The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-18
Airhmouo pispatth.
WEDNESDAY, MURNINa. DEC. Is. Issi.
X Il L BOTTOMS ON THE TIMES 5.
CONDTCT OF THE FAR.
written for q forthcoming nunsssr Of Deb "


could make was tr leave an i'm bile ri yer1
behind him with an enemy in superior force
before him.. Not needing the lessons we
tried 10 teach the Yankees at Bethel at Ma
nassas, and the other day, at Leesburg,
though less people among us are continually
complaining that our armies do lot follow
thH tatal examples set by the North, and rush
hsadlcpg into positions where they would
have TO encounter superior force, strong for
tihcations, and natural advantages of situa-
tion. 'Tis the mob of she North, and Its
laout piece, the press Of the North, that has
urged on their armies to certain defeat
This mob rules despotically among our en-
emies. Shall we install 1t In supreme power
at the South SO far, our President and all
our officers have disTegarded the senseless
ciamor OF home keeping people. who talk
and write isnoTantly, thoushtiessly. and
which they con.prehend about as we'll as
they do the Chaidaic language or the Egyp-
tan hteroglyphics. Out of dangers way
themselves, they do not feel or care for the
cur troops. Our officers, whether voIun-
teers Cr regulars, hhve exhi bi ted remarkable
prudence, caution, skill, and sagacity.
CONSCIENTIOUS men they have endeaYored 10
gain victory with little loss of life. In this
they have succeeded, because they have
fought the enemy at advantage, and never at
dISadvan ta9e. an aTIny acting on the &C.
fensiVe. in Its own territory, may by retreat
ing, choose its own position for battle. The
Invading army mDst either cease 70 advance,
give up Is project Of conquest, or attack il
| ~ disadvantage, in the strong position which
il has selected. Where such retreat is con-
dueted III good order, the retreating army
gathers strength daily from the surrounding
country, und has little difficulty in procur-
ring provisions, because it Is always among
friends whose resources have not been eX-
bausted.
On the other hand, the invading army
rapidly dtmlnIahes In numb bers, from having
daily 10 detail forces to keep open It's line OF
comm munIcatioD with its base OF operations.
Besides, with il the difficulty OF obtaining
prOYis increases with each advance. IL
must procure them from home, from which
tits hourly receoing, for il the retreatjng army
have not entire.y exhausted the supplies o
| the country through which it has passed, the
people are unfrieEdly, and will not bring
IaIO the cImp OF their enemies the little that
| is left. Ii they send out forag,ng parties this
| still furtner weakans them, and exposes them
| to decimaton in uetail. Bonapurte So, Out
for Moscow with half million of men, ard
! il we mistake not, had little over a hundred
ana fifty thousand when he arrived there.
Russia, and the VI mole OF Northern Europe
except sweden. Norway, ard Lapiand, IS a
dead level interspers with towns aud VII
lages 1t has no natural strength, and hence
III past times Conquest III Europe, with slight
| exceptions, has psooeeded norLhWaIdiy. The
Confederate States present greater natural
obstacles 10 an invading army than any
equal area of country on the globe. Armies
cannot march down our AtlaGt tic coast. be
CT use OF The g.eat number CT bays, inlets,
creehs, and rivers nor down the lnIerior,
because. OF mo Is III ridges, i'm pas able roads
sparse pc puiation, and scarcity of provisions.
The Mississippi is narrow, long tedious, and
easily defended, ana It's valley is subject TO
overflow. No invading army Will attempt'a
serious Invasion IL that direction. 1t is our
true policy to deooy the enemy into the in
| terror, ami then to cut them off as were Brad.
dock, and Burgoyne, and Coruwallis, and
Ross, and PackenhaIn, and our own troops
in the everglades OF Florida When we have
defeated and captured their armies, exhausted
| their treasury. and cowed their spirits by de-
faus 81 Y vs. Qrf4 vil hA rITTs for ha
gin TO act on the offensive, and to invade their
territory, The Northwest is as level coun-
try as Northern Europe, teens with pro
visions, and a5ounds with towns and villages
Its population is q spiritless Tabble, who have
lew arms and know little oI their use. and
who are endowed with no sense Of personal
| or national honor. The Northeast rules them
with a rod OF iron, and, by its protective
tariff, rohs them of naif the proceeds of their
| labor. They should welcome US deiverels
| from Yankee bondage, rather than as con-
Querors.
| Cincinnati and Philadelphia are both weak
and tempting points, and when we have
| Well whipped the enemy within our own ter
| rltory, it will be time to turn our attention
| TO tn ose cities.
| We need not fear that we shall not have
| abundant opportunities, If we will but be
prudent and cautious, to hight the IN 1T advan-
| taEe. They have undertaken to CONQUER the
| South, ana must advance In Missouri,
| Kentucky. and Northwestern Virginia. we
| may bide our time and opportunity, select
| our positions, and light them only when it is
policy to do so. They propose too, to go 20 the
| reliet CT Eastern Tennessee. Let them try it,
When they have marched through Kentucky
/! IL will be impossible for them TO keep up COM
| muucation with the North, and their inya-
ding army VIII fall an easy prey to our
forces.
| We must conquer Washington and Mary
| land Oh Virginia soil. Mcclellan is required
/ by the whole North to advance. He must
| advance or resign. II he, or the General who
| succeeds aim, advances, We will be sure to
| deteat them at Centrevil!e, or Manassas or at
| some point between Washington and RcE-
| IuOnd a half dozen defeats would not in
| lure US. a single one would ruin them and
| open the way TO Washington and Maryland
| We must break up their army before we ad-
| vance into Maryland: and this they will af-
| ford us an early opportunity to effect, if We
| will be bat pa tient.
| Should they go into winter quarters in
| Washin gton, the North will see that the SUBJ
! lugation of the South is d hopeless project
| aud the nations of Europe will recognize our
1 Independence and break up the blockade.
| The press and the people OF the North see
this and proIni .as deTniar resorts q series Of
| brilliant victories To be achieved by land and
| by eea within the next few weeks. They mus t
| fight within that time on our own soil and
| at positions selected By ourselves, and de-
/ feat ns, TOO, or the illusion OF sublugating the
South Wall pass oil from all Northern minds
| Invasion alone can subj ugate a country; and
| after nine months Of threatening and prepa-
| ration the North has not advanced ten miles
| into the we'll aUected portion of our terri tory
| and has almost lost Missouri, kentucky,
| Northwestern Virginia, and Maryland, which
/ offered them no resistance when the war be
| gan. The grand result of their attem pied
| conquest has been, so far, TO add third 10
| the numbers and strength OF their ene-
mics.
RgLIEF TO MAINLAND.
| Many who admit that it is both perilous
an useless, so far ultin ate success is con-
| cerped 10 attempt now 10 take Washington ;
| who gee that soon as we cross The Poto-
| mac we divide our strength, and .'have an
| i'm passable river ehind Us and an enemy in
superior force before u.s. con tend. neverthe-
less, that we are IN honor bound TO attem pt
| the relief of Maryland,
| Marching into her territory will be sure TO
| transfer the seat OF war from Virginia and
carry 1t into her midst. She is row compara-
| lively well treated by the Federal forces, be-
| cause they are trying TO conciiiate her favor
and retain her in the Union. When we at
| tempt to relieve her by crossing the Potomac,
we shall place her In the situation of Ken
lucky, Missouri, Western Virginia, and Fair
fax. The Federalsts will burn her farm.
houses, and villages, and towns, and rob nd
| lay waste her whole territory; and her own
citizens divided in their allegiance, will rise
up and shed each others blood. We can
imagine no situation more depiorable than
| would be that of MARYLAND IL we Were now