Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-05-15
Richmond City in Danger.

The Examiner of a recent date says it is certain
that Richmond is in danger, and gives the following
reasons in justification of its assertion:
1T is certain that the city of Richmond stands in
very great danger. Here in Richmond there are
those who would not have the fact alluded to, lest
the enemys attention should be attracted to it. But
while We play this ostrich part, the eyes of the
whole North are fixed on this one point Among
all the newspapers received in the last.few days
from the foreign and hostile countries banded
against us on the other side of the Potomac there
is not one that does not urge the sending of twenty
thousand of the best troops at Washington to seize
this city. Here says the Northern press in chorus,
here is the civil, military, political and financial
centre Of the great State seize Richmond and she
will for time, at least, be paralyzed in all her
members, and our submssionists will take advan.
tage of the panic to cause the rejection of the Ord
nance of Secession, SO that Virginia shall be ours,
after all While we talk Of the occupation of Alex
andra, the defence of Harper's Ferry and Norfolk,
they think only Of Richmond, and if they strike at
all, it is reasonable to suppose that they will make
blow at the heart
And, if they come to Richmond, we may be we'll
assured that they will come the same way that the
enemy came before-the British-by York river,
and BY no other way. There is the assaable point;
the map shows that; experience and history have
made the fact public to all the world, except our
selves. march by land from Alexandria, through
difficult country, and over the most warlike popu-
laton of the Continent, is dreamed of by nobody
but ourselves The route by Aqua Greek can be
cut short at Fredericksburg by a few hundred
pounds Of powder, under the bridges of the Kappa
hammock, to look no further. Nor did the enemy
come up the narrow and imperfect channel of the
James when they came before, nor will they come
up it now. But they will do as they did, and will
Always do in future sail steam through the deep
and straight York, disembark their troops in little
more than days march of the city, and take the
chance of resistance. Any number of steamers can
be loaded with men and artillery at Washington,
and come to the mouth Of the York. at least without
more trouble than on a morning excursion. There,
it is true, resistance will commence We hear
that the Notifications of the river have closed it.
we hope so-let every one hope so--for it has been
fourteen months since the Legislature appropriated
million to the Notifications of the State and, at
this moment the prudent course is to hope that it
has been well spent York river where it will be
all well needed. lfthe enemy succeed in passing
them, it has only one trouble more, and that is
grand battle with all the force that our Generals
can bring into field below Richmond, which will
be decisive of our fate. That it will be sanguinary
and desperately contested, can scarcely be doubted
by any one Few will desire to return from that
scene if the battle is lost for who would care to live
and see what would happen in his home next day
Our men would certainly fight; our Generals are
men Of conduct perhaps wa could concentrate such
numbers as to overwhelm the invader, even if he
brought the flower of the Federal army, in the van
of his Wide Awakes and Dead Rabbits. But the
stake is so tremendous that no chance should be
thrown away. Richmond must be kept at all haz-
ards, and energy may render attack on it only
victory for u.s. bearing fruits as bright as defeat
would be deadly" ''