The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-03-08
<bmuno 4ispattb.
'ATURcAY NOARINu .HxROH 9 lSSa



The burning Of the cotton and tobacco IL .
weapon In Southern hands more powerful for
rstribution, than an army Of = million Of men.
There 10 no sxaggeration whatever. in this
statement. We could do no such damage 10
the enemy, we could not so disappoint and
battle him, by any number Of victories, as by
the annihilation of cotton and tobacco, rather
than permit it to fall into his possession.-
From defeats in arms he could rally, az he
has rallied but the loss Of cotton and tobacco
would be an ifrspsrabls loss. 1t 10 not the
"gelorious Union" he is fighting for; he il
not trying TO sheet and bayonst Us back from
love of us; he must have cotton and tobacco,
or his commerce and manufactures tumble to
the dust, and with them, in one grand crush.
the whole Yankee nation. When Jonathan
says he is fighting for the principles of his
forefathers, he simply means the interests of
their postsrity To seize the tobacco and open
q cotton port are the darling objects of his soul
lie has soul that ia 80 constructed as to take
especial delight in appropriating that W hich is
not his. 1t is Just the sort of spec ulation
that fascinates Yankee Imagination, this
seizing cotton, tobacco. and other things oh.
tained and garnered by other peoples labor,
without any trouble or expense ON bis part
Like bear that duvours the store Of honey
that the bee has been year in laying up, or
wolf that ravens in the sheep fold, or mink
10 the chicken coop, he is all the more delight
ed with the spoil, that he has to make no com.
pensation. But if the bee had the power of
destroying its honey, the bear would probably
go home in very unenviable mood, and the
shepherd and the farmer would show them.
selves as silly as their own sheep and chickens
if they did not kill them themselves, rather
than permit them to fall into the clutches Of
beasts Of prey.
We feel sure that the sagacious and spilited
people Of the South will not sit quietly and per
NIT the Northern bears to break into the South.
ern hive and stuff themselves with the grand
stores Of honey. Let us never forget that no
earthly power but ourselves can prevent US from
defeating the Yankees in the grand object OF
the war, and in visiting RETRIBuTIox upon
them, and the very kind of retribution which, OF
all others, they most dread and will most keenly
feel. They have brought themselves fnan-
cially to the verge Of destruction by this war,
and the only balm that Gun heal their wounds,
tho only plaster that can soothe a. hfama.
ton which will otherwise run into gongrene
is the cotton and the tobacco. Shall we apply
the balm and the plastsr7 Shall we restore to
life the wounded serpent which is seeking to
sting Us to death
We have higher opinion of ths Southern
people. If they should be ovsrrun by these
Northern hordes, they will apply the torch to
every pound of tobacco and to every bale Of
cotton. And in that glorious readiness for
selfsacriice lies their salvation. Such peo.
pie cannot be conquered. Let US stand serene,
selfpossessed, immutably resolved, with the
sword in one hand and the torch in the other