St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-05-30
CircumvCnting the Enemy.

els have been outwittcd in the first
grand operation which they had plan
ned for the capture of Washington.
They designed toprecipitate Maryland
into secession, and thus not only to
cut off the route of Northern reinforce.
ments but to approach and attack
Washington in the rear, while often
sive demonstrations were also to be
made from the Virginia side. The
Richmond correspondent of the Charles
ton Mercury says, in explaining the
inactivity of the rebel troops in Nir-
ginia:
at was expected they would cross
and sustain Maryland in her position
Of resistance to the passage of Fede-
raj troops 10 Washington but there
is at present 10 nucleus of resistance
to military organization in Maryland.
The State seems now to acquiesce in
its helpless condition. While our for.
ces would sustain that State, they
will not assume to lead or force that
State to an attitude of opposition !;
and so, for the present, at least, Mary
land would seem to be out of view,
land our efforts are simply lent to the
object of sustaining the present posi-
ton of Virginia"
But we all know how this scheme
of subiccting the Administration to a
fire in the rear has been foilcd. Ma
ryland is now the safe pathway for
our troops, and Gen. Scott has all his
foes in front. Not OILY that, but by a
series Of mastery preparations, he is
gradually thrusting them into the
same predicament which they had
vainly designed for him-only there is
no escape from the tolls he has set.
Thus the rebels are making consider
able display at Harpcr's Ferry, as
though they might advance into Ma
ryland and circumvent our forces in
the ncighborhood of the Capital. But
the time is at hand when a pow
crful detachment of Western troops.
advancing along the line of the Balti-
more and Ohio Road, will cut off the
rear of this squad of rebels, unless
they shall beat the hastiest kind of a
retreat toward the center of Virginia.
At the West, another instance of
rebel cunning has met the same fate.
Gov. Jackson of Missouri was organi-
zing the nucleus for secession force,
which, joined by dctaclimcnts from
further South, was to cooperate with
Gen. Pillows troops in making a con-
centration upon our forces at Cairo.
But Capt. Lyon promptly captured
this nucleus with its valuable. arms,
and has cflectually overawed and
crushed the rebel movement in East
ern Missouri. Gen. Harney's arrival
and action have made the assurance
doubly sure. But suppose the seces
sionists of the Central and Western
part Of the State should rally, in pur-
suance of their oft repeated threat of
wiping out st. Louis? This contin-
gency has already been provided for
The moment such movement should
transpire, up would come Gen. Jim
Lane with his Kansas regiments,
knowing the Border Ruflians to hair,
and eager to pay off sundry old scores
against them, and would apply most
cffcctual fire in the rear.
These instances are but smaller ap.
plications Of the same tactics which,
from the basis of Fort Pickens, are to
be brought to bear on the whole Gulf
line of the seeded States. Already
we hear through the New Orlcans-pa-
pers that Gen. Twiggs is anxiously
calling the attention of his fellow trail
tors to the necessity of a complete
system of coast defences-his zeal be-
ing quickcncd by his fears respecting
his own home on the Louisiana shore
But neither Twiggs, Davis, nor all
their myrmidons can shake the steady
march of the Government to the COM
pletc vindication of its sovereign and
beneicent powers.