Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-12
Chtc.eoI in Panie.

Chicago i'm a Panic.
The Northwestern Hooziers are gradually
growing little weak in the knees. and that
terminus of underground railroad in the Mis-
slssippi -Chicago-giyes iufallible ev-
ldeuce of being at present in state of incip-
lent panic. The Tribune. boastiug and
trucuient abolition sheet, issued daily from
this political sinkhole, has recently COM
menced to exhibit an increasing apprehension
In the popular mind that the Northwest is not
prepared to confront military emergencies,
that now threaten her in such a formidable
manner This paper, in its issue of the I'd
inst, plainly acknowledges the impending
danger, and confesses an utter want of prep
aration IN every particular-such as will
probably he requisite to avert its realization.
Inc bold move of Prices invincible columns
in the direction of St. Louis, and the gradual
increase of our army at Columbus-we may
say It's total reorganiZation-under the new
regime OF Gen. Johnston, are significant cir
cumstances that very naturally coniure I'D
these reflections. Frightened. not without
cause, the scribe of the Tribune chronicles his
fear as follows:
We are not prophets of evil: but suppose
that Fremont is beaten at Lexington by the
large army that he is to encounter. what are
the first and most obvious consequences OF
the defeat? st. Louis falls almost without
struggle, into the euemy's hands, and we, of
this State, will be compelled to occupy our
selves with the defense of our own soil. Will
any one tell US how we are to make head
against any considerable invading force act
ing from st. Louis as the base of opere tons?
There are not more probably than fifty mill
tary companies in the State with full ranks,
and perhaps not half that number armed.
There is not battery of artillery, a ball cart
ridge, nor cavalry carbine in the State, un-
less at Cairo; there are MOTIVE hundred mus
kets of which an enemy should be afraid;
there is not a tent, there is no camp equipage,
there is not baggage wagon. The land lie
barren of everything save men, and they
have no training nor organization. What.
then, would prevent the march of column
from st. Louis to Centralia, the destruction
of the Illinois Central Railroad, and the cut
ting off of our forces in and around Cairo?
What. indeed, would prevent the burning of
Peoria, Pekin, Qaincy, Rock Island, by
steamboat expeditions? Or what means could
we adopt to make Springfield and Chicago
safe? q
This is doubtless fair and truthful state
ment of the case, foi the Northwest has never
for one moment entertained the idea that she
would be put upon the defensive in this war.
any more than New England, ensconced
amid her distant mountains that almost
pierce the clouds. When the Hoosier SOL
diery. with grand flourish OF trumpets and
haunting of banners, fiji st took up their abode
with the gallinippers at Cairo, some 1--we
months since, they were represented as liter
ally champing their bits for a forward move
ment. They had no respect for the rebels,
and intended, with the assistance of Provi-
dence and Commandment Prentlss, to march
straight down the Mississippi valley. taking
breakfast at Memphis, dinner at Vicksburg,
and winding up with grand festive Jnbila-
ton on the same evening at New Orleans.
I The programme was generally understood
TO have been arranged with the same care
and nicely that attended the preparations of
the Mcdowell excursion to Richmond, which
will be remembered as having accidentally
miscarried, owing to slight mishap at Bull
Run on the morning of the 2lst July last
Col. Prentiss, of late swollen into the full
proportions of general, had been so very
kind as to notify the good denizens of this
city az regards the very day upon which they
might expect him, and, with degree of pa
triotism worthy the man, designated the
Fourth of July as the time. Highly flatter-
ed at the thought of being honored by visit
from so celebrated character, the hospita-
BILE people of Tennessee, and other States
further South, quietly went to work and put
themselves to the trouble of preparing, on a
large scale, every thing necessary to add to
the warmth and signal success of their
guests reception.
liHc pdSSeu uutll now
five months are gone, and the patience of our
volunteer boys grow weary at the hardness
of his advent. la the meanwhile events of
such moment transpire, that the Hessian lea
der and the greater part of his dispirited
command are forced to fly to the defense of
Fremont and Mcclellan. who are sorely pres.
sed in other fields. The remnant of the rab-
BILE. late so eager for the fray, are quietly i'm
prisoned within wall of entertainments and
batteries at Cairo, Cape Girardean and Padu-
cab, completely shorn of their belligerent
propensities. Ditch-digging and the construc-
ton of earth-works promise to find much
more favor with them in the future than that
threatened advance on Memphis. The perspec-
tive of the picture, indeed, is now changed,
and the boot is beginning to appear on the
other leg. Memphis is quiet in the conscious
ness of her safety, and it is Chicago and Gin
cinnati that tremble amid a panic of fear,
distrust and cowardly apprehension. The
hoasting Invader, who thought to sweep over
the Southern country like tornado and
.'erush out rebellion" with the same facility
that would produce the collapse of bubble,
now finds himself placed on the defensive,
preparing to resist the aggressions of these
same rebels that were to be SO terribly thrash
ed. The enemy have laid their petard of in
vasion and now grow pale with fear lest they
themselves should become its luckless vic
tims.-Men.phis appeal.