Washington telegraph., 1862-05-21

COnfe3eracy We will be honest with oul
readers, and warned by the past, confess tha
we have no firm assurance of the adequacy o.
Richmond defences, and would not be at al
surprised 10 hear by the next accounts which
reach us from beyond the Mississippi, that it.
too, has gone. 1t may be considered the most
p atriotic thing to indulge in gasconade. We
will not show our patriotism in any such man.
ner. we will look things in the face, and be
honest, that we may have the confidence of our
| readers
And now promising this, we have the power
| to assure them that never before has the end
| of the contest seemed to US so near. We do
| not wish to be paradoxical. But we assert
that we verify believe the conquest Of New Or
leans will reveal to the enemy the hopelessncss
of the conflict, is pt the certainty Of ire
| tricvable ruin.
We have not made GU. hopes at anJ time
| depend on vi ctories in arms. Those who have
trusted in that have had too frail dependence,
and dis appointment has resulted in gloom and
dependency. The loss of our cities and forts
and vessels of war, have had such etfecr
| upon us We have not counted Oh such slender
chances The game We play is "a sure one.
| however this battle or tlat may turn.
We have relied from the first simply on this,
that the spirit, unanimity. and unconquerable
| pride Of Southern people would compel them
to prolong the contest beyond the power OF
| the old government to sustain. That, whether
| victorious or defeated, every step would cost
our enemy heavily, and that sooner or later he
| W ould fall exhausted and relrluish the con-
| test
| That is the inevitable end, and it seems to Us
| ap proacling new more nearly, whilst those
who have spcuted of our vast superiority. and
sneered NJ all who claimed for them any equa'-
jty of proves, are mortified and humiiiited
by our rcverses before the very armies which
they have been in the habit OF depreciati 7
as cowardlv. Having never supposed 50 our
selves, we do not attach the same gloomy i'm
portan nee to the casualties of war.
The Northern Government has sustained
itself upon a brilliant hope. We think they
have been in earnest in their belief. The i'm
mense expenditures they have incurred Is
proof of that. They have deluded themselves
with the idea, that the Possession OF South
ern ports would enab lie them to restore South
ern trade with foreign nations, especially
that in cotton and tobacco. That the inhabi-
tants of the South ci her from Indifference as
to Governme Mt, OIL IA Yankee idea enough
lured by hope of gain, would still produce and
trade under the old banner of old. They
dreamed OF the time when Fe lrral arms would
restore the old intercourse with North and
| South, aud repay the enorin ms outlay, for 50
| rich an inheritance about to elule their grasp.
Nothing but experiment would convince
| them of their error. Northern men never
| really understood the spirit and seniu, of the
South. Nashville was t. them bitter dIsap-
| pointment. Boat loa,is of goods followed the
army there from the north western cities They
| came iubilant with the hope OF speculation,
expecting to return with cotton and tobacco
| taken in exchange. They could neither sell
nor Inv. All around them 10000 bales were
riyen to the flames The city has never been
to them worth Il dolla r, in a civil or military
point of view.
Still, it was hoped that the great cotton
interest would be more potent than patriotism,
where it was larger. New Orleans was the
great central depot of the South The mighty
Mississippi di sgorged there, year by year, a
wealth greater than any city OF the world con-
trolel. Tha. might retrieve their fortunes
They took it; and what have they accomplish
eds What has been the use to them all 1.-The
labor with which they labored under the sun!
To what end has bee n ali the fabulous expense
of the expeditions which it has cost them to
accomplish their object:
They do not get bale for exportation.-
They see that they can hope no more. All is
sacrificed. They thong hit they would grasp
| tempting fruit whose lusciou juices would re-
store their sinking frames, already much ex-
hausted. Like that of the Dead Sea shore, II
was ashes and bitterness to the taste. Nay
more They see from the determine ton OF
the plan ters that no thing useful to them VIII
ever be produced VIII list they remain, and that
as long as they hold the South they hold a
desert, where all to them is danger, without a
| hope of profit.
And one Sc rious question must begin now to
obt: ude itself upon them, which mu-t be ans
wered. They have assured fareisn nations OF
their ability to open the ports. restore the
| Union, and revive the trade, for the want OF
which the world air eady languishcs. They
have taken the COTTON port of the world
Where Is the fuhllmeut of their promise! The
time has arrived for the verifcatiou of their
assurance. othing is left them 5ut blank
confes sion Of their inability. They have
whe edled and cajoled the planters almost ad
nGuseum, TO send their cotton 1t all burnt.
They have nothin 9 left them now but hope
less insolvency, without ray of light. They
1 cam OF maintain the war for want of means
They must cease. The expenses of their gov
ernment is FIVE millions day 1t costs them
| more in one month than the whole annual ex-
| pense of the British Government durinr the
| Crimean war. They have few resources left.
| Thu r credit must fail with the eaormitv of its
| load, and the manifest filacy Of the promises
upon which it is bas ed. Neither nations nor
men float long en- false appea RANGES. We will