The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-03-05
9.ittmo1n 9ispafe,


The PSssDses Ahss1
The public mind Of the entire South - fast
recovering from the eauseless panic oeeas'onec
by the unfortunate affairs n Roanoke Asisno
aud Fort Doneison. ConsiderAis men 80
that much ultimate good may come OF shem'
by inurius us to defeats that muet ofsen occur
In war with power possessed OF mpef,or
Numbers aud superior resources of all kinds, ~
cnr;ny IA of that rashnsss which our continued
successes had begotten,-and, NEST OF a''' oy
stimulating enlistments, and thus increasing
the numbers aud efficiency II our armies II
ia now almost certain, that by the ! St OF AP.''
ve .hsll have larger disposable force IN the
Gaia than that Of orr enemies; for they must
-o,.;u two hundred thousand IN an IN Maryland
- ,o-a and retain that State and the City OK
washington, Q hundred thousand IN hen'oeNy
and Missouri to hold those States, some t"eh'
80 thousand in their various forts, aud prooa'
hIv .;vbtv thous aud in their fests-
Tbus their stationary force being four hun
dred thousand, even if their armies number
seven hundred thousand, they " i'll have dis
nossble force Of only three hundred thousand
Nth which to invade our interior; and, in
lone incursions, this will be diminished At least
one third bv the forces detailed TO keep up
communication with their bases OF operation
Besides, by deferripg their Invasion of the
South until the warm searou, they will soon
decimate their ranks by The mala'i,us diseases
of oar climate.
Heretofore We have had 10 tight against su-
pericr numbers, but so soon as they quit their
vessels, march into the country, and meet Us
in the open field, we shall outnumber them, if
we please, in every conflict.
They cannot probably hold Nashville longer
than the rainy season keeps the Cumberland
river flooded. We know not how large an
army they have there, but believe it cannot
be very large. Should We be mistaken, and
they attempt to hold it permanently, we ought
in few weeks to make prisoners Of their
whole army. Their present occupation of
that city, Of Fort Donelson, and of Clarks-
Vile, 80 divides their land and naval force as
to disable them from attacking and taking Co.
lumbus, and proceeding down the Mississippi
to Memphis and the cotton region.
If, with their whole land and naval force,
and their eager appetite for cotton, they burst
not attempt to descend that river, they will
surely not now venture to do 30 with y
crippled and divided navy and army. 1t may
vet turn out that the fall of Fort Donelson
and of Nashville will be great gain to Us, and
agreat misfortune to them The whole country,
from the Ohio to Nashville, is inhabited by
brave men and jealous Secessionists. They
caunot mako that city base of operations
from which to invade the Cotton States, for
in few weeks, probably days, the Cumber-
land river will become innSvigabls for the
smallest gunboats, and they would be cut Of
from their Northern supplies and resources.
If they attempt it even with force Of q
hundred thousand men, we should at once sur.
round them with a force OF hundred and
fifty thousand, and capture their whole army
This would end the war; and We shonld not be
surprised that it should end somewhat in this
way. The North, under weight OF debt and want
of cotton, is becoming Jespe crate and will rash
~ quit it's wooden walls ere long and march far
into our interior. Then VIZ will make prison
ers of their armies, and gicriously and til.
nmphantly wind up the war. LET iaint-hearted
people reoollect that we never yet met them
with equal numbers in tho open field without
defeating them, and that under the levy en-
masse which is now going OH in the South, If
they invade us by land after the lst Of April,
we will meet them with superior numbers
Our bad roads will prevent their invading us
sooner.