Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-03-06
Look Upward. and Forward,

Look Upwards nd Foryvardi
AFTER the deep depression of the last two weeks or
more, people begin to look things fully andsquarey
in the face They that painful our reverses have
been they present grounds for fear, and afford ne
excuse for dependency.
We have neither the right to despoud, the need
to despond, nor afford to despond- To Us in
deed doubts would be traitors. Our safety-our future
hopes-our national honor, all depend On looking and
marching right forward and in being and continuing to
op as a people united, and " terribly in earnest.
No doubt errors have been committed. No doubt
too much liquor has been killed. No doubt the right
man has not always been 10 the right place No doubt
we have been overconfdent and doubt, people,
we needed something to make US more humble. Well,
admit many OF thtse things; and their discovery
ought show how to do better and stimulate Us to
do So not to hang our heads in gloom waste
gies in pickering and recrimination.
| We have had fasting, humiliation and prayer. That
was all right and proper. But we must also wOlk and
strive, as well fast and pray We must be humble
before Cod but not think of being cast down before
Man. We must trust in Providence and invoke its
blessing but never forget that Providence helps those
who help themselves. Ard we help ourselves, and
must do it, if would avoid long and wasting srug-
gle We must use all the means in power TO de-
fend our Alrbors and seaports, and they perfectly
deensble against any naval expeditions that the enemy
can send We feel cor fdent that tie water approaches
to Wilmington, Newbern, Washington and other
of cur ports can fully be guarded against any
class OF vessels to which they accessible Port Roy
al does not af I'D any parallel from TIE great width OF
its entrance The gt facility it afford for narelvring
vast let Of heavy vessels aud from the further tact
| Al = I'D, tod
and however bravey served were not skilfuy served
but the very reverse The only O. her Instance in this
struggle any marked Of vessels against bate
RIGS those Of tiatteras ard Fort Henry. At Hat
| teras vast feet chose lis own time, and own DIS
tance, and its position at SEA, to SHELL little mud
fort sand spit Fort Henry already so nearly
submerged by the high wafer in the Tennessee Yer
to make it virtually untenable. But at Fort DoneI-
son the gunboats driven back shattered. At
Il R0auoke Island with all their heavy metal they
passed first battery, could their forces affect
landing within range q our guns nor could they have
landed at all bad any OF batteries been arranged
as to have swept the lower landings. At Roanoke and
Fort Donelson the Federal success gained by land
ing an overwhelming land force, and Roanoke a
series OF mistakes on part from first to last.
! Gunboas are not irresistible and hardly formidable,
when you get used to them All English and French
experience in the Crinean War went show the great
superiority Of land batteries ships little dear
bought experience Will enable US to profit by the
knowledge.
Oar harbors then, can be defended against naval at
tacks This bugbear removed, why not also against
land attacks We think they can be. We think it is
felt that they be- and stand must be made, why
should not stand he made at this place, at New bern
elsewhere coast should any of these places be
attacked We CO rot mean stand with the foregOne
conclusion that it cannot aud will not be maintained
but stand TO tie bitter end Such stand used to
be talked about. That the for such exist and
be obtained believe, and will erdeavor hereafter
to point cut so far least ideas of what is pru
dent and right may permit US to go. We do not sup
pose that views differ from those OF the military
thortes nor would we wish to bring them forward in
opposition.
The moral effect Of stubborn, determined successful
repuIse the enemy any one point against which be
might aim blow by means of combined naval and
> military expedition, would be immense It ,romd b.
the first Of se11eS 1t would establish an epoch-it
would constitute a turning point ard that such thing
should be done is fast becoming necessity if would
, retain IN our own hands tie great though not imme
ducts which the rest of the world wants and must have
: con!ers upon Other nations may be reluctant t.
yield to the pressure which the need of cotton ard Ohe
products imposes, bat this reluctance would have tt
give way in time, il the pressure were kept up Ia or
der that this pressure should be kept up, must SET
it that our leading ports remain in our POSSESSION
10 What would it he for to talk about raising TIN
blockade of this that any or all of our ports if they
o longer remained in possession The retention Q
leading ports especially of leading cotton ports
is OF vast importance Suppose Savannah in the pos
&c session Of tie Federas Of what iutertst would th
blockade the on-blockade Of that port be us
o. All that could in would have come throua
to The enemy as much as though il came to Boston,
TO All cur ports in the hands of the FtGeras woul
have naval blockade to be raised-we woud indee
is be shorn Of many of advantages deprived of near
is all our chances tor contact with the cutter world.
f. Even If we cannot have force to Cefend all as
10 saab(e points, may not have a force centrall
placed sey at GOdsboro ready to be instantly recte
any point against which the enemy may have deve
e. oped his attack? We have only to come right up
the mark aud neither waver nor despond nor becom
| apathetc uor Indifferent.
b. FIRE-An alarm of fire given here at abou
OF hafpast three O'Clock Sunday morning the I'd ms
c. The fire broke out in wooden building the Nortl
O. west of Fifth and Red Cross Streets owned
I'd the estate of f. V. Kelly Esq decd and occupied
es Mr.. - Ellis, ship carpenter, we believe.
1T Almost the alarm was raised the house Wa
'e in light blaze, and by quarter to four, when W