Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-14
Whnt the R.ebeIs Propore.

! hhuN inc AeueIA PROPOSE
The Richmond Examiner says the natural
! boundary of the Confederate States on the
! North is along the Missouri River to the
Mississippi; thence along the Mississippi TO
the mouth of the Ohio; thence along the
Ohio to the Virginia line; thence along the
Virginia aud the Northern Maryland line to
the Atlantic. The Ohio line is the mos, inn
portant portion of the frontier. The battle
of Manassas settled the question of the inde-
pendence of the South in the public opinion
of the world. All the rest of the fighting
that has occurred, or that will have to be
done, will be a mere contest for boundaries.
The boundary is the real issue In Missouri;
that is the issue also in Kentucky; it is the
issue in North west Virginia. and it will
soon be the issue in Maryland.
Southern independence is already achieved;
but the war can not he closed until we shall
have reconquered the Southern territory
which was basely surrendered to the invader
by Southern traitors. Until we shall have
planted our banners along the natural con-
fines of our country, the war must go on.
Had this territory not been basely relin-
quished, the war would have already been
ended. All the life and treasure, and sick
ness and suffering, which it shall henceforth
cost our country, will be upon the souls Of
the base men who betrayed their native soil,
their homes and hearthstones, to the invader
1t is idle to think of peace until we shall
have reconquered the surrendered country
lyiIg south of the boundary we have defined.
Geographically, politically and stragetically,
Kentucky is part of the South, which she
can not afford to surrender to Northern con-
troll and Jurisdiction. We can not afford to
have imaginary boundary lines with the
Yankees. The line of Kentucky and Ten
nessee is too intangible to mark the separa-
tion between North and South. Without a
bold, natural line of separation like the great
Ohio River, the border population of the
South would be as completely demoralized
through all future time, as experience has
proved it to have been during the events of
the last five months.
The social systems and the domestic insti-
tutions of the two Confederacies are too dis
similar and antagonistic to be divided by q
merely mathematical line. While the two
populations were associated under the politi-
cal Union, even then we had enough of the
underground railroad. We must establish
our separation by such distinct landmarks
that that institution will have no further ex-
istence on this continent.
The geographical conformation of the
country is such that small portion of the
boundary-that of Northern Maryland
must, of necessity, be merely astronomical;
bue this portion must be as inconsiderable as
possible. 1t will be far better for both Con-
federacIes, with view to preventing frauds
upon their revenues, that their boundary
will subserve the purposes of peace between
them more effectually than large augmenta-
tions Of their standing armies. To the SO.
curity of the South, such boundary is al .
most necessary. We can watcl he enemy
better standing upon the banks of the Ohio
than standing on this side of high mountain
ranges. We should not know how to trust
the Punic faith ofs worse than Carthagenian
enemy, unless we we're in position to watch
| and foil them.
We have simply, therefore, to make up
| our minds to conquer boundary by an ad .
| eqnate force of men. Our Generals in Mis-.
souri,, in Kentucky and in Western Virginia
should be furnished with armies ample in
numbers to drive the enemy across the Mis-.
| souri, and the Ohio Rivers. The South has
a great stake in accomplishing this expulsion
| during the present season. To allow the
enemy to winter in our country is to lose
the support Of the whole population of the
| districts of country in which he will make
his winter quarters. In that event we should
next season have not only the enemy
to drive out, but the local population
| itself to conquer.
Our true policy of defense lies in vigor-
| Gus push for the banks of the Ohio. We can
| afford to suffer raids on the Southern sea-
| board, if we can succeed in reaching with a
large force, the enemy's own thresholds
and homesteads in Ohio and Pennsylvania
| Then, if he lands and ravages our coasts, we
will invade pillage and burn his villages in
retaliation. Until we shall have reena-
quered the Southern territory that has been
surrendered to him, and planted ourselves
right upon the border of his own country, we
shall not be safe from his raids upon our
Southern coast. 1t would require an army
OF a million of men to line our coast in such
manner as to protect them from their ma
val excursions. On the contrary, fifty or
| seventy five thousand men penetrating to
| the banks of the Ohio at a few different
| points, will effectuslly secure our coast from
| aggression, by giving him alarm and employ
ment at home, and by putting it in our
power TO retaliate upon him with venge-
ance. Twenty thousand additional troops
ought to be forthwith sent into Western Vir-
| ginia, and every available regiment and
company in Tennessee and Arkansas ought
to be pIecipitated into Kentucky and Mis-
| souri,. We have triaed away two thirds of
the present season of cam paign; let us make
up by earnest work in the other third for the
incidence of the past.