New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-03-20

yorapie to the Government at Washington is, that
the tacsics Of the last lev months were but CON
f ra, iae I ,ahcy o. the people, or the ambition
OF various leaders, and that the real contest is no
ABOUT to commence; for the campaigns of Fre-
mont and Nelson, ank one or two others together
with the expeditions. to Hatteras and Port ROYAL,
policy. + 90 1853
In the Western States no great advantage has
been gained by either side, and the armies II they
ca can De called so, are going into winter quarters,
the one to the north and the other one to the
south Of desolated region, the inhabitants of
which have, for the most part deserted it to dwell
with whichever side has their sympathies. 1t is
hafaly time to speak'of the expedition up the Mis-
slssippi, which is intended for an attack on New
Orleans. We know not what means of defence
the Confederates have in this quarter 1t NAV be
that the Federals will be able to infcta great de-
stfucuon OF property on their enemies. The oc-
cupaton of place SO far from the sea il, however
not likely to be attempted by the Federals with
so small force as they have in the Southern
waters. The idea of an expedition which was to
start from Cairo down the Mississippi seems to
have been abandoned, and it is probable that this
wild scheme of advancing hundreds Of miles in
boats through an enemJs country has been dis
countenanced by the more sober spirits at Wash
'ih2toh. ga the other hand, there are reconnois-
sances and advances on the Atlantic coast, and we
are told that an attack on Charleston or Savannah
Is daily expected. The railway station near Edisto
Island, between Port Royal and Charleston, has
ueeu OCcuPieu ny d dctdc1InenL OF Federal troops.
1t seems likely, therefore, that the Northern Gov
ernment persists in its policy of operating at a
number OF isolated points on the coast In default
of great successes in Virginia. this is perhaps the
only thing that can be done.
With half million of men to keep and no
money in the Treasury-with a people clamorous
for war; yet unwilling to pay taxes or even take
Government loans, it is, no doubt, necessary for
the Administration to have at least the sembIance
of success If they cannot win great victory.
they must win little ones and call them great
But, in The history of 7rdr there Is proba5y no in
stance Of any good being aclieced By the occupa-
ton Of heddld7ads and harbors on an eaen1Y's
coast, except Wherhey hare been used as tie bases
of great operations in the interior. So, in the
present war; it is plain that the capture Of HaAeras
has been aotlltoM effect on tie course Of atairs;
the retention of Fort Pckens does not terrfy Ala
bama or Florida, and the capture of Beaufort. or
even the destruction Of what remains Of Charles
ton, cannot affect the cotton States Of Tie atlantic,
ercept for teec miles from The seabodfd But in
the North these little successes give infinite gratf
cation. The magnificent expioits7o of the Wabash
at Port Royal were on thousands of, Northern.
tongues, until Capt.rDavis was thrown into the
shade by Capt Wilkes. AS this present month of
January will see the Federal Treasury pouring out
incontroSeftibe promises to pay fast as the i'm
proved printing machines can produce them, it
Will be necessary to do something to restore good
humor, and to Keep before the eyes of the much.
trusting people the mirage of asuppressed rebel.
lion: 1t is therefore probable that as a political
device some attemptwill be made on one of the
cities Of the coast. What the fortune ofAsuch an
enterprise may be, we have no means of knowing
for the strength the Confederates in those parts
is quite mystery Yet, from all that we learn it
seems that the Confederat&s hold much the same
opinions as have been expressed in Europe.
't@ One thing becomes more and more clear the
more the question is considered, and that is thai
everything, in this war depends on the earnestness
of the Southern people. Do they reallyintepd to
light it out to the last or will they think it to their
interest to join the North again. and reconstitute
the Union th0Sa faVnrahla ,yb OH +b,
North would be rejoieed to give them? Euera-
N.ng indicates that DE former is the true temper Of
ne South, and that thirty years of pickering, fol-
lowed by year of actual hostilities, has turned
these proud and ri1dictipe people into np1acable
enemies of the Yankees. If this be the case, then
all the eabites on the coast will be dsregarded,
and the Confederates must be crushed by armies
advancing through their country and conquering it
lmile by mile. So thinks Mr.. Jefferson Davis for ac-
Bcording to our special correspondent the Confed-
|erates are concentrating enormous forces in Vir-
inis and comparatively n negleeng other raris e
|beng ginterrupted, every regime Mt that the Confed
crates can obtain they will bring to Manassas, in
order to make good the defence of theirpositions
IN the Potomac. Here, apparently the great bat
tic must some day be fought, and it is probable
that from the pressure on Gen, Mcclellan an ad-
vance may take place even during the winter, if
fine weather sets in. ~,
On the result of this. campaign we have no desire
to speculate. The Confederates are inferior in the
important matter of arms, for, though they have
been doing their best to Manufacture rifles for
themselves, the number produced can be but small
in comparison with that which the Federals have
obtained from abroad. On the other hand, they
said to have artillery in sufficient strength to
defend their positions, which for six months they
have been Strengthening sunder the superntend-
of the ablest officers in the old United States
army. The contest, therefore, win no doubt be
long and stubborn. 4 But if We look little beyond
we shall see that if the Confedsrates be in earnest
q Federal uictory a1oudbe only the. beginning of
Federal difficulties. A retreat to a. new position
would be the consequence, and the Northern lines
would have to advance through wasted country
and hostile population, every day taking them
further from their friends and resources and, as
Virginia alone is as large as England and Wales,
we may form an idea Of the time necessary for the
complete subjugation Of the South. The ueu must
!noe 0eiali,ag from Hteteyes Of the Northern peo-
PIE, and they must be d,oare of the gigantic enter
prise before them. Indeed, we find that the dream
of Union party existing in the South has COM,
pletely passed away, and that the North.now sees,
that it may conquer or destroy, but can never con-
ciliate. .s,..-.-,--. ..-..D.. a. ....