Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-28

very materially changed for the
worse. For long time they maintained
a show of aggressive operations along the
border invaded Missouri; invaded Ken.
lucky; threatened Cincinnati, and talked
loudly of carrying FIRE and sword into the
homesteads of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois. 1t was by this kind of buster,
more than by any actual success that they
gave to their bad cause an appearance of
solidity which it has never possessed. 1t
was simply the swagger by which scared
bully seeks to impress the crowd while the
man he has insulted is getting his coat off
and his sleeves rolled up.
The capture of Port Royal made great
change in the prospects of the insurgents.
We have not done much there as yet, it is
tue, but we have base of operations on the
South Carolina coast, which is more valuable
to US, in military point of view, than it
would be to the enemy to have established
himself in force on the shores of Connecticut.
Before many days pass our flag will fly over
Charleston and Savannah ; and moreover, by
Port Roya is our shortest road to the military
center of the infected States.
At Fort Pickens, Colonel Brown has proved
to General Bragg that he can drive him
cut OF Pensacola whenever the Government
sends a force down to hold the place against
the return of the insurgents. We have an
army on Ship Island, ready for a movement
against New Orleans. The Memphis 4Ua
Ianche reports that the Confederates have
evacuated Galveston, and it is probable that
the Santee frigate has destroyed the place
ana its defenses, as we know that this was
intended some weeks ago by the captain of
that vessel. Meantime, there is reason to
believe that before many days We shall have
Fernandina and Cedar Keys, Florida, in our
possession, and with them the Florida Rail.
road, together with certain forts and batter
les not generally known, which will give
US command of the whole peninsula, and
will rally to our side the many loyal men in
that State. --....
In Missouri we find that General Price and
Ben McCulloch could not muster force
enough to repossess the districts abandoned
by our armies when they marched back upon
ST. Louis; and the ease with which the reb-
els have been driven back and dispersed bya
small force under the gallant and active
General Pope, proves that Price, though, we
believe, man of talent, has not the means
for formidable movements; while the cap
ture of thirteen hundred men, with much
material of war, will still further weaken
him.
In Kentucky there are signs of battle,
which may have, perhaps, more decisive re.
suits than any yet fought in this war. The
affsir at Belmont defeated Pillows project of
reinforcing Price and McCulloch. Since
then the rebels have turned their attention
to their own defenses on the Mississippi. A
defeat in Kentucky will cause them the loss
of a great portion of Tennessee; it may even
give us Nashville with scarce another blow.
Polk and Pillow, who six weeks ago threat
ened st. Louis and Cairo, are now defending
Memphis and Nashville. General Halleck
has his gunboat expedition nearly ready and
will quickly seize any advantage he may
find resulting from operations in Kentucky.
Halleck and Buel threaten the rebels by two
converging lines; they will attack, doubt
less, wherever Polk is weakest and they
will advance with the knowledge that sue
ceEsful blow either at Memphis or toward
Nashville will rouse the East Tennegseeans
TO open demonstrations. hta , .fs5
The campaign has closed in Western Vir-
ginis, and the country is ours. Floyd, who
has twice escaped capture within six months,
each time with the loss of all his camp
equipage, is sent with his ragged followers
to aidZOllicoffer in Kentucky; and mean
time BesuFegsrd and Johnston maneuveI
before General Mcclellan.
For the insurgents the war has arrived at
that critical point where a single defeat will
ruin their cause. One decisive battle might
end the campaign and the wsr--just as the
capture of Delhi virtually put an end
to the Sepoy mutiDy, and converted
Nena Sahib from ferocio IS .conqueroI
into a criminal flying for his life. AL
ready there are plentiful signs that the
people OF the South are heartily tired of the
oppression and lsWleEs cruelties of the insur'
gents. In Arkansas. several secret Union
clubs have been discovered, bat more are
probably in existence the New Orleans
papers complain Of the reviVing Union senti.
ment there as dangerous to the 0ohfed-
eTacy;" in Florida, Union men are lifting
their heads hopefully; and when East Ten
nessee rises in force, the Union flag win be
hoisted in Northern Alabama and Georgia
and in Western South Carolina. In Texas
too, the rebels are having trouble with
"Union sentiment" and the sugar-plsnterl
of Louisiana will hail our arrival IS deliver
suce from an oppression which grinds then
to powder. In every Southern State Union
men are impatiently waiting for deliVerance
and we are as anxious as they that they
shall be relieved.
1t is the policy Of the insurgents, now
to avoid greateTisks-to avoid even grea
cattle, of which the result must always b,
doubtful. 1t is their cue TO waste ou
strength and patience by teints and unim
portant attacks to spread their forces, an
thus keep us from concentrating our host
upon any one point. Il is ours to fore
thsm to q. decisive engagement; and all ou
movements now tend-to that object. Ho'
soon We shall gain this end depehds npo
Our generals; batl therels every reason
-ase si4i 49,. as1r, y u. 10 .