The national Republican., 1861-08-30
DEPENDING THE CAPITAL-WHAT II
MEANS.

The opponents of the present war, in the
Tree States. are very careful to say that they
are ready to go as far as the farthest, in defend
ing the national capital This has become an
established formula with them, in their resolu
tions, speeches, and editorials They will de-
tsnd the capital, cost what it may, in men or
money.
The adoption of this language by such pol
ticians is decisive proof that they know well
what the popular feeling at the North is, in
respect to the retention of Washington. They
know we'll that the idea of abandoning Wash
ington would be execrated from one end of the
free States to the other. and that they cannot
maintain themselves at all, except by concur.
ring in words at least with sentiment which
is so strong and universal. But they may not
have considered. to how much they really
commit themselves. when they declare that
this national capital must be retained as such
at all costs and hazards.
Obviously, this requires the retention OF
Maryland. 10 fact il equally requires the re-
tention Of Virginia, which. as we'll as Maryland,
holds essential approaches TO the capital, as
well as commands il by propinquity. Wash
ington communicates with the ocean by the
long course of the Potomac and by the Cheaa
peske Bay, and nobody can seriously propose
that we shall give up, either the Virginia shore
of the Potomac, or Fortress Monroe. Washing
ton communicates with the West. by a route
which runs through Virginia, aud which never
= can be surrendered. Indeed, Independently ol
the route to the West that part of Virginia
,rh Oh . IL
ion to the northwest, and SO menaces it, mill,
tarily, as the experience of this war shows,
that the idea OF abandoning il is not less alb
surd than that of abandoning Fortress Monroe.
A capital upon the extreme verge of a ma.
tion's frontier, as Washington would be with
Virginia out of the Union. is the dream Of fools
No Southern frontier nearer than the north line
of North Carolina, is to be thought of for q
moment, and to maintain Washington as O
capital, is to prosecute this war until the star,
and stripes float over every inch of the soil Of Vir
ginia. Nothing short Of that amounts to a sub
atantial defence Of this city.
The hypocritical politicians iu the free States
who are willing to defend Washington, bu
opposed to doing anything more than than that
sre. in truth, not willing to do even that. The,
would make peace today, leaving Virginia il
the enemy's hands, and thus ensuring of the los
the capital, whenever it might suit this enemy
to take it. But while the professions Of thes
politicians are hypocritical, the public senti
ment which cempels them to make such pre-
fessions is genuine, and the people, who real
mean to maintain the capital, founded by tn
Father Of his Country, will never yield an!
thing essential to its security.
Maryland and Virginia held in the Uniol
as an Indispensable condition of the safety
Washington, i. is impossible for Kentucky an
Missouri to leave the Union, and without thes
great border States, the Southern Confederac
is impossible. The Southern Union, with tn,
curtailment, would be too feeble and too con
pletely overshadowed by the Northern Uniol
The men who planned this rebellion nevt
contemplated anything else than a Souther
= Union of the entire fifteen slave States, whic
have undoubtedly the elements of a respectab
nationality. And that scheme was really DO
sible, but for the unlucky circumstance tn,
the national capital was located on the banl
Of the Potomac. If it had been located on th
banks of the Delaware, these slave State
might have gone off in body and not sho
perhaps, would have been fired, unwise as
would have been, under any circumstances, t
assent 10 disruption Of the Union. But hole
ing the capital, they cannot go without carry
ing of what the nation will never yield excer
10 superior force.