The national Republican., 1861-07-02
VIRGINIA.

the rebels have less than sixty thousand troops
in Virginia. But this number is enough to
take the State and the invasion from the Sonth is
more positively an invasion than any marching
of troops into Virginia by the Government could
possibly he.
The Southern Confcderates had most i'm.
portant strategic reasons for striving with all
their power to drive Virginia ont of the Union.
They wished 10 make that State the bulwark
against invasion Of the Cotton States, where the
slaves were numerous,a and where invasion would
he fatal to their cause. The comparatively
wholesome climate of Virginia, and the fact
that its capital is the centre Of grain.exporting
country, made It desirable to quarter in that
State the hungry legions Of rebellion. But
more than all, in the minds Of those who engi.
neered this rebellion with more forecast, was
the consideration that Virginia, in her noun
tains and rivers, with her foundries at Rich.
mond, with the guns obtained from the Norfolk
navy yard, with Fortress Monroe, which they
fully intended to have, and which Senator
Mason, bullying the Senate, nearly won-more
than all, was the consideration that Virginia,
with these resources, would enable the rebel.
lionists to confront the Government 80 efec.
tually, and hold them at bay so long, that they
could negotiate either reconstruction" or
recognition of independence as o separate
Confederacy. How near to this result it has
come, we leave our readers, who know the
situation" as well as we, to judge each for
himself The New York Tribune, or, at
least, its Washington correspondent, is con-
fdent that propositions tending to a pacific
settlement of the " difficulty" have been made
to our Government. Hear the Tribune man in
the issue of the 29th ultmo;
i"From our own correspondent WASHING:
TON, June 26, 1861. THE National Republican
Of this morning is unusually vivacious and I'M.
duly vague. The proprietor is the postmaster
Of this city, and, quarter day being near at
hand, gratitude for daily bread gushes out in
denials of what be knows nothing about, and
declarations which, as they are not read except
in barber.shops by walters and slaves, and at
breakfast tables to fill in the delay of steaks
and hot rolls, need not be very perspicuous or
precise. The contradiction is technical. No
proposal to terminate the war upon the basis
of the Crittenden compromise is under consid
there was? But the reply shall not be made
under any shelter OF phraseology. When that
paper, or any other, will declare that no propo.
sitions hare been submitted to any member Of
| the administration looking to pacifcdtion,
then you shall have my authority, and then
whoever reads can determine whether my as
sertion was made recklessly and at random.
But they shall have more. IF is desired that
I shall tell the truth, and the whole TRUTH not
of this, but of other matters of moment, my
| mouth shall be opened. do not speak now to
the editor and proprietor of the paper which is
the organ. I do not hold psrley with the por-
ter of the gate; speak TO the baron in his
castle. When shall be summoned into the
courtyard to tilting match ?"
As long as we are "the porter at the gate"
we beg to be excused any parleys with man.
alarms so formidable as. the author Of the
foregoing blast, who evidently is Of the kind of
fellows who would think nothing of dispatchpg
half dozen lile ourselves before breakfast.
Having blown his bugle, he asks when he shall
be summoned into the court yard for a fitting
match ?" We can't answer But if it we're
ours to reply, we should treat the matter after
the fashion of the elder Booth, who on one oc-
casion playing Richard III somewhat a
drink is said to have met the actor who an.
nounced himself as the "eary village cock"
with the request to crow in some other barn.
yard
But to suppose that the Administration will
hear to any propositions to compromise "the
difficulty" seems to US absurd, The Admins.
traton is composed Of gentlemen quite too
sagacious to put themselves for moment in
any snch attitude. If il could be supposed
that they were sensible to fear, they would be
far less afraid of what is in front of them than
Of what is behind them. 1t would not he
Richmond that would make them tremble.
There are shadows-not only sha lows, but
living forms-north of Mason and Dixons
line, that strike more terror into the soul of
Richard than could the substance of Thousand
Rchmonds.
AS to the difficulty" the danger Of com.
promise of which seems to ride like o night.
mare through the 7ribuns's sumbers, we have
only to say that we see no difficulty" except
the difficulty the leaders Of the Confederacy
have in raising the means to keep their troops
together.
And their troops are not considerable. The
result Of careful inquiries which we have been
able to make from various sources, enables us
to soy that the Confederates have scarcely
sixty thousand troops in Virginia, and not
more than twenty thousand elsewhere. In
Virginia their troops are stationed as follows:
At At manassas Junction 10000
torGes under Gen. Johnston 1900 |
Az a Mehmona 5000 to 5000
a. Sor.3ik 7. ~ ahu portsmouth $500
Az 0ouoik - 1000 |
a Al ana ABOUT torktown 5000