Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-05-09
rrr,u, ,ns 1,onaop r,us5, March 10.

with joyful celebration oil tina great feaerai
victory. 4 domestic atilcton o, the President
prevents the "city OF magnificent distances
shining forth resrlendant in gas, and the hlrth.
dny OF the great Lboratnr is solemnlzed rather
bv acts of humanity than by gaudy ilumlns>
tons: but still there is great exullaton IN ali
Federal America. That elasticity which 10 80
characteristic Of III: American people vas reTer
moro rcmarksblo ttan a. the present moment.
| For ton months they nave bsen Boosting wiki
faint voices, prophrsying without latin threat
| ching in tremulous accents, and Keeping up
their own spirits by lashlng themselves lnto
a confidence which they did not themselves
feel. Against all their mighty preparations
and all their prodsal expenditure. they
had nothing to sci CT hut two S'gpal ra-
vgrses They we're in :: slough Of c:rrup-
ton unparsilolet, even in the iaithtess East,
and they wcro trnmpstling to tho world what
traitors ,hey had for Generals, wha. pol!roons
they had for soldiers, what sconndrcls yhey
Ind for contractors, ard what ,uercensry men
thew bad for Ministers. They poured ito
proofs upon US in such pro'usinn thSI sc could
not copr them The old patriots who stood
a,oof from the passions and tsie profits Of tho
dsy lost hope as they locked upon lhe Enci-
ming scene OF gambling aud c5icane end hey
vearned for nna victory. tot as q preludo to
| conquest, but IS arien.ia towards Iii honora-
BILE peace This one victory has been given
70 their pray ers !: il: 2 substantial victory,
we'll planned, we'll woG snG oravcly contested.
| But, instead of using it AZ n bass for peace,
the sangu;ne Morthsrners accept it IA an omen
OF entire conquest Already they believe that
Nashville has fallen, that tbs South is varQ ii i.
| 49,, ,ho mis- t. foS, "a
States m,sst n9S- diYsoiVni l. IS Ill over
.the 7ehalion IL ctusiled."
Our ticu,tv in dealing with theac matters
is to estimate the feeling oI the Southern popu,
!alion. We know That happened Eucn after a
single battle had placed Bon.parto upon the
throne If Spain, aud aftor Napoleon had pro-
nauncea that a. vas nj. over" We know,
also, what happened after Napoiuoh himself
had reached tho capital Of Russia, hn. wn do
not knC9 whether the planters oi .hc S1l;n:r',
States havo Lac saniU spirit @nich animated
The Spaniards und the Musca9i:cs. i. nay DC
that these rich incn 81 the Ssu:n, after al! may
faint mt lite sight of raliaeIt danger to lt-::
possessions. The fanan youth viz tad
stool dauntiesI against dagger Of Imnr!aI
! wounds ded from tue wlo bad been taug at to
aim at their faces; AID It may es that tho rich
S0utt,erner may quail holaTe threats oi CENTS
cation sud tho prospect g: the meE,ach 5oing
carried oa OF these contingencies VS.
cannot Indigo in Europe. Wa must believe.
uniii events convict US OF crcduty, that
! both parties Are equally in earnest; that the
| South is as determined IN resist rs tae n Nth
| s TO conquer and tAat the Decentralization o.
| President DAVIS is nc: mpra shaken BY the
capture Of Fort Donelscn Than rnc determine
tion of President Lincoln YVES by the rnu. q
| Bulls Run. II SO, the exphGslyu jub!lalinn
which rises al over the Norihcra States Ut ii,c
capture Of that fortress Oh tho Cumberland
River is premature. IS a military operation,
| II was most croi:tab!c ~ the FsdsrII arms and
masl da:raglAg t. '::n reputation ol tbs South.
| Il appears i:am tie uvcoins winch so pub
ish ,u-1ay that not 0hy was tne t,s! at one
TING beaten Oft, bur lh1. several regiments Of
j tho asssiliGG force wore o1co in retreat,
aad even in Eight The capitalization daes
not, so lar as we can jnigs frosa tho
| Northern version ct the affair, appear 70
| hare been 1T alI necessary 81 the moment it.
occurred, nor unit! we receive tbs Scutnarn
version car we understand how Is 900 men
csulu to SURRENDER uncoHdilinually 70 iCTcy
which from its very c1Gst!: ut!o1, could not
| aave parsIad them IN thar retreat through a
| difficult country. Tno catastrophe Mnu!t! seem
| 70 favor Inc IDEA that moral effect Fad netn
produced By tie appearance OF tn:. Northern
army in Tennessee and tint tho GDn.:de.att:s
| were not quite csrai:, thai tn:T had friendly
and sympaLhiz.ng count:y open behind thea.
This, however, is all. /! tho SonthrrnaTs ARE
rasIly in earnest, Se cannot app:aisc Lilo sue
cess at n higher value ihau this. It's intrinsic
a., .J, ~, ,,ft
S:ates is uo mora than could DO tho capture
Of fnrt upon the banks o! The Danube 10 cards
-ie coneucS. o: Earap.. To. distances a.
ENORMOUS the intervals a-e nat 10 l,e :chGG
over BIZ volunteer armies, srd tho capture y!
Charleston or Now Orleans Itself ~Snui' if The
Souther ners intended to held Gus. &C tn; tho
commencement Of tho war.
Lc. it be remembered that We took Gll thaEt
cities, ard ,ston aid Rer York hasia.is. dur
ing tbs War Ct ln.i.'?na.ia5ce We marched
three armies ihtD the crGn.ry, WANING ev"ry
baiila and tsking every city, uniIl the scsnly
population closed behind rs ard CIT oil out
communications. We had nothing to conquer
ont the Atlantic Coast and noihing To NEST
out raw volunteer levies and peasant IL! arms;
AMI our Generals, although wv condemn then
by the event, w1:. experiences soldiers Of EaCt
reputation in Europe. We found, after fair
trial, that tho ache-m=nt w.s impossible. 1t
was not SO much tho volunteers Or tbs French
as the country which beat Va. sTe had {. much
more DESPERATE battle 49,; q much moro
glorioas succass at Rnnker'a Hi Than hn
Frdera'lsts had at For! Daarelson, but
i. had 40 Vslue towards tho conquest
even of Massachusetts, Tracing tho ists
military operations on the map, It. is oy:-
dent that ths r=cen, victory only enables slr
Federal gunbosts to go up and DOM the tgo
rivers, end to supply tho army ~hic', is
nov operating in Tennessee and penetrating
into the country. So far it il great sd7aR-
tage; bu! as 8 step towards tire conquest OF
the sou. a--if tho South ia determined 10 rss!s.
1t is but as thc frai Tlc stGue from LoD,ion
towards Exote7. Bot though s;nali step to-
wards o., guest, this SUCCESS might bh made
very excellent excuEs f,r E. pcsce. There Is
an opportunity no~ fof nagoiiatioOs, which
might BIZ concluded without leaTjrg sugtaa
upon either side. Both p,riies have t!isi1 VIC
tories TO beast, and il the Norihcrn q III; l@s>
ser victury it is also tbs ln;rs. Tac North vas
cover better placed i3r the purpose OF claiming
a good boundary than 81 this moment The
letter We print in another column Describes inc
Fsaeral;t fnTcs rs ascending the Cumberland
River IN nish. which Tha NOT as An August
nigh. in Naw York ribs account y; ihe tens
peraturn Of Kentucky and Tennassse o" the
18Th Of February should teach the Nnrtherncrs
TO consider Whist i: is likely 70 os t":0 nhnths
hence and to coun! the cnancr3 Of tna;r being
abb, 70 retain their positions Gnrirg the spfns
and sumner months. II tee North ha wise i!
should make the moment OF victory the nin
mont Of overture far p,:Gca. Tic N1:tEalo
troops hare hchiupn'i their 6rst exploit, bu; II
wouid he Gsll f,r tho Fsdrr::l Government. 10
remember that, although they have strained
their credit, piedged al! their revohues, drained
their Treasury, suspended theiy spscia pay
monts, and called forth all their powaE Of FIGHT
ing men, they dc not, after tsa months eHaTt
towards the chrqurs, Il: half coniinrn1 6ccu-
nY Oh acre &C IN, nrnrnv'a lard Enich is ten