The New York herald., 1862-01-31
The besperatIon or the Rebel cause.


The Desperation OF the Rebel Cause.
THE FEDERAL MILITARY CoRDON-A VAIL FROM
REBELDoM-THE WAR DRUM TO BE BEArEN-pLENrY
OF WORK FOR COURT HOUSE AND CROSS ROAD ORA
TORS.
from the Richmond Enquirer, Jan. 27.I
II the plans OF Mcclellan are indeed now developed,
and if he has been placing military GORDON around as,
with view to crush US by Simultaneous construction,
as the anasorda crushea its victim there Is one element
Of resistance the force Of which he has not allowed for
The oe'y difficulties acth chcn enemies kope TO SUR
round ue re danger toi scich they urge on erery
sid-,ciH add to The he ois Of our fighting and The ensgy
q our ntorene,ss Press the home upon u.s. c or all
retreat and all nlporsng, eUsry man to and feel
that his immediate safety depeads upon his instant success
and rfll add rJor 10 our bac and an endurance 10 our
courage thai acU make evry soldier count a. least double
Pen up even a copard, and he wiu fight Make brare
man desperate and he is sirTcsistdle.
History furnishes many examples of tho extraordinary
rowcss produced by the presence OF extreme peril and
Of the deliverances which few in such circumstances
have for themselves against the Efforts OF armed
multitudes But we will not so outside Of our own re-
cords fo- an illustration.
The army with which General Scott marched against
the city Of Mexico simply ga forlorn hope. All its
communications with the seaboard and with the United
States were lost, and was necessarily self sustaining
machine, The enemy was behind and before and on
each hand Our soldiers were in enemy's country,
and comparatively thoy were but handful When they
entered the basin which embcsoms the city Of Mexico,
they numbered less than ten Thousand In front Of
them city Of one hundred and eighty thousand in
habitants 1t was admirably situated for defence and
strongly fortified Thirtyave thousand soldiers led
by Santa Anna with hundred pieces Of heavy ordnance
30 planted as to sweep the appr aches there 10
sst them The Americans had to take the city, or suer
terrible disaster, II not annihation. They took II.
They took it, but not without terrible and bloody light
iag They had won many previous successes, but they
had gained little by them, save the prestige
Of victory, and the decentralization which defeat
hid inflicted on the enemy; But YET the Mexi,
city. The records OF the battle fields show that the
American troops underwent fearful ordeal and suffered
terrible slaughter. In generashp made many sad
he
tons were marked much more by courage in executing
than by skill in planning It was the hard fighting Of
officers that the The fortihcatons Of Cheru-
busco were stormed-but IL was by day Of furious
fghtlng and the loss Of less than thousand killed
and wounded Of our little band Among them were Sc
ventysix officers Moved down by tho nre Of the in
trenched enemy upon whom they charged they fell in
Next came the terrible bunder Of Molino del Rey BY
Scotts order, 344 men were driven against force Of
ten thousand occupyn position Of great strength and
defended by heavy batteries that poured cross Are
upon the assalans. Our troops made the fight almost
entirely with the muske They won II, but after pro-
traccd fight and frIghfu loss. Killed aud wounded
we lost 1877 officers and men-almost one out OF every
/ four engaged.
The above victories were thrown away by non-im
provement and thnned ranks again led forward
TO the renewed battle Cheputcpec was stormod ant
the city taken by the 800 who yet bore arms will
| loss in killed and wounded Of $685.
We have had no such fighting az that in the presen
But II may come. Our enemy has not made sucl
obstinate fight the Mexcans made We ourselves have
Uccu
our army In Mexico. Hence tho battles have not beer
very bloody II the enemy surround us and press upoi
the alternatives OF victory DEATH success or subu
CATION we too, shall have Churubuscos and Chepul
tepccs. Nay, the name of Ihermopyle may be won fol
mountain pass and the legions OF Liucoln like h,
hosts Of Xerxss, be made to melt before the martyr
courage Of heroic lighting for liberty and for home
In the threats that fall upon ears, and In the grea
fleets and armies which they sending 10 our various
frontiers Our enemies are giving US call to arms tha
should every spirit in the land. Their great boast
and small performances heretofore in the true style
Mexican grandoquencc have tended to make carelcs
and almost lebargic. We have learned to despise ou
| enemy-always source of danger. We have heard hi
battle sound often when there has been battle ha
have ceased to notice IT, There ID peril In this Tn
enemy know that what they purpose to do they mus
now do quickly. Their own people are dividing. Som'
are weary ingl1rous and frutless Others
despair the daory proceedings The funds are fas
failing EaroTe, 100, is eeary of cana AMI wW soon an
tsyere behalf Of fh ate7ess Of The appear
OF vigor absolutely necessary 10 keep the cotton
| manufacturers from outbreak.
Hence Mcclellan is moriag his esions and probably ii
| earnest. Are rroigy The wor drum should sound
| throughout copJedsrdcy.
The scdr syirt NUT be rericed We 'oat lcor specche
at our court houses di roads. Our people should
up and organise one man. and pTepore for The nos
determined See W not the circle n fire that Is uniting
around voup Hear We not the tramp Of The t-my's al
Of femenddus STRIFE upon As free and depeidtn
people, hare either 10 conquer or TO die and zoe are re
soired % die The time when sreyy one rho hd
Uc spirit Of a man. must shotc Il. The men who ear
red me TO Mckee, the men who have kept mo back
from Rchmondrso Scott Is reported TO have said tc
Scott is traitor to his State Mcclellan is traitor to
tho principles he formerly avowed Companions in in
fanny let them be consigned 10 the fellowship Of defeat