The war feeling in the country.
We have convincing and multiform proof that the people of the South, especially the great rural population, was never more resolved than they are now to fight out the war to the bitter end. The effect of this determined feeling is seen in the growing determination to re-enlist, which is found to prevail in every regiment of our volunteer army. Parents and kindred at home are writing patriotic letters to the young men in camp, who are responding to their appeals in the most gratifying manner. It is not the volunteers who are so much to be appealed to in this case as their kindred at home. If these latter do but say the word, there is not one volunteer in ten who will not re-enlist. It is said that some of the officers in the field are discouraging re-enlistments in their companies and regiments, desiring themselves a pretext to leave the service of their country. The officers who would act so base a part never would have joined the service at all, if they had not, by mistaken use of the appointing power, been seduced into the service by tempting commissions. But ten times stronger than the influence of these unworthy characters is that of appeals from home. Let but this latter influence be exerted by our patriotic fathers, mothers, and young women, and the cause of the country will be safe beyond contingency.Really, the inducement is very great indeed which urges our farmers and yeomen to exert this influence upon their sons in camp. If the Yankees should succeed, as they now aim to-do, in fastening their enormous debt upon the South, even in equal share with themselves, our country is utterly ruined. The land would literally groan under taxation, and scarcely any man could call himself solvent, for scarcely any of the leading pursuits of the country would get through the year without debt after paying taxes. Submission to the enemy would be ruin outright; and our farmers and planters have nothing to do but fight the battle through to the bitter end. This they are more determined upon now, if possible, than at any former period of the war.
