The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1862-02-26
Our Late Reyerses.

Our Late heVerSeS.
The recent defeats which our armies have
sustained in various parts Of the Confedcracy,
are well calculated to produce sadness and
gloom throught the country. There is no
who entertains proper feeling towards his
Government, but feels deeply her late disasters
in North Carolina. Kenlucky and Tennessee.
The Importance of these reverses, we are not
disposed to undcIrate; they are serious enough,
a,t will serve, by emboIdening aud giving con.
hdemce to the c ncmy, to pIotract the war But
beyond this they are rot important they are
not Of sufficient significance to induce among
our people any reasonable doubts or tears Of
the ultimate success Of our cause. The YaH.
kcc victories, so far, have resulted from thcr
superior naval rcsour ces they have not vea'
tured All advance in any direction, unsupported
by their navy, and have gained possession OF
hut little territory by their recent Successes
In the event that they get possession of every
important stratcgica point, where they ccu
bring their naval power to bear including Co.
lumbus, Memphis, New Orleans, Savannah,
Charleston and Norfolk-oar condition. even
then, would by no means be desperate one.
1t would not he half as bad as it was with our
forcfathcrs in the Revolution. when two large
armies were totally defeated and captured in
South Car olina-onc at Charleston and the 9th.
cr at Cumberland the enemy occupied the
country from the mountains to the sea. Shore
Before the enemy can accomplish his purpose
of suljuga,irg us of hanging our leaders and
l:,.a ac ,l,
United States Government, he will have to
march his armies into the interior, and occupy
every foot cf the vast extent Of territory com.
posing the Confederate States and even then
he might fail to accomplish his designs, as did
the British in a similar undertaking in rcvolu.
tionary times.
lfrhc people Of oar Confcderacy are resolved
to he free whatever sacrifices and prvations it
may entail upon them, the late successes q
the enemy as nothing, in so far as they are
calculated to thrawt their purposes or danpcn
their ar'ior in the cause. The North has made
pr, pa, alton to the full extent, no doubt, Of
its ability for an aggressive war. while the
South, acting On the defensive, has NOT yet
brought nalf of her resources to bear in the
contest. 1t was estimated in official circles,
that the South could bring if it became ncces.
say, n number Of men into the field cqaai to
one tenth OF her entire white porulation, with.
out seriously interfering with the interests OF
commerce or the Agricultural business Of the
country. This would give us army Of eight
hundred thousand men. doubtless more than
double the number which We now have in the
field. We have every confidence in our Chief
Magistrate, notwithstanding the abuses which
have been heaped upon him, aud as the cIi
gencics require it. these forces will be drawn
into the field and when Mcclellan ventures
beyond the help OF his gun boats. his passage
will be disputed inch by inch, by the soldiers
Of JEFF. Davis, armed, if not with firearms,
with Pixies or anything else capable Of ingic.
ting injury upon the enemy.
In great war like this, where the armies
are 30 numerous and so widely dispersed. a
few successive histories, apd tho taking Of a
few thousand prisoners, by one side or the 9th.
er, afford no infallible criterion by which t.e
final result may be determined.
II is announced that our recent defeats have
materially encouraged enistments, and that
our Governments - both State and Confederate
have been stimulated IN bringing forward
their measures Of deiepee. With these cvi.
denccs before us, who can say that our rever.
ses. which We now deplore, NAV not. in the
end, prove 10 be blessings in disguise Gov.
crnmeut- and people had been rend, red careless
and self confdont 10y former sscoessrs; God, in
whose hands are the dcstinies Of both nstion,,
and who allow, thls bloody aud unnatural
war to progress for reasons which we cannot
iathom. sees fit to punish our lerhagv, whis
lie arouses us to sense Of our insecurity and
peril, aud of our utter dependence upon Him
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