The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-11-18
The Dismay Caused by the ProcIn.
mation.

ne Enormous and rapid increase OF the
enemy's naval power in this war is one
of its most painful subjects of interest
This arm has grown to such size as To
threaten us in many respects more seri.
onsly than the enemy's land forces. The
Yankees have now afoat at least 600 YES.
sells OF war Llore than they could boas,
when the war commenced. Large and
active preparations lave been made for
naval movements this winter, and it il
generally estimated that there are now
about 90 iron clad men of war building
for the Yankee Government, besides
those nfoat.
There - good reason to suppose that
the Yankee fleet, which is to fall upon
our coast this winter, will be stronger in
| point of armament and class Of ships thar
any which has yet embarked on an often
sive movement. The objects to be ac-
complished by this naval demonstration
are OF the most rons, derablc Importance.
They are to GaytLrc our seaports to
make thcir blockade efeetual and 10
open avenues OF invasion to those dis
tficts OF the South wbeTe the Elna hcipa-
ton Proclamation eau, With the be yin
ming of the new year, be p.. .nDo prActi.
cal effect.
1t is useless to deny the advantages
With would ensue to the enemy from
the caEtnrc of our remaining ports, or to
sight such misfortune 10 us by the con.
ISOLATION that we can still whip the enemy
BY interior warfare. The welfare of the
country is essentially associated with the
protection of what ports we now have
and if there is any reason to fear that,
through improvideuce or imperfect FORE
sight on the part. Of this government,
Charleston.i Savannah. aud Mobile are to
fall into the hands Of the enemy this win
ter, then we may prepare ourselves for q
train OF disasters that will reach The heart
q tie South, and fearfully try the forti-
tude OF our people.
With t..e.e ports in the hands of the
enemy, the blockade could be enforced
with strictness and rigor of which we
have yet Lad NO experience in our suffer
lngs from this source. We would have
to abandon all idea of building navy on
this side Of the Atlantic. We would
have to repeat the humiliation of giving
up 70 the enemy or Of destroying what
few naval structures we have. We would
lose, 10 great extent, our vast system Of
railroad communication in the Cotton
States /; and We might realize. when it
| was too late, that the interior warfare of
which such hopes are INDUCED would
have To be conducted under circumstan.
ces in this section of the Confederacy
which would render the sustenance and
Preservation of large army almost i'm
possible.
These calamities threatened in the cap
ture of our ports are grave enough. One
graver. however, and more terrible than
all these, is to come if the enemy can get
q hold in the Cotton States, for putting
into operation there his emancipation,
scheme. Great efforts viii naturally be
made to keep this pet measure of the Alb
olitionists from falling to the ground, and
to see that the wrath which Mr. Lincoln
has bottled for the list of January does
not 60 into harmless fzzle Of soda new :,
der. So far in the war the enems's
scheme Of servile instruction has proved
ridiculous failure. The attempt is now
to put it into operation where we are least
defended, to try the poison at the heart Of
the South