New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-01-07
sEORTNEss MONROE !.

II .
BY far the most important and valuable poin
held BY the Federalism Southern territory Ii Fort
ress 4onross in Virginia. This fortiacationsto
gethsr with Fort Calhoun just opposite, command
the entrance to Hampton Roads, and thus block
'up all exit from James and Elizabeth rivers. Th
cipea Of Norfolk, Petersburg and Richmond, ha
Just g well be inland towns, cut off as they ar
from OIL access u die sea.
But Il Is not the interruption of onr commerc
that y the great drawback to US, created by tn
rigid blockade at Fortress Monroe. II Is the seal
ing up, for all practical purposes of our ship-yar
| at Norfolk, whereby we are unable to get to sci
with the vessels Of war wehaye there, and thos
we might easily build. Insene years time W,
could organize very respectable navy at Norfoll
alone; but what is the use Of it when Fortress
Monroe stands il our way, an insuperable barrie
which it is impossible for US to pass? In the even
OF war between Great Britain and the North, til,
only favor we need ask of the former is to put Thu
fortress In our possession, and we would soon b.
upon the high seas with navy that might. chal
lenge that of the North.
The powerful navy Of Great Britain could take
that fort even without firing gun at it. All that
Is necessary Is for feet of sufficient size to rem.
dezvous near the fort outside the range Of its guns
and keep of Az Federal vessels from coming to its
relief Supplies being thus cut off the Fort would
pc starved into surrender. With Magruder in
The rear to prevent any egress BY land and the
British feet in front to prevent any relief by wa
ter, tie strongest fertilization on the continent
would be compelled to surrender without a. gan
being fired at il. III .ss Il !.
Il We could almost wish that in the event Of war
8betwaen The North and England, the offensive acts
of the latter might hejconfned to this one single
thing THE pntting US il possession of this fort.
Once in our possession WI could hold II against
the whole Yankee navy, without being menaced
BY an enemy in the rear-ands our yesselssof war,
as we'll as our mercantile martinez would hare then
free egress and ingress, going and coming as they
choose. Having already whipped the Yankees on
land, We would guarantee, then, in process of time
to drub themequaly as well on the high seas.
u course, however, in the event contemplated,
while forts Monroe and Calhoun would be taken,
operations would not be limited to that locality.
The sweets ola blockaded city would be tasted by
every Yankee ia Philadelphia, New York and Bos-
ton: The measure they have been melting ont to us
would then be melted out to them. The physic they
have been giving us would then be administered
70 themseive in larger and more nauseating
doses. It is not clear that the chastisement would
stop at mere blockade. The job might be made
9 clean one, and hot shot and shell, poured into
Northern cities, might teach them, by the light of
. general confagration, what it is to meet just
Ietribution for national and individual crimes and
nisdeeds. But we hope that if thersbe a war,
Fortress Monroe will be the first point seized
Give us that, and ina short time we will defy the
North atsea, even as we now defy it ashore.