Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-27
Anew wors. upss .ss OOnal,ion Of Ola

Few words upen the Condition Of Gin
clnunti.
We have In this city and at Camp Harri.
aon n matter Of 10000 men enlisted for active
military service whenever aud wherever a
cali shall be made. These men are the best
possible naterial for soldiers. Brave, able
bodied, resOlute, enthusiastically attached to
the country aud its cause, when transformed
by education and discipline into soldiers,
and commanded by officers in whom they
have confidence, the world can not furnish
their superiors.
And this number may be increased almost
indefinitely. when call is made, the
question is not who shall, but who shall not
enlist. No bounty on enlistment is neces-
ssry. Young men leave respectable and
profitable occupations to take up arms.
Every man looks upon himself as possible
soldier, and seems, rather than otherwise TO
hope that the exigency will arrive which
will rnske it imperative upon him to follow
TO battle The banner Of his country.
And this is The sum total of our military
inventory--an abundanceo Of brave and spirited
men. Upon this point We feel reluctant to
speak as we feel; but the time has come
when something should be said-when, at
least, some weak hint or slight intimatiOn
should be thrown out as to what is indis-
pepsable to transform this great mass Of
material into soldiers, and give it something
like warlike efficiency.
The word is in every-body's mouth, and
we need not hesitate to repeat It. We want
a HEkD- authority coupled Nth ability. We
have il not Il is not here; nor are there
perceptible evidences that it is anywhere.
SO far as there are any visible symptoms
from which to judge we have neither
National nor State Executives.
We will not pretend to affirm, with abso.
lutte positiveness, that we have not over us
most able and yigilant President aud Gov
ernor, whose wisdom, like the sleepless eye
of Providence, perpetually overlooks our
condition, to ward off dangers, and environ
us with everything necessary for our protec-
ton; but we can say with certainty that if
such is the case, their movements are SO pc.
culiar, and are made with so much caution
that they have, so far, entirely failed to be
preceptible.
Next to Wsshington--if we must say next
to gton-Cincinnati is the most i'm.
portant point that has been exposed to inva.
sion by this quarrel of the Government
1t is not only more important, but it is
more exposed than any other. Such
being the case, the first and most imperative
duty of the President, next--if it is next
to tie preparation Of the Capital for defense,
is to supply this place properly with officers
of skin and reputation, and abundantly with
all kinds of munitions. This has not been
done. We are as if we were out Of the
Union--orpbans thrown upon the world, to
fight our own battles with our own imple.
ments. We wouldnot say these things thas
publicly if we were not aware that they
had an hundred times been pressed upon
the powers that be, through private chan
nels and by personal appeals; but it seems
to us that the time is coming when it will
be necessary TO face the infexibIe facts of
our position, and if we are to have no repre-,
sentative of the national authority, to begin,
as soon as possible, to look out for a sub.
stitute.
The city of Cincinnati, no one will dispute
is the principal point of danger in Ohio. II
is here, and from here that all the defense OF
the State against invasion must be made. It
shouldbe the head quarters of Ohio; and it
ia hereth the military ability ofthe State
ifit has any-should be located, and its best
material concentrated. Nothing of the kind
has been done. We are, to all outward ap-
pearance, as If we had no Oommander-in-
Chief of our State army. Representations Of
our destitutiOn meet with no satisfactory
response, and the opinions which men are
beginning to form and express upon the
question, whether or not Gov. Dennison is
equal to the emergency, are the reverse of
complimentary.
One of two things are indicated by the
necessities of the case This body of men
should either receive the attention that is
due to them-should be supplied with what
ever is necessary to their complete efficiency,
in officers and materials-or they should
disband. Cincinnati should be put in
condition of defense, or its citizens should
return to their homes and If they shall hap
pen to be invaded, prepare to ransom what
they can not defend. 1t would be simply
to court slaughter to go to the field of battle
as they are, and this neither their duty to
themselves nor to their country requires.
We suppose that we shall be charged with
having exposed our weak point to the enc
my. Upon that head we have made up our
mind. We have refrained from speaking.
partly from ideas of prudence, and partly in
the belief that something would be done
where the necessity is SO obvious, quite as
long ss is consistent with our ideas of duty.
Let the censure fall where it belongs.