The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1862-04-17
Our war prospects. as looked "a

- JFT0 -TTTNJ W0N " /
"Tbe campaign in Virginia has
at last begun. A naval battle and
a general advance Of the Federal
Army on the Potomac are the
events which we record to-day
The first of these is one of the
most interesting incidents that
have marked the war. For the
first time the newest applications Of
science have been tested in a fight
between foes of equal courage
Who would have thought it posi-
Ible that after England and France
b I'd theorized SO long on iron!
plated and iron-prowed vessels the
first real trial should be made by
the inhabitants of the New World
met in unnatural strife, and, fur
thermore, that victory should rest
with the party less versed in naval
tactics and construction Though
for q long time there has been
mention Of the Merrimac in the
Southern papers, we were not pre-
pared for the achievements in the
James Piver. The Confederate
frigate seems to have gained an
easy victory over her wooden OPP
ponents. The accounts OF the
action are rather vague, but it
!, appears that she disabled the
Cumberland and the Congress in
q very short time, fulfilling in the
most complete manner the expec-
> tations that have been formed
concerning iron plated vessels
She received the broadsides of two
, of her opponents at one hundred
, yards without sustaining any dam
! age. She then ran into the Cum
= berland with her iron PROV, and
:. laid open her sides. Thus, both
! in defence and attack, the Merrimac
! has realized the calculations oil
9 European constructors.
The equipment Of the Merrimac
=, shows that there r good heads In
e the Navy Department. of the South,
and the gallant manner in which
:. she was handled in action is a
token that the Confederate courage
. is still as high as ever. But it is
y not by sea fights that the fortunes
of tho nav Rpnnhlic orn TO he
determined. y All thoughts
must now be directed to the com.
' bined INVASION of the Southern
States, which was to begin in the
present month of March. This
extraordinary enterprise deserves
v the study both of political ant
: . military students. In its magni,
tude, in the nature of the armies
o which are to operate, in the nature
of the country, and of the popula
! tons whose territory is invaded
!. the great Federal lvasion stands
= alone in modern history. X
1t is in Virgil ia hat the mos
~ important operations will TAX
place. Here is the strength of tn,
Confederate army. The troops
commanded, as it is supposed, b.
IS President Davis in person, are tn,
u most numerous and the best armed
that the Confederates possess
They fight in q country which i
thoroughly hostile to the North
l. Virginia, though geographically
Border State, is politically an
socially one OF the most extrem
Of in the Counfederacy. No State ha
lost so much from the CROWN
. populousness of the North. A
Is though three centuries ago Spcnse
dedicated his poem to the Once
~ of England, Scotland, Ireland, an
IL Virginia, yet the old State no.
3, finds herself of less importanc
or than Illinois and California. TIL
b. Virginians will, no doubt, secon
to all the efforts of the military chief
rs and the policy of these is alread
Il, manifest. The main Army Of til
~ Confederates had evacuated NJ;
TX nasas before the 18th of March,
&c How long they had been gone II
'd. one seems to know. One of tn
OF strangest features Of this war
n, the success of the Confederates
er preventing the enemy from gail
II ing any knowledge Of their plan
a Though it is constantly asserte
70 that u large Union party exists
esl' the South though there are thol
sands of negroes who might gal
to liberty and reward by carryin
to intelligence to the Federal cam
yet Lothing is known of the
no movements by the Northern Gel
er erals. Early in March, then, tt
ct Confederates broke up from Mana
eli as and retired Southwards, des'
ITS lating the country and breakin
down the bridges behind then
n. Whether they have withdraw
merely to what they consider
e. better position for giving battle,
I'm whether they intend to avoid
a battle as long as possible, will |
en- shown by the event. Their NOV
er, mcnts have, no doubt, been decide
to by the late events in Tennessee
RS. and, if any considerable part
les the Potomac Army has been SCI
to West, there is all the more reasc