Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-05-17
Reconstrucuon-on What Basis.
BIT HORACE GREELEY.

THE slave states of Maryland, Kentucky
Missouri, which, with the Federal District,
were early clutcbed at by the insurgents
in the palmy days Of the struggle, are now
fully and undiSputedly possessed by the Ma.
tion. OF Tennessee and Virginia, at least
half are again under sway Of the stars and
siupcs The Sea Islands of S. Carolina and
Georgia are firmly held by the Union forces.
while The fall If Fort Pulaski has sealed the
port of Savannah, rendering that city of no
commercial importance. Florida, divested
of rebel troops, might be completely regain.
ed 10 the republic by 5000 men in the
course of month while The capture Of
N. Orleans by Gen. Buffers expedition
has bereft the Shareholders rebellion of by
far its largest and most important mart
and nearly stopped the clandesline trade
between the West Indies and the Gulf coast.
North Carolina and Virginia have no re-
naming sen port, Wilmington, perhaps ex.
cepted, into which cargo Of arms or mill.
lary stores can be run for the use of
Jefferson Davis IL Co. so that Charlest on
remains practically the only available rebel
port, and that can only be run into by
swift vessels in very dark nights, when
they can pass within musket shot of the
blockadng feet without being perceived.
The rebels must therefore speedily assume
the ffenSive, and win decisive victories, or
their last hope will be stihed. They cannot
stand still they have lost too much ground
they cannot maintain their armies on what
is left to them ; they may tear every white
youth from his home by conscription, but
they cannot clothe, arm, equip, and proyiS-
ion the number they already have in the
field for over three months longer Four
months of unbroken disaster have brought
them to the brink of ruin nothing short of
overwhelming lriumphs, promptly achieved
can save them from going over. Who be.
lieves it probable that they are about TO a.
chieve these
Two months more of such progress as ei-
ther two of the last four will see the rebel.
lion virluelly suppressed-ils military pow.
er completely broken. The next Fourth OF
July now seems likely to see it as complete.
y aud hopelessly shattered as British do.
minion over this country was after the sur.
render of Yorktown
And then /?
Let us suppose the Confederacy goes out
by silent collapse--some of its leaders being
taken prisoners, Others escaping or being
inscrutaby hidden by their humber satel.
lites while the national armies, no longer
resisted, replace the federal flag on the
domes Of Richmond, Raleigh, Charleston,
Milledgeville, Montgomery, etc amid de
jected aud sullen populations Resistance
to the federal arms has been forborne in de.
spair acquiescence of the negative, pas.
slve sort has replaced il but cheerful obe
dience is confined to those who never were
heartily traitors, and more especially to the
rugged and billy regions where slavery new
er existed 10 such strength as to poison the
fountains OF loyalty. "Order reigns in Var.
saw )" but II is upheld aud enforced at q
cost OF not less than 81 900, 600 per day
by the bayonets Of half million northern