Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-02-27
The Fate Proposed for Us.

pare to meet it. It will require deter mined and united effort to break the chains with which we are encircled It will be seen that, so far, the programme has been crrried out. Whether 1t shall be compile ted is for the men of the South to answer. THE CIRCLE OF FIRE CLOSING ROUND THE
 REBELLION"
 Under this caption, the N. Y. Herald, of he 8th, publishes the following article:
 We congratulate our readers upon anoth- CT important Union victory in the west Our splendid western soldiers, under Gen rals Grant and McClernard, who in their first encounter with the rebels at Belmont, exhibited the fighting qualities of Napo- Icons Old Guard, have marched into the occupation of the valuable strategic defen- ces of Fort Henry, on the Tennessee river
 Our troops occupy good position at Fort Henry from which to advance west ward upon Columbus, or eastward upon Bowling Green, in the rear-the two strong holds of the rebels in western Kentucky. and upon the maintenance of which de bends the rebel cause, not only in Ken lucky and Tennessee, but along the whole line of the Mississippi down to New Or leans. This is why Beauregard has been transferred from Manassas to Columbus or Bowling Green; for the rebels have dis covered that their immediate danger is more pressing on the line of the Missis
 Il. (, of Dcta We suppose that the next thing in order by our troops at Fort Henry will be the reduction of the supporting Fort Donclson, on the Cumberland river, at Dover, some ten miles across the hills at this point from the Tennessee; and next, that those rail- roads will be occupied which connect the rebels on the Mississippi with the rebels in Virginia; and that then as all that section of Kentucky lying between the Cumber land and the Mississippi is attached to the department of Gen. Halleck, there will be under his direction a combined movement of all his disposable forces from Fort HeE- ", Mayfeld, Paducah, Smithland and Cairo, including Commodore Porter's gun boats, upon Columbus, in front, flank and rear, and that it will not be long before we shall have the pleasure of announcing crushing defeat of the rebels in that quar- ter.
 Meantime, in accordance with the in structions of Gen. Mcclellan, the army of Gen. Buell. is steadily encircling the great rebel camp at Bowling Green. This is strong defensive position, the village being surrounded by circle of abrupt and com handing hills, which are occupied by rebel forts and batteries. We are assured, how ever, that the programme of Gen. Buell., for the capture of Bowling Green, is one which cannot fail. Before the expiration of the present month, therefore, with any improvement upon the late blockading snows, thaws and rains, we expect to hear the glorious news of the expulsion of the rebels from both Columbus and Bowling Green. A rebel army, including both places, of over a hundred and twenty thou sand men, will thus be cut up and dispersed, Kentucky and Tennessee will be instantly liberated, and the sustaining spirit of this rebellion will be completely broken.
 In the interval, however, We do not imagine that Price and his guerillas will De left on the soil of Missouri; or that the Burnside expedition will hc confined to reconnoisanccs of the inland waters of North Carolina; or that the powerful fleet of Dupont and the cooperating land forces at Sherman will be idle; or that our land and naval forces in Florida >and on Ship Island, within convenient distance of New Orleans and Mobile, will remain resting upon their oars; or that Gen. Wool will be limited to the daily routine of Fortress Monroe; or that our great army of the Potomac will be continued much longer in the monotonous service of an army of ob- servation. On the contrary, we expect that this whole immense circle of fleets and armies, will very soon open in a circle of fire against this beleagured rebellion, the echoes of which will be heard from the Mis- s;ssippi overland to the Potomac, and from the Potomac to the Carolinas, and thence along the seabord and Gulf coast to the swamps of Louisiana.
 Our land and naval forces arc at length so admirably distributed and so thorough ly equipped and provided for active work, and are so well drilled and so ably com manded by such approved officers as Me- Clellan, Buell., Hal!eck, Wool, Burnside, Sherman, Dupont, Goldsborough, Foote, Porter and others, and the rebellion IS so manifestly in the last throeS of exhaustion, that our faith is stronger than ever and strengthens every day, in the conviction that, before England and France can agree to interfere, there will be an end of Jeff. Davis and his spurious Southern Coniede- racy.
 Well, if it is so written in the book ot fate, many thousands Hessians and Yan- kees shall never live to see it. Even Ii they do all these, the South will not be conouered. Then the war will have just begun. If it.took a score of years to con ouer handful of Seminoles in Florida, how long will it take to sabduo the people of the south2 Their programme cannot be completed; but if it could, it would not end, but change the character of the war.
 The New York World of recent date, says;
 The last of the naval expeditions will soon have left New York. We allude to Captain Portcr's mortar fleet, comprising twenty-six vessels, each carrying fifteen or thirteen-inch mortars, and armed Tn addl- tion, with one or two of the largest cal lore