Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-12-22
Oar friend lincoln.

Abraham Lilco,u for toe opportunity he afforded the
Southern States Of releasing themselves forever from
Lcir long thralom to the Yankee States But for him,
or those who control him. il would have been impossible
10 overcome that supersdiOus veneraon for the Cnon
which swayed the general mind Of the South He
brought Us al once TO point which would have taken
MS in the regular progress Of opiniOs perhaps quarter
OF century 70 have reached. he opened our eyes
III miracle true appreciation Of position in
the Union and Of the character aud purposes of the
people with whom We were associated. The ooase-
quence univ eral revulOn Of public sentiment
aud determination on all sides to be rid OF a
ton which We then plainly was runOuS to our in
te5asg incompatible with oar coanEed liberty aud de-
grading 90 oar character a. people
But while we have all been willing to acknowledge
our obligation to the Yankee President for this grea,
driyerauee have been less ignorant Of the
service ne rendering Us in the conduct of the war
Oar people have generally felt that under Providence
they owed every thing Lee and Jackson and Besure
glsi and JOhaston and Longstree. sud Price, aud the
o,ter great commanders who have led our armies on
To- victory 20 victory but from official notes aud cor
dependence ha, have come TO sht in the progress of
EiiL,lsy trial roH going in Washington IN
,asd 20 think thar our greatest friend has been Abraham
La.o'u
I' vas due 20 han tha; the great army Of $50 that
Mcclellan had spoUt the whole tail and winter in collect
ing eqai7P-c drl.ug aud preparing for the field
v,.s ils. q. tg-E General vas about 20 break up his
w,g;. Gllg,. and s'rt DIS campaign, divided into
Two Or tire, s-n.as and sent in different directions
Mcclellan, hiaself eouiag to the Peninsula with some
hualrsd and for,y or fi7 thousand Tia; force We
vas abe, bv ii, superior vsOr Of cur troops and
g,s4,e. SKI @. 0.r generals TO handle But there
~zceslugy critcal Psrioi tic dagger Of " ~ sc
d 40, q, The ti-se have knoS,eise Of NsDoveu Was
a; eis-.,k-5r-; with an AMY that afforded $1,000 sf
fect5e nsa NcCs,Gns plan WIS TIA, tbs force should
coas toTa ~ q a.-eet mash asi unite with hin At
E.ao.es COar,-H House to which point his right wing
wa be cxts1dsi to mske the junction. On the sl,h
OF yly G,Dovs struck his tenn, and was taking up his
IL, o. march for the point Of junction. Mcclellan
a5Jl. te sans tine extended his right wing Hanover
Cy-s House. let the reader pause moment TO con-
sl-- Isl would have ben our situation Il thi, pan
ga ,ssa syrcI-ed McCle,lsns army woqli have been
20 1.ls! 5000 effective troops. Our forces would
l4-r -.sj .ls 1900 Of Jackson, which serc then in
t.s loser valley OF the Shcnguloih This would have
mad. a tIe-gr-, Of s2Oll against Us. Could Rich
m9al have been savei u1lyr such circunistau-
Cess Hardly Iv human sill or courage, But
90 tha; u7msr; Of destiny, succor came from
Af-lham L,ayo,r On tbat very cath Of NAY he ,ele-
grolzd an orb 20 Mcdowell to abandon bis march
.la-G E..r.a.. --sl. a 40 men 20 the valley %
.G 1 .5s--s- JlsEsou. and dispose of rtc remain
I,r o. bis fs,. 'l- tae defence OF Washington. Nc.
D1re protested a.t begged, but il uyNiIcI ao'hiug-
70 vas written 30 rba BooS Of Fate that Lincoln should
De tie frsHt Of the Confederate States and he ther-
fore nude DE o.'e- peremr,orv. Mcdowell Dispatched
1900 troop 90 s-, Valley. jackson KNOCKED he fore
u0Tt % chem o. he Lead, and having r.sm ani al
che res there buried hithsrEari, Joned Ice, aud exc
eltsl tI1- sa.uti movements in tie rear Of the enc
Ilg, yi.sh. a l7cri11 with those hi, Glak and
Font, E.ea '.1 iron. his e9tTaacA1cnt. iad hurled
AZ away J-rre ui.. 90 Harrsoas Landing.
Richmond vas relieved be, Mcclellan was sill near
euos-b 70 uerse,. be kad not abandoned the hope of
reducing the c.-. lie lpp..ei 70 Lincoln. as the
correspondence as l5y ATTY thousand reinorcemeuts
They were refused lie then begged for thirty-dve
tlorNld and pledged himself sth thee to take the
Confederate Capital lie not alIoSsd 70 have them
b- vas offered twenty thousand. lie asked time to
ccnsie- vas granted TO- and agreed With these to make
advances bur our friend Lincoln did no, intend to
expose TO such hazard aud 80, when Mcclellan vas
nearly read to uogc forward, he sent him order to
change his base again. and unite his forces with those
o. Pope on the BlDpa1auaock. Mcclellan mplored and
eatseatei that this sboud be required OF him. but
LiacU,i was inexorabe. The i,te Napoleon" was
compelled 70 reiaqu..h Bis pans orf, bis hope= and
Aiify bis promises. His army transferred TO the
Potomac ard the RaPpahanuocl Wat followed
j. well remembered Pope driven back across
he Potomac, and our victorious army crossed
iIto Maryland. Again Mcclellan advanced 10
meet them, aud again he received a staggering blow
His an seems then 70 have been take time TO re-
clperate-to rect TO re-eqp and reinforce his army
Lees army living Immediately in bis 'front.' he seems to
have concluded could gain htts If any thing By time,
w. e. under the oa for 600 oOO new levies his could be
augmented 10 any des.rable number This NcClsl-
laws i.l Gr3 i, srsEs 20 have frightened our friend
Lincoln Ei.a rs cher-2s Of success he therefore
90 ol- rees azia, displaced Mcclellan pa, enc Of hls
".aoes ia command and ordered him TO cross the Rap
p14z1oss aul move forward by way Of the Gibrs-
a. Of fred shusg, In this, not only did h.
Czli; izcll.,.t,bly his friendship for us, but be
ds-cssre1 kaovlsdgs Of the ber means Of doing so
s5.: il -: I've r-ispg Thsrs ia psEbaps 10 o:hsF
7c-,s . Ei-hnc7i he s:ssmPt 70 pesS ever Which
75-5 GO csgs7 --r9se 81 army attempting t to defeat
aa- is5tslc.5l re- l',+ We almost driven 70 be-
lsyo that our ti-nd Lincoln had private hint from
Co. Lee. TIE suspicion is strengthened by the fact
tht, when Burnside arrived the other side If the
Rl7sl45aoy he did no, at cross and occupy the
dars,ogs bills this side, he might have done, but
lie r,usu,y waited for Gen Lee 10 come and take pos
s5I 10 dispose bis forces study the ground strength
en- bis natural advantages and make himself thoroughly
master Of the situation. When this done, and not
Ill then our friend Lincoln permitted Burnside to eros
over AID attempt onward Increment. Alas for him
never vas 4 more disastrous attempt made. The hot
Ere u vel posted uss fell upon him Ike the blast
q death 90 the hosts Of sennaeberb- HIS thick squad
ions were rent and torn a flock Of sheep oy herd