The national Republican., 1861-10-24
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN.
Prom the New York Commercial Advertiser
.IU. NJ the PO 20 m ocs

Frornt The
Navigation OF the Potomac
7, Tho Crack choral service, certain effects
were produced by the responsive uuerahces o'
messages by the divisions Of the chorus, ana oy
tho combined voices of the entire chorus In
o,ber messages. Similar effects were produced
IN The Hebrew service. The telegraph, though
among the latest born of inventions, Is not OBJ.
,vious of those peculiarities Of the past, which
may serve to embellish the present. Thus, al
the beginning of the war, the following dis
patches usually followed each other In success
sin First Voice, Monday: "A rebel spy was
arrested last night" Second Voice, Tuesday
" Yesterday afternoon, rebel was arrested
within our lines. He proved to be brother OF
Jackson, the murderer of Ellsworth" Qt may
be remarked here that several hundred OF these
brothers were arrested at different times.) Both
Voices, Wednesday: "The parties under arrest
we're released yesterday on taking the oath Of
allegiance" On Thursday, Friday and satur-
day. the entertainment was repeated, and Sun.
days dispatch was generally to the effect that
a new masked battery had been discovered, OF
that the "mother Of jackson had been ar
rested These interesting performances had a
very successful run, but finally gave away to
other and more taking novelties.
These ran somewhat in this way. First
Voice: "The rebels are erecting batteries on
the Potomac" Second Voice: "The uaviga
ton of the Potomac is finally obstructed."
Both Voices: :" The Navy Department has guns
at the navy yard which at any moment can
demolish all and singular the batteries erect
ing or erected by the traitors" These reports
were continued, from day to day, with all the
variations on theme so suggestive But al
least every third or fourth day, the public
mind was completely soothed by the assurance
either that the batteries could not interfere
with navigation, or If they did, 1t would be but
a brief success, as those "big guns " would, in
five minutes, blow the whole right bank of the
Potomac out of the water.
So matters progressed until last week, when
we heard that fleet of vessels was waiting
below, afraid to pass the batteries also, that
the rebels controlled the river also, that they
did not also, that vessels need not fear to sail
from New York as they would be safely con
voyed up the river, with much more to tn,
same effect, and also contradictory of each
allegation.
Meantime. our war vessels coming up or
down escaped the range of rebel guns, after
being peppered," ito quote Holllns,) as to
their sides and wheelhouses. Others ron by
in the night. Others sandwiched themselves
between innocent merchantmen loaded will
bales of hay and thus ran by. Then we learr
that since last Tuesday, the day the Shipping
Point battery was opened, forty vessels hav,
arrived at Washington. To complcate mat
ters, the Resolute brings the absurd story tha
chail cable is laid across the river, opposite
Shipping Point, and moored by fats, barges
and other water craft, both to the Virginia an,
the Maryland shore. We doubt the cable story
A cable is not to be laid in night, nor is to b
laid across so wide a stream without sinking
harmlessly to the Potomac mud. The Resolut,
may have fouled " on portions of sunker
vessel, or on some ENHANCEMENT from her bay
and straw protector. But whatever the trutt
may be in all this matter. 1t Is most evident tha
we cannot and must not lose our water route t
the capital, and be thrown back on the single
track of railroad, already overwhelmed will
its freight and transportation traffic. A few
months ago. the late Captain Ward suggested
that troops should land aud destroy the forest
on all the points suitable for batteries on tn
Virginia shore.
1t was suggested that forcible occupation
should be taken and maintained, of some O
these points. 1t was said that these batterie
should he destroyed in succession. None @
these things were done, and the press, tina
would discuss and point out daDgsrs, was ad
vised not to interfere with what did not con
cern it, and to it and the public was admins
tered the opiate Of those "big guns" and nev
appliances at the navy yard. 1t is to be hope'
that this mysterious ordnance will now be Sc
- work. and that it will execute some of th,
threats with which 1t has so long clustered.
Possibly, and we defer humbly to the mill
tary knowledge of those in authority, thes
batteries and these peppered " "gunboats an,
endamaged transports, mean nothing but forr
part of the game by which the Confederat
boys are amused, while expeditions assail ther
flank and rear, and the Grand Army move
onward, with fearful tramp, TO the discomf
ture Of the battalons before it. Possibl,
but " We don't see it" We want an open PC