The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-05-07

with q Submssionist at the head Of admins
tration, and q Legislature frightened from its
duty, Maryland 10 virtually subdued. Many
brave men refuse TO acknowledge the fact, and
a strong latent determination to seize favor
able moment for deliverance peryades the peo-
pie bat, for the present, Maryland IL sub
dued. For all present purposes Of advantage
TO the enemy and Injury 10 us, Maryland be-
longs 70 the North. She will not fight against
us she will not furnish her regiment To to obey
the behests Of LfscoLs; but these are not
wanted by the well-provid ed foe. Il is the
ground, the territory Of Maryland, that he
needs and Of that he 10 master. Success has
given him confidence; and he turns now to
Virginia. he has command Of the Chesa
peake and OF the Capes. He has possession of
Fortress Monroe. he has dominion of the
waters Of Eastern Virginia. His smallest
vessel, with single gun, can lord IL over any
OF our beautiful rivers and estuares. He has
forty thousand troops at w nington. He has
rs many more within ready command, that
can be concentrated at that point or any other.
Hs IL thoroughly provided with arms and all
the munitions Of war. Prepared at every
point, and provided with every necessary, he
can Al any moment preeipitate himself upon
Virginia. at as many points as his objects may
require. Win he attack Virginia, That is
tho question.
It's question which Virginia ought not to
ask or TO ponder. Were the indications Of the
enemy's purpose OF attack ever go few, ever
so faint, she should still be active, untirng
ubiquitous, in her preparations. But these
indica tons seem positive, conclusive and ir
reslstible. The preparations Of the enemy
mean war, invasion and conquest, early, for
III
mean nothing else, thes do mean nothing else.
Have a hundred thousand troops been ordered
10 the field for mere holiday parade Have
q hundred thousand men been ordered from
their homes merely to protect the capital a.
Washington, which has never been assailed
Has the usurpation of power and infraction
of the Constitution involved in this grave
and formidable preparation, been perpetrated
merely TO make show Of power and to hold
the impetuous South in check' No, they
mean much more than defensive hostilities,
they mean far more than mere threats and
bravado and pompous parades.
These steps have been taken in fierce earn
est and for bloody purpose. Would the
"roughs" Of the cities and vagabond rabble OF
the rural districts Of the North have been re-
cruited for an idle life in the barracks of
Washington and Annapolisf Is that the sort
of men who are usually enlisted for the inert,
lido, Iistlees and vicious ease OF a stationary
campf We wot not. The best volunteers
can only be held In subordination while EN-
plsysd In active and rapid operations. Sneh
volunteers as have been recruited in New
York must be kept constantly in the field and
on the march. For that very purpose, and
with that very intent, have they been re-
cruited That is the meaning of the formida-
bic masslng of them at Washing ton, Annapo- !
Lis, Perryville, Harrisburg the Relay House, |
and other convenient places within ready |
reach of Virginia. We are to be invaded. -
We are to be attacked by land and sea. All |
orr waters are to be infested with war craft, |
Allied with soldiers, intent on plumber, rapine |
and blood. Virginia is to be pene trated by |
several columns of troops, and attacked in |
every vulnerable point at the same time. The |
bases Of the mountains and the Valley are to |
be occupied, and the separation of Eastern |
and Western Virginia attempted. This Is the |
plan Of the enemy this his purpose, and this |
the object Of his most grand preparations.
1t will not do to amuse ourselves with peace |
reports. or to be led into false security by |
peace emlssarIss from Washington. The poll |
cy of the powers there Is deceit. They put it |
and even If they were ever SO sincere, they |
are not the masters of their own policy. They |
are but puppets in the hands Of the Northern |
populace, and must do their bidding. 1t is |
the press Of the North who are the real ora |
clss of the counsels of the enemy, and we
must take our measures to meet their threats |
and plans OF campaign-we must not shape
them in response merely to revelations from |
Its imbeciles at Washington.
We are In for a most formidable campaign, |
aud We must Danish all expectations of any |
thing less serious. All our troops should be
ordered In from the interior-all our arms |
should be put into immediate requisition-all
our military sources collected and husbanded
for immediate use. Night and day should we
be busy in preparations for the i'm pending inva-
sion Fortifications should be going up on ev
cry point of our Eastern shores, and the whole |
line Of march from the York river to Rich |
mond explored and fortified for hot and effec- |
tive dispu tatiou with the enemy. Where the |
proper measures are omitted by the State au- |
thoritiss, they should be taken by the people |
them selves-by counties, by towns, and by |
nsighborhoods Nowhere should orders from |
Richmond be awaited. Everywhere should |
tue people pat their own hands to whatsoever |
work their judgments tell them should be done
Iavasions can be resisted by ruder prepare
tions than those by which they must be made.
The Vendeans, with pitch forks and pixies,
without firearms and without tactics, re-
sisted for years, in level country, |
open and exposed by land and sea- the best
Generals and armies, the dread artillery of |
France. 1t was not until the Government |
was able to concentrate against that single
province the entire forces of all the king
dom, that they finally succeeded in sub
DUNG, by sheer defamation, that uncon-
querable, that indomitabie people. Let
Us learn lesson of heroism and OF in
vincible resolve from that devoted srug-
gle. Let our people not expect the State Gov
srnment TO do every thing; let them do them
selves whatever they find to be done; Let
svsry arm, private as well as public, be put
In the most complete state of efficiency. En-
neld rifles are not essential TO the expulsion of
IN invader. II all the injured and oppressed
peoples Of the world had waited for Enfield
rifles, the world would be still enveloped in
the darkness Of despotism. There is much
virtue in the doubls.barrel gun, the old rifle,
the ntnt-iock musket and the rnusty pistols
mat lie idle In the closets and the garrets,
And then our fast horses and sharp shooting
VII enable rs to pick OF many an invader.
Good Radiance
when, some weeks ago, the proueller