Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-07
OUR SEA,

Our " inland sea the great Mississippi
has not yet been surrendered to the control Of
the enemy. Still more vigorous efforts, it seems,
ere to be made to repel his fleets, both from
above sad below, through the old instrumental
y Of land foTtifcatons and heavy ordnance.
The fall Of Forts Henry, D0ue,sou, Pulaski,
Macon, jackson and St. Philip, os New Madrid
and Island Ten, DO not furnish 3 moral to our
authorities sufficiently pointed to deter them
from this difficult enterprise. They are determ-
med that the approach to Memphis, at least, If
netting more can be accomplished, snail not be
quite SO easy as the foe was led to believe, upon
hearing that New Orleans had fallen.
Accordingly, the deserses at Forts Pillow and
Wright, and Yicks5urg nave been greatly
strengthened, and put in a condition to delay the
Federal fotiilas a long time, If, indeed, they do
not impede them altogether. No doubt BUTLER
and FARRAGUT, who have scarcely yet regained
their com2osure amid the exciting scenes incident
to the capture Of the Crescent City, arc nursing
the hope that no obstruction VIII be presented to
their immediate movement up tie river to Mem
phis, and thence to Fort Pillow, which they hope
to see fall or evacuated, as the result Of g COM
bined attack of their OWE and FC0TE'S gUnboat
feet We do not question toe p~r3priesy Of this
movement or the part Of our authorities In
deed, it can be regarded IL no other light than
as being emiDeutly wise. Should it only contest
the eneuys control Of the Mississippi river for
sixty days, and prevent 9 union Of the Federal
columns now at New Orleans and New Madrid
that length of time, Ii viii DO much good. By
the time BUTLER and his forces have been in
the " land Of cotton particularly within the
vicinity Of New Orleans, q couple of months,
they will commence to experience the heated
term " so dreaded by the New England Yankee
The deadly ieveTs, sUperiGducel by malaria and
climate causes, viii assault them with an earn
est vigor little anticipated Perhaps, as foreign
vessels now have free access to the mouth Of
the Mississippi, some aquatic visi5snt from Pan
anna, Havana, or Vera Cruz may kindly bring
in a case Of that delightful epidemic which occa-
sionally revels amid It's c~aruivals Of death in the
gulf cities of the South. Yellow Fever may
attack the invading enemy in the rear, while our
heavy Dahlgreens contest his advance in front.
Under these circumstances, il we eau only sue
coed in keeping the Mississippi biockaded, we
viii iEHict 3 disaster upon Buffers army
which VIII decinate It every ten days or two
weeks.
Such is cur evident policy, # The positions on
the river above and below can be held. But
this we very much doubt, as cur fort defensss
have proved one continued series of reverses
since the war began.
In the meanwhile If H,LLgCE VIII only give
US battle Ct Corintr- and receive the good drub-
bing which BGAUREGARD has in store for him,
we can have the defense of on, inland sea-
rendered 5oubIy secure by al immediate ad-
vance Of the srny Of the Mississippi into Middle
Tennessee, aud thence, 10 a few weeks 10 the
Ohio river, where, and where only we fear, a
mace viii he sDeedEv cmuueTe3