Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-05-02

I have been 0t all DcCeSShFy IL -tiie "io'A
occurred, nor until We receive the oouthein
version can We understand how fifteen 'nou-
sand men came to surrender Internationally ~
a force which, from its very constitution, couio
moi baee pursued them in Their retrea. through
n difficult country. Tho catastrophe Hou1a
seem 10 fayor the .d:a hat ! moral tnsc: Lad
been produced by the appearance Of the
Northern army in Tennessee, and that the
Uuuf.Gr:atrs We're not quite ceisoin lbal thcy
had iIIerdIy and sylnpathiz'nS country open
beEiod !Ea,u THIS, however. Is I'LL 81 Inc
S,.,taeIae.s are really N earliest, VIC chnEo'
aouia.u The Sui:c"sS - 4 H!'her 'a'uc 'n'''
/ lufs lie Intrinsic Yal.i': towards TIE conquest
Of inc Southern States Is h0 mere iha' Np'l'o
ie the capture o; for: upon the o:nHs 0! ..e
d y;lIi!c i..r.ri- t.c conquest hi Err"p". '"t
distances ;.lu .n1rninn5, ne m'"F'a's "ie ~
iu he lnIt,:i..I ever n: v9.G:.2c: armies '''''
the capture Il G!ir,eatHn or ~" o,i:'ti'a
itself wLnii, ii tbs Scuinr;ne!S i,:t:ho ~
hold OUT !.c bu. tee commencement III tue war.
Lei i, iu rrinrisb areI :na; "c took y I t':tsc
cities, auI Boston nrd New fJ:h "s%iirs'
ti,Irlas ;he War 81 iuIep.nIcnce. We maFch-
ed ;b:ry slllies iliIn III. country, "lhhins.
every ba.tie, aud laking c't'y cI1Y, nhii' Ire
scanty population cl9iu: behind Us ai!u GU
oil cur communications. We had n"sS''g 10
conquer but lho At3n;ic coasts, anh H"thiHS
70 nee, but rag volunteer leGitS anh peasants
in ARIES /; and Gur ji:nrls!t, although ": coz:
dcmn them ty the event, were experienced
soldiers of good reputation in Elr"pe. we
| found, ailc7 fir trial, that ha ach!e'.Iie"l
was iln possible |; was not 81 .1Tch !ne vol
un,ee,s or Ia. Frcnch As The country which
beat Us We hs'i = tnuch wn'o desperate
battle and 4 lnuca mere s!a!!0i- si:'2a;S Z;
Blrks;'v Hill l.au it.= F.'ler.!sts Ia ~ Fort
Donnesoa, bur il had no yains towards ic"
conquest even Of Massachusetts iracn3 ;he
late military operations on the map, II is evl-
,!cut that the recent victory oaiy rnG9'"s the
! Fedora! glEbca:S 70 20 up and down ti' t"o
rivers, and to supply Inc array ~hlEn IS hC~
! operating ~ TenoeSSr. and parctrall.s INTO
H.. Cnmrtrf. s. ia; II IS Il Srenl :IiSantag,;
bit ~ = stop toward: The CONQUEST CT tie
Soulful thr South IL determined TO resist
! ii is tat ~ The rsl'miicsGnr rem L1nd1n 1t
wards Exeter Bat though snail step
tawsrdi Il ccnqnesi, this Success iEisht be
made \ very cXcri"Hi Excuse Tor p""rc.
/ There is al opportunity u0S tGr prsitnt'':i7,
/ Thcu might Dc concluded wi!AGTl leaving 4
f. stigma ur0n either side. E;;n far,iei have
il.i victories tn boast a5:d il the Northern IS
! lbs lesser victory Il - ,:0 lii, i;..rr. Tie
! Nm th Vas reVY. better placed Icr H. PuTI"S"
vi Ciai;piU. u good boundary ,hau at his mo-
,iient. TIE ir''e: We 2Tiiit lii ai:"lilcr column
describes the Fcdoraist force as ascending tho
uuln Jcriand River II nIehs g-hlch wa, ~ ~
Angus! night 10 Navy York. Tals a"cGnmt 0i
tic tclnp:Ia!,irc Of kemtu ,hy AMI T:rnca'ec
on the II i Uc February should teach the
Northc!ners IL consider w!iat i; Is ri:-i; 20 he
two months hence, ana ~ cniin; tbs c'i:Bccs
Of their being able to retain t1air positions ii-
ring the spring abd Summer mOatiis. /: tna
Moth be wi.c 1t Should make the inrE,@i!l
CT victory The miJwent al overture tor
peace. The Northern troops have achieved
their first exploit, hut II would DC we'll
for tie Federal Government to remember that,
although they have strained their credit,
u!ci sed ali their REVENUES, drained their Irea.
susry, suspended their specie payments, ard
called firth nj their power Of lighting Ken,
they do not, ai.cr :an mcnth9' ebert towards |
the conquest 0i ball continent, occupy al
acre OF the cnemys land which is ten iniles
distant from the sea or from 'iaQigaG!e river,
from The IorJon Herald Opposition oF.naJ March 81
True 70 their OH character, the Federal /
organs deal largely IN tho :u.urc tense They |
arc always OF the eve ui seine decisive achieve
rlcut jusi 81 h, nail leaves 20: Europe. We |
have nu DISPOSITION Il, dcry the successes they |
taea If late obtained, hui they would gain
more credit Eor :i!cm iilra # they @oull con
trc Themselves 10 what has uoGn done instead |
Of constantly taking credit fer victories which !
are still to he Won The nc;ri v publish to-
day is striking illustration % this invelerale
habit Of theirs.
The truth is, tha: If Fort Donaldson be cap
tured and If he Fedora! general 10 ben, or
improving MS position by occupying the
country, hcn biz diff :ultics gro only Hnw at
the commencement IT viii be observe! tat
in tbs cap:rru 81 10th the gun boats played
an important part They werc originally
equipped Tor the e1Psdricn which was intend
ed IL !noHc'.'' Il ,~n the hf:ssisspp and, rncciv.
ing The SUBMISSION III the terrified Inhabitants
along It's banks on tie way down, was TO seize
upon New Orleans at its mouth. The generals
in command, borrower, bare allowed them.
selves TO DO diverted from their purpose. and
instead Of going down thu Mississippi, have
turned up one Of It's tributaries to make dash
at these forts. The question recurs then, sup
posing that Fort DOnelson AS well as Fort Henry
has fallen, what will be The mex step. Should
the expedition resuoic ia original purpose, and
proceed down The Mississippi, it il obvious
that :i!esn Successes will be- barren Of adran-
tsge. a merely useless shedding OF blood. II,
on tho other hand, as seems not improbable,
the expedition should max q these captured for.
tresses the haze Of new operations, proceeding
inland to ELECT junction with General Hal
iecE, who is operating few buuGred miles fl
On tile BORDERS o! Kentucky and Tennessee it
remains 10 be seen hcw The expedlion,ry
force will fare when separated from its r1yil
supports, and especially those gun boats that
have hitherto played So important palt in lie
expedition. We vG,iid co nc Injustice to tho
bravery 81 the sndiors CT the intelligence and
enterprise uf .he'r chiefs but it must ne evil
dent thai ;Jr Ia. 900 or $4,000 men to llnnge
in!G All unknown country, hsrasicd on their
Garks AID rear by An active force a. NUMEROUS
rs themselves. must be All operation afforded
with iinnrso hazard. The suina thifg mas
be s.id 81 tho iornons Burnside .xpe.iitGa IL
North Carolina V it'll all the success Of that
force AID nc doubt that success is well calcu.
lated 70 encourage their countrynen, no i'm.
preston has yet been made away from the
saaboa,d The towns that can he reached BIZ
al easy march from tho ships no doubt faro
badly, but IN no case nave tbs invaders Jared
to n'arch inland, though ii is clear that til! they
co Mi anticipation as 10 their future success
must be mere guess work Thcaa snail
successes serve we'll enough to amusc lie
populace OF the largo toxns, 20 'mpart iacti
tions spendo7 to thu war, and to stimulate
the passing u The lnonec bills through Con,
gross; but We suspect they are held cheap 1t
headquarters. 1t is significant enough thai
these Successes lave Gained the tempest hat
vas beginning 70 rise against the inactivity of
General McC.ian. II WAS niaio matter Of
reproaclI agains! thin General somo time ago
that Tue hriny wRs, TO use a hoInay phrase,
'cating lis own load off, while stationed mac
lively on tho lett bank of tho Potomac The
Americans were then assured that this mac.
tivity was the result Of deep laid COM bra;ion
by which the enemy would be pushed So zig
or5usly on bot: iis:.ks that ne must Of ncccs