Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-05-10

the National forces II were unwise to in.
duIge in sanguine antcipations yet, though
Gen. Halleck is an untried commander, it
would be sheer affectation to repress the con.
iidence generally felt by tie loyal in his tri-
umph in the impending struggle.
Yet it must be bore 10 mind that this
battle is to be fought in the very heart of
the rebellion, where its spirit has been more
violent and its domination more complete
than in any other section. Alabama, Mis-
Sissippt, Georgin, Western Tennessee, and
Arkansas, have scarcely heard the Union
Iameuted, much less defended, since they
were swept into the swelling, roaring flood
OF slaveholding treason. Their young men,
their poor men, have nearly all volunteered
or been constrained to enter the military
service of the despotism which now rules and
scourges the South Tennessee, now half
recovered to the Union, has thirty or forty
thousand of her youth in the ranks of Beau.
regards army. Kentucky and Missouri,
both Union States, have each their thou
sands in the same service while Alabama,
Mississippi, and the other Cotton States,
no man can avow himself hostile to the
Rebel programme without putting his life
in instant peril and the conscrption Of
every citizen of the seeded States between
the ages of l8 AND %, is sweeping all that
remains Of dsposable force in the camps Of
Beauregard and his subordidates Proba-
bly, every days delay adds some thousands
TO the numerical strength Of the host which
llaIleCk must encounter in the terrible con.
tl'ct now awaiting with such natural ankle
~.
Count Mercier, the French Embassador
at Washinghton, whose regent visit to Nor.
folk aud Richmond has naturally excited
an interest which he declines to CRAFTY, is
personally intimate with many of the Rebel
leaders, and is regarded by them as at heart
a we'll wiSher to their cause. That he for.
malIy visited them in any official capacity,
is not probable but that he bore them u
friendly message from his Imperial master,
assuring them Of Napoeous deoiie to inter
pose his good offices between them aud de.
struction, is scarcely questionable That the
Emperor believes the time at length arriv-
ed IN which his n,erposition might arrest
the prodigal cifnsion of blood aud restore
peace to this distracted country 10y some
acceptable compromise between The combat.
ans, this mission clearly indicates. The
pretence that the PlenipOtentlary OF great
power passed through the lines OF two great
hostile armies to the capital of a rebellion, on
q pure mercantile errand, impeIIed by his
Sovereign'S interest in lot of Tobacco, can
deceive no one. Any oae Of the French Con-
suiS in the seeded States could have done
such an erraud without the aid of steam
frigate. NJ. Mercer's business in Rich
mond was of far isher Importance, and far
more consistent with the dignity OF his
position.
No matter-his mission was failure.
He found the master-spirits Of the Rebellion
deaf to all his presentations, and blindly
intent on pushing the war to the last ex
tremity. That they utterly refused to be
reconciled TO the Union on any terms, even
of their own dictation, is well known that
they assured him of their determination
never to make peace until Western Virgin
ia, Tennessee, and perhaps Kentucky, Mis-
souri, and Maryland also, were surrendered
to them is currently reported. At all
events, the general result is certain There
is to be no peace without Disunion and the
complete triumph of the Rebels unless they
be vanqnished aud scattered in the battle
| ueluS 10 WHICH IDey invite US.
Should the pending battles result decided,
ly in our favor. it is hard to see how the
struggle can be much longer protracted. If
want of men does not paraiyze the Rebel
lion, want of arms and other material re-
sources soon must. The loss of New Or.
leans is a staggering blow, as no other city
at all cqual to this in wealth, population,
and position, remains to them. If they
can win even partial victories over our two
great armies, they may thereupon make
new drafts on the creduality of their dupeS,
and perhaps concentrate or detach force
for the recovery of the Crescent City but
if beaten now in the fields where their in.
trenched armies await attack, they can
hardly hope TO recover. 1t is possible, in.
deed, that a reverse in the West may be
counteractcd 10y success in the East, or
rice rerSa it is possible that the battles
next 10 be fought may prove as indecisive
as those near Pittsburg Landing but
neither supposition is probable. The OBJ
vious presumption is that the next battles
will be decisive, and that the defeat of
eih her of its great armies will prove a death
blow TO the Rebellion.
A fearful responsibility therefore rests
on those who have been called to lead the
armies of the Union in these battles at
hand. .Unsleeping vigilance to guard
against the possibility Of surprise untir-
ing activity in proving and preparing every.
thing that may be essential in trying hour;
prcternatura sagacity in divning the pur
poses anticipating the blows of the willy and
desperate Rebel chiefs. with the creates,
address and as'uteness in procuring informa
tion from the Rebel camps, are among the
indispensable qualifications Of commander
in this crisis OF cur history. A few DAYS
may see the National standards waving in
triumph over the captured strongholds of
Treason q few days may see the loyal
Millions mourning the dissipatons of their
lately sangune hopes, suddenly quenched in
sea of patriot blood May we be Divinely
strengthened to bear and made wise to i'm.
prove whatever dispensation is in store for
us--may we be enlightened to see in what.
ever oil good or i'll fortune shall ensue, the
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