
Blairs had not proceeded, or offered
to proceed, direct to Raleigh, instead,
and while we can scarcely encourage
hopes of any immediate pacification,
as a result of this mission, we yet re
joice that it has departed, and are
confident that its influence will be
very decidedly salutary, and its ulti
mate consequences beneficent. For
the southern people need, above all
things, to be undeceived, with regard
to the origin, impulses, and purposes
of the war for the union. They have
been so long incessantly told that the
north is fighting for subjugation—for
unrestricted dominion—for spoliation,
devastation, and rapine—that thou
sands, who should know a great deal
better, actually seem to believe it.
The visit of the Messrs. Blairs to
Richmond, and the propositions which
they will there (doubtless) submit to
the confederate chiefs, cannot be kept
from the knowledge of the south, and
cannot fail to-be largely influential in
disabusing the southern mind. If it
shall thence appear that the north
wants nobody enslaved, but every
body liberated, nobody despoiled, but
the rights, and earnings of every hu
man being placed under the protec
tion of just, and equal laws, then we
say, it is scarcely possible that the
fierce malignity, the vengeful hate,
which have thus far animated the reb
el masses, in their war upon their
own country, can retain their viru
lence unmodified.
And, at all events", in this mission,
tho civilized world will see, even
though Dixie should still obstinately
bandage its own eyes, the evidence of
a spirit pervading our loyal people,
and their government, quite different
from that persistently ascribed to
them by their enemies. We are,
therefore, inclined to attribute a pro
found significance to the visit of the
Messrs. Blaus to Richmond, and to
expect from it beneficent, even though
not immediate, nor very palpable re
sults.”
The North, and the South.—
“In the federal house of representa
tives, on the 10th, in the discussion of
the proposed amendment for the abo
lition of slavery, Mr. Fernando Wood
discussed, at length, the want of pow
er, and impolicy of amending the
constitution in the way proposed.
He said he should, on a future occa
sion, speak upon the condition of the
country, and attempt to elucidate the
following propositions : First, a trib
ute to the intense spirit of nationality
which pervades all classes at the
north. Second, sympathy with the
northern people, and a review of his
efforts in behalf of their prosperity,
and happiness, and liis struggles to
prevent civil war, and its consequent
horrors. Third, a reiteration of his
belief that the south cannot be con
quered, or be compelled to submit to
a sectional northern government, and
that even if reduced to a guerrilla
warfare, which is uot probable, they
can hold the southern country, and
render it valueless for at least half a
century. Fourth, an expression of
the Jeffersonian principles of the de
mocracy, which cannot be too often
repeated to the people, that they
may see how smoothly, how harmoni
ously, the machinery of the grand fa
bric of the fathers would move on, if
their teachings were not ignored and
forgotten. Fifth, that the democra
cy still behold, in the proud bauners
of the union, the symbol of peace,
and still labor for a cessation of hostili
ties, determined, if possible, to res
cue the sweet spirit of union, ere it
(perish amid the carnage, and venge
ance of civil war. Sixth, that if the
southern states will return to the un
ion, the northern states, or people,
will in turn recognize,- by constitution
al amendment, the sovereignty, and
independence of the southern states
over all questions not expressly dele
gated to the general government.
(Seventh, and that thereupon north
ern and southern people shall pledge
themselves to a hearty support of
measures, peaceable, or forcible, for
the acquisition of Canada, Mexico,
and Cuba, and the freedom of Ire
land.”