The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-05-09
Ia President Davis Coming /,

military authorities at Montgomery the i'm
portance Of their early presence in Virginia.
The battle ground of this great conflict is to
be upon Virginia soil, AID no precaution
should be omitted which could contribute to
the success Of our Southern arms.
1t is not to be denied that Virginia has
been taken at great disadvantage in the sud-
den outbreak of the war. However plain to
the vision Of many of her citizens might have
been the fact that war was imminently i'm
pending, yet the large majority Of our people,
and the public authorities, could not realize,
and would not recognize, the danger. The
consequence has been natural. The war has
found US not fully provided with the munitions
of war and tho appointments Of an army, and.
what is much more important, without vol
digested military organization. The work OF
organization has had to DO perfected exclusive
ly b, civilians. We have few officers Of the
late Federal army in the line and one or two
in the staff; but except the latter, the whole
military administration and the whole opera
tlons OF the staff are in the hands Of civilians
in the hands Of civilians who never saw SER
vice, mover saw an enemy, and never conceived
before Of military organization in its scientific
aspects, and in its essential importance to the
efficiency of an army.
In respect TO This matter the Washington
Government has had every advantage oil tho
South. 1t had possession Of the most perfect
military organization known to she science OF
war. 1t had the skeloton of admirably
CONSTRUCTED Army. 1t had hundreds Of skill
full officers, reared to arms in one Of the be t
military schools in the world. 1t had mum
tons Of war in vast and nexhaustable pro-
fusion, and Of every form and fashion of in
vention. 1t had the support of the manufac-
turing section Of the Union, embracing nu-
merous private armories superior IN many
respects to the best public nrmories OF
the most warlike powers. 1t had still an
other advantage, in the great mass of raw
material for soldiers that the stoppago of bust
ness had thrown idle upon the public. 1t
had, moreover, the prestige Of the old national
nag, and the sanction of constituted authority.
IN word, it had every advantag 60 over Virginia
save that of good cause-a military organ
iation already in operation, an army already
natured in every arm and branch, boundess
munitions already provided, arms in protusion,
and capacities for multiplying them to infn-
ity, and recruits by the half million.
With all these odds against her, and with
all these disadvantages at the start, Virginia
has gone rcsolutely into the work. She has
accomplished much. She can now arm thirty
TO forty thousand men and but for the want
OF military equipments, she could, in fort
night, put seventy-fve thousand of her own
troops into the field. Her great need,
however, is military organization. Her great
dcsidoratum is that thorough knowledge of
all the details Of their business. by the various
civilians in charge of her military adminstra-
ton, which is So necessary to promptituae and
success in her preparations. You may have
the plan of organization. The skeleton form
may be perfect. Every commission provided
for in the plan may DO in the possession Of
good man; but if these men lack experience;
If they are strangers to tho details aud routine
of . business which must be learned ms trade.
your military organization is precisely in the
condition of a ship at sea, with a captain ip-
norant of navigation, with mate for the first
time IN his life out of the sight of land and
with crew who never before saw the ocean.
oil sea-sick and home-sick. This is by no
means just picture Of the new military Or
ganration Of Virginia; but we will say that
mat organization y in its infancy. that it is in
the first month Of its existence, and without
the efficiency which time and experience confer.
we put an extreme case in order to show where
the shoe pinches in our present operations, and
TO point out what is most needed by Virginia
1t the present moment. We conceive that the
presence of the military organization of the
Confederate States, Of its able chief officers, of
its ample financial resources, of its experience,
power and authority, will supply to us pre-
cisely that which we now sorely need-almcst
the only thing that we do need. 1t is not men
that we want. 1t is the arms and equipments
which that Government has in supply; it is
the discipline and organization that that Gov
eminent can at once provide. We need some
thing more we want tho authority of one able.
competent, universally trusted man. We have
have the patriotic impulse, all in prefasion;
We crave only the magic wand of authority, to
set all this material in motion, and to charm
the whole mass into discipline, order and sub
ordination to one superior will. We want one
commanding mind ut the head, who will enjoy
the absolute confidence of man and woman,
and whose command every heart will leap to
obey. That is what We need in Virginia at
this momeut-the obtainment Of which brings
tie supply Of everything else besides.
There is cheering item in the newspapers,
promising the early presence amongst us of
another important acquisition. 1t announces
bHs AccuLLoeH as on his way to Virginia
with regiment Of Rangers. What charm
Is In the names Of McCrLLoaH, HAYS, Che
vAILIE Would that all three could appear
In virginia; but that cannot be. McCuLLoeH.
however, is coming, TO teach our young men
the art of guerilla and partisan warfare
Somehow or other We cannot help relying as
much upon this mode Of defending our soil
against the invader as upon regular operations
In the Geld, Certain it is, that thousands Of
F-bravest young mer can end employment
in this way, who cannot get into the regular
service. Welcome, brave MoCrLLoeH.
Secret Enemies.
correspondent, referring to johnson 4
BROWNIES Yankee Traveller" declares that