Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-05-15
Richmond City in Danger.

The Examiner says it is Certain that the,
city Of Richmond stands in very great dam
ger, and gives the following in justification
of Its assertion:
It is certain that the city of Richmond
stands in very great danger. Here in Rich
mond there are those who would not have
the fact alluded to, lest the enemy'S at-en-
ton should be attracted to it. But, while
we play this ostrich part, the eyes Of the
whole North are fixed on this one point
Among all the newspapers received in the
last few days from the foreign and hostile
countries banded against us on the other side
of the Potomac, there is not one that does
hot urge the sending If twenty thousand Of
the best troops at Washington to seize this
city. Here, says the Northern press in
chorus, here is the civil, military, political
and financial centre Of the great State seize
Richmond and she will, for a time, at least,
be paralyzed in all her members, and our
Submissionists will take advantage of the
panic to cause the rejection of the Ordinance
of Secession, so that Virginia shall be ours,
af er all. While we talk Of the occupation
Of Alexandria, the defence of Harper's Ferry
and Norfolk, they think only of Richmond,
and, if they strike at all, it is reasonable to
suppose that they will make a blow at the
heart.
And if they come to Richmond, we may be
we'll assured that they will come the same
way tn the enemy came before-the Bri-
tisn-by York river. and by no. other way.
There is the assailable point; the map shows
that; experience and history have made the
fact public to ali the world except ourselves.
A march by land from Alexandria, through
a difficult country, and over the most war
6l-a p.prlafiop IF thn IfNptinant i, droanod
of by nobody but ourselves. The route by
Aqua Greek can be cut short at Fredericks-
bu G by "a few hundred pounds of powder I'M
der the bridges of the Rappahannock, to look
no further. Nor did the enemy come up
the narrow and imperfect channel of the
James when they came before, nor will they
come up it now. But they will do as they
did, and will always do in future, sail or
steam through the deep and straight York,
Gisembark their troops in little more than a
days march of the city, and take the chances
of resistance. Any number of steamers can
be loaded with men and artillery at Wash
ingtOn, and come to the mouth OF the York,
at least, without more trouble than on a
morning excursion. There, it is true, resis
lance will m We hear that the
Qualifications of the river have closed it we
hrpe so-Iet every one hope so-for it has
been fourteen months since the Legislature
approp riated a million to the fortitications O
the State and at this moment, the prudent
course is TO hope that Il has been well spent
on York river, where it will be all wei
needed. If the enemy succeed IN passing
then, it has only one trouble more, and thar
is q grand battle with all the force that oul
Gene,als can bring into a field below Rich
mon !, when will be decisive of our fate
That it will be sanguinary and desperately
contested, can scarcely tie doubted by any
one. Few will desire t. return from thai
scene if the battle is lost, for who would care
to live and see what would happen in his
home next day? Our men would certainly
fight; our Generals are men of cniduct;
perhaps we could concentrate such hiInoe'S
as to overwhelm the invader, zen II nc
brought the flower of the Fperal army ~
the van of his Wide Avail ana Deau Iao-
bits. But the stake IS uoa,et,ro'9 p;a ~
no chance should be nrown away RIch
mond must he ksg gt,ao AZ on n' t = oniy a a victory snqr,
~ "a'y yo I'm. ar;ng Tits as bright as defeat would
be deadly.