The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-25

tuYn, and o. psctel 70 - kspt hours r.. watt.
ing hie. but each time has seen the business
o. sach and his own dispatched ssscrs NE
only was alfthts business managed, bat man.
aged eassuvsly. II wxs not only done, but
done thoroughly. with NO indicationi Of
assss =, LOGGING ovsr any part Of any
wonderful. His keen perception enables lin
to seize ~ once apon the tangible points Of
each proposition, - form HE copciusions
upon II with the prom ptnsss Of electricity,
And announce them clearly and satiss actorify
70 his applicant.
There are lasor. Mviue ninds. ~ we'll -
labor saving machines, OF which this 10 oDs
ones that have come under the writer's Oh
ssrvAuon. He has long ago achieved rep
atation a. one Of the most superior logteians
Of the country. II will b remembered tat
swsraols speech Of senator Douglas, In June,
1850, remained Unanswered antii senator
Benjamin was selected Tor the ardsous duty.
The distinguished ability and overWnelmtns
power with which that duty was performed;
has become q part Of the oratorical history OF
the country. A half million copies were I'm.
med a.sly su bscribed for, 1t WA sent into eve.
~ part Of tho nation aS ~:n copies INTO nearly
l The Breckinridgs party. And the sxpsrIsncs
OF his career - secretary OF War, proves him
| NOT Iess distingu ished for the keen common
] s.use business Qualifications req aired In that
| odicer.
This In the man that 1t II proposed - dis.
place. BY whom, ind for whatf who viii
take his place, and hil 1t more worthiiS
percept.M his wonderful power Of analysis.
MS perfect acquaintance with the law and
ass 60 OF his department., his patierce TO M.
ten, his industry to ascertain, and his quick.
ness TO decide, joined with his habits OF labor.
and power OF physical endurance that On.
ables him to ben ten or twelve hours Of thu
ssverest mental labor with unhaGgipg energy
for all these requisites are indispensable to
the position, Let me- tell those who propose
to snpplant hun, that tho amount Of labor
be performs each day would drive min eteen
men ouHof twenty to tho mad house!
And for WHAT Because Roanoke Island
and Fort Donelson have falleni Lot NJ look
into The Justice Of this reason. The former
was defended by four forts and twenty pieces
Of artillery, bearing upon ~ only channel
available 70 the Federal sunboats. This
channel was further obstructed BY piles,
which were never forced unf1l after the sur.
render, and the whole defended by 3, 900 men.
The Federal forces first attacked these forts
them was the ono finally adopted-io land an
overwhelming force on tho south end OF The
island and attack the forts In the rear But
to do this they had to pass over a narrow
caaseway, half mile long. protec tod on each
side by an impossible norass. Here comes
In . fact of great sigutfcancs. This report
says that" the forces under Dol. Hsnningssn,
with ffteon pieces OF artillery. were ordered
TO Roanoke, but that he anfortunat ely misun.
derstOod his orders and stepped at Elizabeth
CITY" There can BE- no reason able doubt
that his force and his fifteen pieces OF artil-
larry were to defend this ident teal eaueeway.
There can be NO doubt that II those fifteen
pieces Of cannon had been placed 90 a. to
command this cause way that it would have
swept away Any enemy that dared venture
upon 1t, and thus changed what became .
sad disaster into glorious victory. Thus we
see that the Secretary had pro vided the m cans,
but that the plans were fru strated By the mis-
take Of subordinate. 1shs, then, to be held
Now. aHto Fort Donslson. The posi- ton 10
acknowledged TO have been q very strong
one. 1t was defended by three forts, which
erfui, and II 900 OF the finest soldiers OF the
Confederate army, commanded by able and
experienced Generals. Thee forts and these
men successfully defended the position for
three days-each day repulsinE the enemy,
until they formulated Z force said to b
II, 600 strong, when our troops and forrs were
ovsrpowsred and captured. Who believed
the Tederais could concentrate 90 large a
force upon that pointi Who believed that
II 600 men and those forts could be captured
The sim lest among us can ace 1t nos, bat rho
saw II THxNf Again, If more men and more
cannon were required there, where were
department we're at Ooluubua Douelson, and
Bowling Green. II they had been moved
from the former. the ttre Mississippi Val.
lev would have lain at the feet of the on emy
have been laid open to the forces OF Buell.,
Schospf. and Thomas; who would then have
placed themselves In Johnston's rear, and,
acting in conjunction with another Federal
forco which could have been thrown hish up
on the Ten ms Ssee river, would have complete
Iy surrounded and captured his entire COM
mand suppose the two calamities had oc
Cured, who could have found measure for
the wrath that would have poured down
upon the devoted head Of the War Depart
mentf
1t has been said that the locations Of Forts
Henry and Don elson were bad ones, and that
Paducah and other pOtn t. lower down should
have been selected. But 1t must be remsm.
bersd that long before Mr.. Benjamin took his
seat thosa poin to wore unavailable.
There is another point that mast not be
overlooked. The Secretary Of War for the
United States has, with but one or two ex.
captions. been selected from men then civil.
ians. This has been the almost universal
precedent OF nearly century. he was in
tended to take care OF the bssiaess req uire.
msnts OF tho department, wing the srsszsSs
details to be carried out by the Generals in
command OF the various military depart.
mon Is, who, besides being fitted by their mil.
tary education and experience, were sup.
posed to have the best knowledge OF local re.
quirements and positions; the whole con.
troll cd by the President, who is the General.
issimo established by the Constitution. Eup-
pose Mr.. benjamin, civilian, had assumed
the responsibility OF changing the locations
of Forts Henry and Donelson, and IN 1t the
new posi- lions had been captured, would not
the whole country rung with dsnunoiations
OF his temerity in changing locations selected
by men OF high military capacity
Again, MIR. Benjamin Is censur0d for not
having forces enough at DORelson to ensure
victory. Let us assume the force required
10 be "A, 900 men. Let MS then consider that
We have war frontier by land AID SEA of
i've Thousand miles, up"n each hundred
miles OF which the Fsdernls, with cheir snor-
NOUS power OF concentration BY land and
water transportation, could throw a force as
course requiring 40 900 mon TO defend them.
This calculation would give fifty points 10
defend, which, at "a, 900 men each, would re-
quire total Of 2 ,ooo, 600 men. Has Mr. Benja.
mi n this number OF men ! II no had the men,
has he the arms, the munitions. the means
for making either or OF purchasing them
Ought we to expect him to perform utter i'm
possibilitiesf
glance shows the utter unrsason ablsness
Of tho popular demand upon the Secretary's
oapsbility.
A very Democratic proposition Is that the
conduct Of the war shall be m ade the subject
OF Cor gressional disc ussion and control A
still more Democratic proposition IL some
times made on tho streets, that IL the Gov.
eminent is iradeq uats to the emergency the
people will taxa the matter in hand Does
this mean anything or nothingf Fit means
nothing, they are idle words and should not
mean Revolution against the Confederate
0overnmsnt-a Revolution within q Revo.
luton We have all learned something Of
the trials Of a single REVOLUTION; but who can
I'm Agine and far less describe, the anarchy,
the confusion, the bloodshsd, and utter and
com plete ruin OF the hidoous complications 80
gravely proposedf Let the people beware how
they follow after the allurements Of strange
doctrines, or tho devices Of strange men. Lot
them beware how they turn nom the coun.
sells Of firm, stsadfast men, to nstsn TO those
who are one day So elatsd by a sing le Victory,
that they INA CINE NO thing more Is necessary,
- ri IA ~ he u0In ID.
feat that they imas inc nothing car save us.
Mon who are constantly vaectllating between
the seventh heaven Of exultation, and the
seventh hell OF utter and hopeless despair