Washington telegraph., 1862-03-26
OtR LOSSES AND FEARs.-Ws Witnessed

el icef tnroyn into heaps BY the pressure of
the current, we're fro.en into a solid mass,
and locked The river from shore to shore. The
|'eembiDsa assts Of the yorla might heye hurl
Cd themss'yss asaina it from abode, and il
would have fIemainsd unshaken. 1t seemed
solid As the. focky bluffs. Whilst We were
looking, a steamer ascending struck the foot
Of the mass with its iron-clad prov. Some
important point was loosensd and the whole
mass began to move Almost in . minute 1t
came rushing by on the swift current, which
had again gained the mastery, crushing and
destroying everything in its course. In half
an hour nothing could be seen but the broad.
placid surface of the waters. So great = re-
suit from cause SO trivial seemed like magic.
We arc reminded of that by the late sudden
disasters which seem to be irrssistably bearing
down our cause. A month ago, and our line
| Of defenses from the Chesapeake to the Wes-
tern plains seemed imprsgnable. The
enemy dared not risk an attack upon them.
The v hole country rested behind them in per-
feet security-when, presto change, We look
| again, and the immense army at Bowling
Green has foated away in broken fragments,
far down into the South. The torrent of the
| enemy has followed into Tennessee. 1t has
dashed itself across the barriers of the Cum
berland mountains. 1t is about bearing over
the Boston Mountains. Slowly and heavily it
is pressing upon the defen of the Mississi p
pi, our army yields partially to the pressure,
and we wait in fearful suspense for the crash
to come, by which Memphis will be lost, and
the Father of waters in possession Of the ene-
nv.
The most singular part of the whole series
of unlocked for events is the apparent paraly-
sis of all our military forces. Kentucky and
all of middle and East Tennessee did not cost
the enemy the firing Of gun. They sweep
over hundred of miles of the Tennessee and
Cumberland rivers, far into the South, and
meet no hostile shot. They take possession of
our cities with bow and few complimen ta.
ry assurances. We seem. like those in Dreams
who in the midst of frightful dangers, find
themselves impotent to lift q hand to strike
We have lost Newbern on the Eastern Ceast.
The enemy's fleets now hem us in, and propose
to annoy us by advances from the sea shore.
East Tennessee and our line Of communication
with Richmond is lost. Columbus is abandon
ed with all the expensive works of months,
aud with all our assurances Of safety in its
natural advantages. New Madrid is lost with
large amount of military material. We have
lost the Northern portion of Arkansas, and
all the feeling of security afforded by Van
Dorn's army and the Boston Mountains. We
have lost battles On every hand. Why should
We deceive ourselves. None but towards fear
to look reverses in the face, None but mad
men shut their eyes and dance upon the edge
of precipices, making themselves believe they
are upon level plains.
Here. then, is the sum total of our reverses
the full schedule. We speak not here of the
death of our favorite Generals and leaders
The fortunes of great people, determined to
be free, are not bound up ia the breath Of liv-
ing men. One inclined to be superstitious,
might almost think so, ref Getting upon the ex-
traordinary rush of ''disaster on disaster" ="
which followed .he death of Zollicoffer, but
we take no count of the death Of generals In
estimating our military status, and nasiona!
hopes. We mourn them and cherish their
memories-we preserve their histories to IN
spire eur children with noble emulation OF
| their illustrious deeds, but where country
cannot supply hero after hero to take the place
of those who fall, their cause is lost already
| And what do we make Of the list Of disasters!
Strange as it may appear, We see nothin Z yet
| to bring over our minds the shadow Of doubt.
| The fruits of their victories, which look so
| pleasantly to them and which make them so
jubilant, will be like the tabled apples which
grow upon the Dead Sea shore-all rosy and
| luscious to the sight-ashes to the taste.
They have not gained an inch in the subju-
CATION of the South. Even in Nashville,
where the citizens are beneath their feet, they
have not conquered soul. They are there,
but the cause of the Union is lost. Hope lessly.
They might oyerrun the whole South. 1t would
be the same thing. The experience OF the Old
revolutionary war is proof enough, that 1t is
futile to over-run the territory of an unwil-
ling people. The strain is too great to enable
any nation to hold thenl lue ihuoPehueuee
of the whole South, including every State, the
majority of whose inhabitants wish 1t, IS as
certain as ever. 1t is firm article Of our
faith, based upon the laws of humanity, proven
by the history of the world.
The very ''head and front" OF our apprehen-
sions have only this extent: If not speedily
redeemed, the moral effect of our losses will
prolong the war Prolong it to the equal inju-
ry of the enemy and ourselves; perhaps to the
greater injury of themselves; but still disas-
! trous prolongaton to all. We were on the
point of recognition, by several natl ons Of Eu-
rope. That would have crushed the enemy,
| who are hopeless when their blockade is broken.
and we may import arms and munitions. That
is delayed. The people of the North were
! themselves becoming hopeless, and disposed to
abandon the contest. A large party were be-
ginning to oppose the war. ALI that will now
vanish. They will become inflated with new
hopes of the restoration Of that portion Of
country from which they derived their wealth,
which they were proud to own, whilst they were
willing to oppress- They will grasp at the re-
vived hopes of avoiding inevitable bankruptcy,