The New York herald., 1862-02-26

to consume it alive or force it to sting itself to
death.
The Crisis At Richmond-The Inaugural
OF JEFF. Davis.
The inaugural of JEFF. Davis, which we pub
lished yesterday, considering the peculiar cir
cumstances attending it, and tho serious and
melancholy tone which pervades it, is Con
federate State paper entitled to some special
consideration.
The day was the anniversary of the birth
of Washington; the scene was in Rich
mond, and Davis and his ruling associates
had assembled 'to usher into existence the
permanent government of the Confederate
States"-their provisional concern, set up
at Montgomery, Alabama, one year ago,
having expired by limitation. Without dwell
ing upon the intOlerable usurpatioDs, Oppres-
siOns and cruelties of the government Of the
United States, in contrast with the blessed mil
lennium Of bis Southern confederacy, as painted
by Davis, we proceed to his statement of its
achievements within the one brief year of its
eventful history. He says, ga new government
has been established, and its machinery put in
operation over an area exceeding seven hun
dred thousand square miles," that "the great
principles upon which we have been willing to
hazard everything that is dear to man have
made conquests for us which never could have
been achieved by the sword;' that "our confede-
racy has grown from six 10 thirteen States: and
Maryland, already united to us by hallowed
memories and material interests, will, believe,
when enabled to speak with justified voice,
connect her destiny with the South y that
"battles have been fought, sieges have been
conducted, and although the contest is not end
ed, and the tide for the moment is against us,
the final result in our favor is not doubtful" )"
because "tbe period is near at hand when our
foes must sink under the immense load of debt
which they have incurred
Now in this schedule Of grand results and ex-
pectations Davis surely did not expect to be
believed by his hearers in his cool declaration
that ''our confederacy has grown from six TO
thirteen States. He knew very well. while ut
terins this fiction, that Price bad been finally
drivee out Of Missouri; that our troops were
driving him out Of Arkansas; that Ken
lucky was no more rebel State than Maryland
or Delaware and that Tennessee might also
be counted out of the list of the Confederate
rebelious States. If Davis had said, 'Our ex-
tensiye Southern coDfederacy of last summer
has been shorn Of more than half its strength
by our late disasters. and very soon this gov
ernment may find it cxpedicnt to retire within
its original boundaries and to its original capi-
tai of Montgomery. Ala, to save ourselves
little longer from being captured by the
armed mcrccnaries of Lincoln be would
doubtless have uttered the thoughts which
were uppermost in his mind while pretending
to believe in the final success Of his exploded
imposture.
How stands the case within those six original
Confederate States, compared with their position
one year ago! At this time last year the flag
of the Union was nowhere to be seen iying
within the limits Of those six States, except
over Fort Sumter. in South Carolina, and Fort
Piclens in Florida. Now the old flag is pretty
well advanced, and is still advancing in South
Carolina and Georgia; has gained an additional
Judgement or two in Florida: is firmly planted
upon the soil of Mississippi and Louisiana, and
penetrated only the other day, amidst the re-
joicings of the people, all the way up the Ten
nessee river to Florence, in Alabama. Mean
time, while the Burnside expedition is steadily
moving on towards the capital Of North Caro-
lima, and while the great overland Western ex-
petition Of Hunter is about to sweep of the rebel
forces from the plains Of Arkansas and Texas. the
only doubt as to the fate of the great rebel
army at Manassas is whether il will wait TO be
cut to pieces by Mcclellan, or save itself by
fight and by destroying the roads and bridges
behind IL.
Davis is aware of all this aud of the over
whelming superiority Of our military forces and
resources on every side, by land and water and
substantially confesses bis critical situation in
his desperate attempt to draw consolation from
the idea that our loyal States, Weighed down
by mountain Of debt, will soon be compelled
to give up the struggle. A year ago "King
Cotton" was pronounced by the rebel chief and
his fellow conspirators as the invincible cham
pion Of Southern independence, and England
and France, for cotton and free trade, were
sure to put an end by force Of arms to elm
coins paper blockade" and war of "Southerp
subjugation." But in any event, down to the
end Of 1861, Big Bethel, Bull run, Balls Bluff
and Belmont were held as establishing the
lighting capabilities Of the rsbellious South on