The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-07-11

them, thanking them for their gallant conduct,
encouraging them for the future and telling
them them that their labors were not yet
over"
The New York Herald correspondent, writ
ing July 4th, says:
During the whole of the seven days contest
our troops fought bravely. and drove back the
enemy at many points. Gen. Woodbury's En-
gineer Brigade remained behind till the last
moment, destroying and blowing up the bridg-
es. But the rebels have Engineers as well as
we. They have besides, what we have not, an
intimate knowledge of the tophography of the
country, and they know of many fords and
passes across the stream which are unknown
to us. The consequence has been that their
engineers very quickly rebuilt the bridges, and
while part of their army crossed on these, 9TH
er parts crossed by the fords. Thus they kept
close on our rear.
The Union Engineer Brigade obstructed all
the roads through the great White Oak Swamp,
and so eflectual were their labors in doing so
that Gen. Heintzelman publicly declared that
they had saved the army. What he meant was
that the obstructions which our brave engi-
neers placed in the roads through that swamp,
so delayed the pursuit of the enemy that our
army effected its movement in safety. But the
hordes of the rebels toied day and night at the
removal of some of the Instructions, and
sought out new paths by which others might
be avoided, so that by Tuesday night they were
ready to cross the swamp with whatever force
they pleased. Before that time, however, our
army had reached the James river, and were
comparatively safe.
Our position here is strong. our artillery adj
miraby posted, our men somewhat recovered
from their fatigues, and there is not man here
who is not willing to die for his country, soon
er than yield or fly. We may be overpowered
by the force of numbers; but you may depend
upon it McClellan's army will never surrender.
In the meantime why are we not further rein
forced?
The Washington correspondent of the Trdr-
eLter writes July 1th. as follows:
The Western Generals are congregating
here in numbers. Pope, Mitchell, Sherman,
Walace-four of the best Generals in Hal
lecks army-are here. What does it mean?
Wallace, ii is said. declares that the Govern
ment should instantly concentrate troops
around Richmond, bringing large numbers
from the West for that purpose. He says if
the rebels are permitted to beat us in rapid
concentration of troops, they will surely tri-
umph.
Count Surouski is out i'm the Republican
supporting the same idea. l understand that
the President dislikes to try on the plan of
sudden concentration of troops, fearing that
the rebels viii beat him at ii. Gen. Mcclellan
is in favor Of the plan, and must have been
more troops ever since he got into the PENN
sula, and he, of course, knew the amount Of
forces here, and the need of them.
The Washington Republican of July It'll
says:
The weeks fighting, ending with Tuesday
the first day of July, has been great advan-
tage to the national cause. Anything was bet
ter than that nightmare of torpidity which
had brooded over the army of the Potomac
mpnfhS No boya lost f,r.,,
over, by inglorious disease in the swamps of
the Chickahominy, than in all this seven days
fighting. Our losses in these battles have
been cruel. In the first moment of the ma
tional anguish, 1t may seem unfeelng TO sug-
gest any considerations of compen.ating adj
vantage, but the truth is, wars cannot be pros
ecuted to a successful termination without
fighting, and least of all, such a war as this is
The rebels are not 10 be put down by block
ade, by starvation, or by any form of the "an-
aconda" policy. 1t is to be done by fighting,
and by killing off their leading spirits in bat
tie. And while that is not to be accomplished
without deplorable losses on our side, the sac
rifices of life in idle camps are really greater.
The New York Ecening Post calls for gen
eral arming of the people of the free States. 1t
says:
Our Whole population must be made ready
for war. We have the rebellion to put down
pect OF foreign Intervention, which will lead,
of course, to a war with one or two of the
most powerful and warlike nations of the
world.
We call, therefore, upon the national admin
istration and upon all the State governments
to bring out every able-boded man. put him
into some military organization where he may
be drilled, and to provide arms, equipments
and stores sufficient for putting them ali in the
field.
But we must not confine our arming to the
land. We must make ready to wage such
naval war as has never been seen Iron-clad
vessels can be built in three months. Let u.s.
then. have enough before this year is out 10
match the navies of England and France. while
with our wooden navy and our priyateers we
can sweep the commerce of our enemies from
the ocean.
Let us, then, go to work We have been
playing at war, not waging it. We have been
sluggish in our preparations and timid in our
execution. Let US change all this. Let the
incompetent and the suspected step aside
We want bold, energetic, patriotic men to step
forward and take the lead i'm bringing this ma
ton to that condition of perfect armament
which will leave us not moment of appre-
hension.
The Congressional correspondent of the same
paper says
There is serious talk of conscription act
Volunteering would do well enough if the de-
mand for an increase of forces was not imme-
diate. II is suggested in some quarters that
Congress should pass a bill authorizing the
President to resort to draft whenever, in the
absence of Congress, he shall think it expedi-
ent. 1t Is quite probable that within a month
after the adjournment the Executive will find
1t necessary to resort to drafting and if such
should be the case, il would be exceedingly
awkward to be obliged to call Congress to-
gether for the authority