Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-28
The DELUsIoNs OF ONE YEAR AGO.

As a specimen Of the absurd calculation upon
which the SecessiOnists one year ago initiated
the present deplorsble war, we republish the
following article from the Mobile Evening News
Of that period, copied from that paper into the
COlumbis South Carolina) Guardian. No COM
ment is necessary:
"9here ere now, as nearly as can be esti-
mated, upwards Of one hundred thousand
organized and armed men in the seven Con-
federate States, under orders or anxiousiy
awaiting them to spring TO the post Of danger
at the word Of Jefferson Davis. Within eight
days time at the furthest he can concentrate
sixty thousand Of these men,. the best soldiers
Ia the world, at any point on the northern
border, and hurl this splendid army like an
avalanche upon the foe. If the battle ground
be in Virginia or Maryland. as it probably
will, the grand army Of the Confederaey will
be doubled or treblsd by the rallying hosts of
those States. We haye reason TO believe that
hundreds Of companies are now on the move,
CT will be within twenty-four hours, all bound
somewhere. Such is our immediate war.
power.
Should We rsove on Washington does the
enemy expest to hold il against u.s. To hold
ftagainst an army Of hundred thousand men
and hostile local population? Large as the
tslegraphic reports from the land of the enemy
read, it will be at least month before Lincoln
can muster into service and concentrate into an
army hundred Thousand men. We are ready,
he l. not. Our people, naturally so inclined have
been making soldiers of themselves for months
His people have been doing nothing of the
sort and are not naturally so inclined Our
ordinances Of secession were really the notes
Of our warlike preparation Their first note
Of preparation was the eannona5e of Charles
ton. We have had three months the start of
them. ana are resdy-they sre not.
Months ago the minds Of our people had
settled resolyedly to meet any issue. Now the
vsarIe Cf the North are in all the wild panic
aaI confusion Of wars first alarms We con-
front them, cool, collected foe, that will
never give them time 10 recover from their
surprise. We are ready for aetion-they are
getting readytO prepare to act. They may
rsise plenty Of men-men who prefer enlisting
to starvation, scurvy fellows from the slums
Of cities whom FaIstaf would not have marched
through Coventry with; but these recruits are
not soldiers, least Of all the soldiers to meet
the hot -bloOded, thoroughbred, impetuous men
cf the South. Trencher soldiers enlisted to war
IN their rations, not on men, they are fellows
who do not know the bTeech of a Enusket from
its muzzle, and had rather ilch a handkerchief
han fight sn enemy in manly, open combat.
These are the levied forces whom Lincoln sud-
denly arrays as candidates for the honor of
being slaughtered by gentiemen-such as
Mobile sent TO the battle yesterday. Let them
come South, and we will put our negroes to
the dirty work Of killing them. But they
will not come South. Not a wretch of them
will live on this side Of the border longer than
it will take Us to reach the ground and drive
them ever.
Mobile is sending forth TO wage this war of
independence the nObiest and bravest of her
sons. 1t is expensive, extrsvagsnt to put such
material against the rif-rsff Of mercensriss
whom the abolition power has call out to war
upon rs. We could almost hope that better
class Of men would fall into the Northern
ranks that our gentlemen might find foemen
worthy Of their steel, whom il would be more
difficult to conquer, and whose eonquering
would be more honorable. For the present,
however we need not expect to find any foe
worth lighting with the exception Of a for Tugi-
ments. for the North is just getting ready, and
will likely be whipped before il is ready" :"