Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-02-14
The Great 1IIutary and Moral Adj
vantaEs Of &c union ..stIuatIon..I


would make plain to the eye how great and
Overmnsteriug are the advantages which
our forces by water and by land have
gained. Scarcely anything more than the
prominent points ME laid down with eren
tolerable elearuess. By such lights, how
ever, as we have, it is easy enough to see
that tho hour Of imminent deadly peril is
upon the head Of the rebels. Thy see it
as well as ourselves. Consequently, they
are evasuatipg Bowling Green, and falling
back on Nashville. That is to be only
breathing place for them. Once the Cum
berland river is unObstructed by the fall of
Fort Done!sou. Nashville, iPsO (aetO, falls
into our hands. 1t will be assaila5le
by river aud by rail. Both Gen. Mitch
ell aud Gen. Nelson's divisions are
pressing their way in that direction. 1t is
fair TO presume that they will keep the
pressure applied as closely as possible.
By this means they will allow Gen. SehoeP
To continue on his way through cumber-
land Gap into East Tennessee. Once he
gets through the Gap the rebels ia East
ern Virginia must let go their hold there
or suffer him to cut their lue of commu-
uieation-the Virginia and Tennessee rail-
road. Their situation will be we'll nigh
one of extreme desperation. Mcclellan
holds them ''as in vice on the Potomac"
and the whole heart of the rebellion is ex-
posed by the situation in Kentucky and
Tennessee.
And again We threaten both Norfolk and
Weldon. Troops must be spared for these
localities or one or the other of them at
least. The Norfolk papers tell US that
scarcely soldier now is visible there.
They have all been drawn OF. In
fact there are no troops anywhere
savesrouud the edges OF the rebellion. As it
was At Florence aud allaloug .hp Tenns4-
see.rtgNei 80 lssa aluaoua sssrywbete 10 the
South ThO soubiry is all open aud uupro-
teOted. The military population are away
OF on the Potomac or IN Kentucky, or on
the South-Atlantic sea coast. The great
inside area is LEFT, We may say, to the
Union masses who have never taken up
arms and who never Intend to if they can
help it. They are the people who cheered
aud welcomed our gun boats-who iHyited
the crews to their homes and Proavrsd
them ali that was in their houses, and who
shed tears of joy at tue sight of the old
dag,
Tie maps convey but poor idea OF adj
vantages like these. The immense dis
lance that our boats traversed without
firing gun or being fred at, can hardly
be appreciated. The news seems stranger
than it did whom we hoard that for the
6rst time an American vessel had entered
= port in Japan, aud that new country
and new people were open TO our CON-
meroe. Not only was there no hostility,
but thera were the warmest demonStrn
tions OF affection for the Hag of the Union.
When it is remembered that these people
at Florence, aud all along the route
through Tennessee, knew that our stop
with them could only be Temporary, we
eau form some estimate of the patriotic
impulse rhat made them openly rejoice At
our coming, II is fair to presume that
Thousands less demonstrutive, yet not less
patriotic, looked on deeply interested, yet
afraid to take part. They knew what they
had gone through, aud what they would
have to go through again, in case our
arms should not be able to rescue them.
ItWould not do to compromise themselves.
Their property and their all was at stake.
Gradually, however, as our boats ascend
and reasoend the river and enlist and bring
away troSps the people viii bs delivered
from the feeling that now controls many of
them, and all their old union habits Of
thought, of speech and Of action win re-
tarn. It will not be long before ST Louis,
Cineinnntti aud Louisville steamboatsivill
be trading under the convoy Of our k6a-
bOasS clear along the ronIe. The people
will Eot car papoEs-thsy win sec us once
moro face - faet-Wtll tell as all that they
have suffered and we will tell them in turn
Of our feeltngs aud hopes. Our eommunf-
cation With them will DO more perfect Than
that of the rebels, once il iS started. And
che effect will spread like Wild-ire through
the back country. The reaction will come,
and once the bottom OF this rebellion fair
y commences falling out, its total annihi-
lAtiOu will be rapid beyond our present
conception.
Thus do We look for grand aud sure, If
not speedy results from the brilliant sue
eessss Of the last few days. The SUI never
rosa more Splsndldly upon the earth than
do our prospects now rise above the hot-
iEon. We have passed the uadir of our de-
preston and the zenith Is not far OF.
THERn ere now not less than thirty-6vo
thousand troops At Cairo aud preparations
are actively going on for the great Nissts-