The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-06-08


| that the Union forces in that quarter
are virtually investing the city. The broad
| bay and the several creeks from the sea COM
municating with the city. and the chain of sandy
islands which lead to it, afford so many advan-
tages for our light draught gnnboats and their
| supporting land troops that we confidently ex-
pect before the lapse of many days to report to
our readers the restoration Of the 'old flag" to
Fort Sumter, and the capture Of the hotbed in
which this great but hopeless rebellion was
| Matched.
The five cities of the South which have
been most conspicuous and serviceable to this
rebellion are Charleston, Norfolk, New Orleans,
Nashville and Richmond. The work of pre-
meditated Southern revolution was initiated
at Charleston in the rupture there in 1860, of
the Presidential Convention of the late great
democratic party; and the game of Southern
confederacy was there practically inaugurated,
with South Cardinals ordinance of secession Of
December 20 of the same year, 1860, upon
the pretext of Abraham Lincoln's election.
There, too, the gauntlet Of war was thrown
down in the face Of our national government
in April, 1861, in the bombardment Of Fort
Sumter. In brief, we may truly say that in
the work Of concocting, arranging, precipitat-
ing and directing the elements Of this terrible
rebellion to the South, Charleston, among all
the cities Of the South, stands pre-eminent as
Lucifer among his rebellious confederates of
the internal regions
Next in order come the city of Norfolk and
n, Hosn Tl,a - rf,t
squadron there in the spring Of 1861, including
the frgats Merrimac: the seizure by the rebels
of the Gosport Navy Yard, with its immense
stores Of gunpowder and warlike materials, in
Guiding some twenty five hundred pieces of
artillery of all descriptions, and the loss Of
those military workshops. involved to the Union
cause an aggregate loss which cannot be
computed in money The rebels. on the other
hand. in the seizure of Norfolk, secured not
only the heavy ordnance and the munitions Of
war which enabled them to fortify the Missis-
sippi river at various points from Columbus to
New Orleans, and to arm Forts Donelson and
Henry in Tennessee, and their batteries of
Roanoke Island, Newbern. Norfolk the James
and York rivers, the peninsula between and
various other places, but they also secured
with Norfolk the means and materials for ex-
temporizing . navy which, at one important
crisis, threatened the destruction Of our own.
Norfolk, therefore, in its services to The re-
bellion, stands second only to Charleston and
New Orleans. as the great financial and COM
mercial metropolis Of the South, comes next.
It has been to the spurious government Of JEFF.
Davis, financially, what New York has been to
the government of the United States through
all this war. Fourth in point of practical i'm.
portance to the rebels till they lost it, was the
city of Nashville. 1t was the great centre of
the subsistence which was drawn from the
bread and meat producing districts Of Ken
lucky Tennessee and Arkansas, for the uses Of
the rebel armies Of the Mississippi valley. and
even of the Atlantic coast to great extent, to
say nothing of the military clothing. munitions
Of war and hospital supplies which were there
fabricated or collected.
The fifth Of these important cities to the re-
bellion was Richmond, while they were all
working together; but to-day it stands as the
last stronghold, the last reliance, the last hope
the "last ditch" and the last extremity OF
JEFF. Davis and his confederates Independ-
emily Of its distinction a. the capital of the
so-called Confederate States Richmond has
done q vast amount Of service to the rebel
Davis and his gang. from its great -four mills, its
cannon foundries, its factories Of small arms
and percussion caps, clothing, de-, and from its
depots Of provisions, drained from the plains
valleys and mountains of Virginia But now
with the loss Of Norfolk, Nashville and New
Orleans, Richmond, as the rebel capital. and
as the last ditch of the last remaining rebel
army is more important to Davis and his fell
lows than they regarded all the cities of the
South six months ago. For then this rebellion
was not reduced to single army subsisting on
half rations. nor enclosed in . corner from
which there was no escape.
We have said that we expect before the lapse
Of many days to report the capture Of Charles
ton. 1t matters little, however, now. whether
this event shall precede or follow our occupa-
ton of Richmond; for that contamination will
break up the rebellion, root and branch. The
mischief within the capabilities OF Charleston
was accomplished in that bombardment which
dragged the so-callei border slave States
Of North Carolina Virginia, Tennessee
and Arkansas, and the secession ole
ments of Maryland, Kentucky and Mis-
souri,, into the Dismal Swamp OF this re-
bellion. Since that day Charleston has played
no higher part than that of Nero fddling while
Rome was burning. Each of these five cities
Charleston, New Orleans, Nashville and Rich
mond-abandoned the Union rich, prosperous
and beautiful. The three which have been
rescued we have found in the wretched condi-
ton Of the prodigsl son, with his substance
wasted by his folly, and his body covered only
with rags and wounds, and reduced to skin and
bone. Richmond and Charleston we know are
in the same condition, and that with their re-
covarv the bulk of their people muat for some