Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-05-09
The War at its Crisis.

The Rebellion Is to make or break withja tht
ensuing month. \ guerrilla warfare, or any
other form of protracted and harrassing defense
is seen by the leaders to be impraeticah!e 10 q
region largely peoPled by slaves. Slavery OF
the RebelIion-one or both-nust 90 down if q
war of skirrnishes, surprises ard petty, harass-
ing forays, ia to be attempted. Instead OF this
the master-spirits have desperately yet wisely
resolved to stake their all upon a single cast
They have ordered general conscription OF
all their white males Unionist and Rebel
alike-bet ween The ages of IS and 35, with
intent to precipitate these in overpowering
numbers Gnon the divided Union forces now
far in the heart Of Slavedom, expecting 10
crush out several if not ali OF our widely sepa-
rated armies, and thus achieve a conclusive
triumph. At the same time. they are working
hard to create navy OF iron-plated or cotton
breasted vessels, hoping by its aid TO break
open some Of their ports, achieve at least To-
cal and temporary success, over the Union
blockaders. and thus secure the importation of
large quantities of superior Arms and Ammn-
nition-both now among their most pressing
wants.
On our side, while we consider the wide dis
persion of our forces a mistake it will hardly
be dou bted that our soldiers are in admirable
condition for the imminent conflict. Gen. Nc
Clellan and Gen. Halleck command the two
greatest and most effective armies ever yet con-
eentratsd on the American contnent-armies
not merely ready but eager for the fray. On
the other hand, the rebels, though seeming TO
cherish an enormous conceit of their own val
ne, and an utter scorn of our prowess, do yet
manage to skulk behind intrenehments and
hudd!e together in forts. waiting for US 10 at
tack them at enormous disadvantage. They
have always held that their men were superior
to ours; but they never attack upess they have
a very great disparity of force, as at Wilson's
Spring, Pea Ridge, and Shiloh, or suppose they
have, as at Mill Spring. Though they have
probably quite as many men to-day at Corinth
as Gen. Halleck can bring against them. they
await his attack in their stronghold. and boast
that the strength of their negro-built entrench-
ments will enable them TO repel any assault
Aud on the narrow Yorktown Peninsula, they
erect deenses behind deftnses, trusting more TO
these than TO their own valor TO save them from
defeat. Whatever may be the issue of the
pending struggles, therefore, We trust there will
be no more sneers at Yankee valor from the
rebelious Chiyalry. They have built monu- |
ments to it all over their country which peace
cannot efface in half century.
We judge that a great battle at or near Cor |
inth VIII not be ostponed more than another
week, and that its results cannot fail to be de- |
decisive as TO the struggle in that quarter
TIithcrto--partly through the relative inefIi- |
cheney of the cavalry on either side, but more,
perhaps from he broken character oftheground |
on which onr greater battles have been fought |
neither side has evinced great energy or
skill in making The most of victory. We
think the next battle in the West will show q |
different result. In Virginia the strength and |
of the Rebel delenses may rcpdcT
pursuit difficult in case Of their defeat, but Fc
look for decisive operations in that quarter al
SO within few days Meantime, a painful in
tercst will weigh upon every breast, and the |
lightest whisper of news from the seat of war
will be received with avidify- Tribune.