Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1862-01-13


1t is lawful to be taught by your foe, says
the old Latin proverb, and just now the
rebels are painting us most instructive les
son. We find it in the Richmond Dispatch
of the I'd of January, where that paper is
discussing the imminent and awful danger
from which, in its view, the South has lust
escaped. 1t says:
The developments of the last four weeks
of the war have been the most remarkable
that have occurred during its entire pro-
eress. The beginning of December saw the
Yankees in full force, apparently ready for
decisive battle at all the important points of
the frontier. On the Potomac they had the
best appointed army on the continent, stated
pY their own authority to be two hundred
thousand strong. In Kentucky they had
massed together two immense forces, of
thirty to fifty thousand EACH which menaced
Columbus and Bowling Green, and all indi-
cations pointed with certainty to an imme-
diate advance upon our lines, at a time when
we were weak and were poorly able to with.
stand assault from heavy columns Zolli.
Golfer was pressed before Cumberland Gap
by force more than double his own: Pound
Gap was at the mercy of Nelson, having only
thousand men to oppose against ten thou
SAND; Sosecrans was on the Gauley with an
army which be now confesses to have been
fifteen thousand strong, against FLOYD, hay-
ing only twenty three hundred mep; Rsy-
nods was on Cheat Mountain with Ave thou
sand, Opposed by Johnston with only twelve
or fourteen hundred; and Sherman had sue
ceeded in landing fifteen or twenty thousand
men at Beaufort, while we had in that region
at the time but a few thousand forces, little
better than militia, poorly provided with
arms and ammunition. And to crown all,
the splendid weather invited them to the
charge.
Then was presented the golden opportun-
ity to strike at every one of these points.
Bold, effective blows, stricken then simul-
taneously by all their armies, could not have
failed to crush our strength in several quart
ers, ard put gloomy face upon our affairs.
Success at Columbus and Bowling Green
would have been almost annihilatipg to our
fortunes in the West. Success at Cumber-
land and Pound Gaps would have cut our
connections with Tennessee and Kentucky y
irretrieyably. Success in capturing our
army in the Kanawhs would have laid open
all middle Western Virginia next spring to
the easy invasion of the enemy. A vigorous
push from Beaufort upon the Charleston and
Savannah Railroad would have separated
those two cities, and cut our army of the
seabOaId in two.
DuL tne eDbhy nave let lne g0l0en Opp0r-
tunity slip through their fingers They have
allowed US to make good our defenses in
every threatened quarter. The energy oI
the Southern people has been aroused by the
imminent danger, and we are now safe iu
every point where before we were so vulner.
able. Our danger is passed, and we are NOS
| at liberty to speculate upon the blindness OF
imbecility which prevented the enemy from
using an opportunity which will never re.
turn to him.
There is some truth in this. Our military
leaders have had the rarest opportunities fol
striking an effective blow, which they have
neglected. Duponts expedition was delayed
one month behind its time, and then wen
off only half furnished with troops. Burn
sides feet is still kept back in the same way
and by the same influences, though he ant
his transports have long since been ready
and thousands of soldiers eager to take par
tn the adventure