The Dawn of Reason. Signs of Returning Sense of Patriotism in the South (1863)

Source: The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu: Thursday, October 22, 1863.

The Mobile News, says: -"We have multitudes of reports, horribly detrimental to the character of the patriotism of the people in many places in Alabama and Mississippi; some of them too disgraceful to publish. A portion of our people have gone stark mad. They are bastard Southerners, and recreant Confederates."

Which being interpreted, means that "the people  in many places in Alabama and Mississippi," are deserting the cause of secession and rebellion, returning to their senses, and learning that patriotism means love of country not of a section or a party. And even more significant than this is the language of the North Carolina papers, and the Richmond editors confirm the statements by the earnest and bitter denunciations of the reviving patriotism of the South. The Raleigh Standard of a recent date copies an article from the Raleigh Daily Progress, which expresses great fear that unless the war is soon stopped slavery will be obliterated, &c., and then adds:

"We agree with our contemporary in much of the above. But we have no idea that peace can be obtained upon our own terms. The most powerful nations seldom succeed in doing that; what the great mass of our people desire is a cessation of hostilities and negotiations. If they could reach that point they would feel that the conflict of arms would not be renewed, and that some settlement would be effected which would leave them in the future in the enjoyment of life, liberty and happiness.

"It is a great crime, especially at a time like this, to conceal the truth. We intend to tell the truth as far as we know it, let the consequences be what they may. From the beginning of the war until the present the enemy has slowly but surely gained upon us; and but for the extraordinary endurance and courage of our troops, his flag would now be floating at the capital of every State. We have lost Missouri, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Mississippi Valley, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and considerable portions of other States. Vicksburg has fallen, as we feared many months ago it would. Port Hudson has fallen; Charleston, Mobile, and Savannah will probably go next. Gen. Lee is attempting to retire from Maryland with his spoils, but no substantial victory has crowned his arms. We are weaker to-day than when he crossed the Potomac into Maryland. Our recruits in the way of conscripts will scarcely keep our regiments full, and we cannot hope to add materially to our forces. Our fighting population is pretty well exhausted. Everybody knows this-the North knows this and so does Europe. On the contrary, our enemies, flushed with triumph, have a large army in the field, and their President has just called for 300,000 more. He will get them. The movement on Pennsylvania by Gen. Lee, and the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, have hushed all clamors for peace in the North and have banded the people there are one man for the prosecution of the war. We have nothing to hope for from foreign nations, and just as our cause is, we see no indications that Providence is about to interpose in our behalf. The war, then, will go on. One side or the other must conquer. Will five millions of whites conquer twenty millions of the same race? Will they conquer a peace on the very soil of these twenty millions? Not in any event, if these twenty millions possess ordinary manhood and will fight. They fought at Sharpsburg and Gettysburg, and they worsted us at the latter place. Northern troops are not cowards-they fight nearly as well as Southern troops. We cannot achieve signal victories over them on their own soil. What then? If the worst is destined to overtake us, would it not be wise and prudent to take less than the worst, provided we could do so compatibly with honor?"

Again, the same paper says:

"Notwithstanding the predictions of the South, the Yankees have fought on many occasions with a spirit and determination worthy of their ancestors of the Revolution-worthy of the descendants of those austere old Puritans, whose heroic spirit and religious zeal made Oliver Cromwell's army the terror of the civilized world; or of those French Huguenots, 'who thrice in the sixteenth century contended with heroic and various fortunes against the house of Lorraine, and all the power of the house of Valois.'" 

"Instead of an early and permanent establishment of the wealthiest and best Government in the world, with unbounded credit, what have we got? Spite of all the victories which we profess to have obtained over the Yankees, we have lost the States of Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana, Mississippi and tennessee, and, in my humble opinion, have lost them forever; and, in all probability, Alabama will soon be added to the number. This will leave to the Confederacy but five States out of the original 13, and of these five the Yankees have possession of the most important points, and one third of their Territory. So far, the Yankees have never failed to hold every place of importance which they have taken, and present indications are, that Charleston will soon be added to the number. The campaign of General Lee into pennsylvania, has undoubtedly proved a failure, and with it the last hope of conquering a peace by successful invasion of the enemies country. Our army has certainly been very much weakened and dispirited by this failure and the fall of Vicksburg, and how long even Richmond will be safe, no one can tell.