Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-05-11
The Situation of Affairs in tho South and West

The Situation Of Affairs in tho South and West
Fr,m the Richmond Examiner.
Great anxiety has long been felt for the condition
of affairs in the West. So little IS known oil the &C
tual state OF things, that the public has only been :.
able to await, with as much eo,rposure IS possible,
the development of events. These are very SLOW IN
transferring. AT Yicksburs, and immediately on the
Mississippi no decided disaster has happened to us.
Yet We have lost the Queen OF the West by the ia
taIity which hangs upon Mr. MALLORY and several
vessels have passed our batteries at Vieksburg and
Port Hudson, closing our regular Communication
With the trans Mississippi region. General Dick
TAYLOR, the brother-in-law OF Mr.. DAVIS, as usual
vita the favorltes Of that gentleman, has been IN <.
lucky in Louisiana, and permitted the greater part
of that gallant but unfortunate State TO be ovcrrua
by the Aboltionists The unhappy measures OF
!! Generals HoEaEs and HINDMAN have lost Arkansas as
: completely as Lo lisi,na to our arms; and the first
ray of hope that begins to come to US, from beyond
the great river, is coupled with the name Of General
PRIcE. The great blunder Of removing that remark
! able man from the true theatre of mis- genius is repair
ed at the eleventh hour; and at the very moment
when all was about to 10 given up as lost in Mis-
souri, and Arkansas, hope is again revived by the re-
sounding steps of the Missouri hero upon his familiar
) war paths. The presence of General PEIcE in Mis-
S souri, is the presence fan army; aud the existence
Of Confederate army IN that field, is worth two
States to the Confederacy. 1t distracts Federal at
81 it~aAtaehes sa4ensirea arms
q from its declining forces east of the Mississippi: ii
~OAN0 49, NHS OasA~NA 1tlLiCi Vi d
great and vast country to rally around; and in the
end, when peace ensues, it must bring domain and
empire to the Confederacy.
If four batteries at Vlcksburg, Port Hudson and
Grand Gulf can be held against the treraendous prep
w arations of the enemy to resist them, we shall have
defeated the vital object of the enemy's whole cam
paign IN the West. The invasion OF Middle Tennes-
see, the reduction of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri.
the occupation Of West Tennessee and North Missis-
=, sippl and the possession of Kentucky, are all bat
parts of the great plan which has for It's object the
:" possession of the Mississippi Channel. RosENcRANz
IS bat conducting a flank movement against our WORKS
b.. at ElckSOurg. The operations projected from Mem.
RI phis as a base into North Mississippi, and all the
transactions in Arkansas and Louisiana, have as their
Fh leading design the reduction cf Vicksburg and
ct Port Hudson and the clearance OF the river channel.
re The enemy himself regards this enterprise as of inf.
ed nitely more importance than even the capture of
=. Richmond, and be Is pursuing it with a breadth of
!" preparation, a agnitude OF physical and material
We power, and an energy and perseverance of purpose
,. commensurate with the trarscend9nt Importance of
&c the Undertaking. The officer on our side entrusted
!. with the resistance Of these formidable measures of
the enemy is Geneaal PEMBERToN, a man who NAV
y competent and skillful, bnr whose anteceden,s do
not seem to have warranted his promotion to a Lien
cd tenant Generally over the heads OF men who had
le seen actual battle, and who were natives to the
re Southern soil. Let US hope, however, that this until
now untried general may rise to the great occasion
I'd which he IS made to confront, and that his success
may prove the more brilliant and acceptable to the
st coant'y, because it was painfully unexpected.
In Middle Tennessee tue prospect is more honeful
OF and the tenor of advice coming thence far more cheer
er full. Indications seem to show that General JOHNSTON
er mas determined upon an advance movement, and that
a the able but sluggish Iosencranz, who is rather an
n engineer than . General, viii be compelled 10 leave
his mathematical lines, and.be forced to mano,uvre
in opened field. We fear, however, that General
johnston does not possess a force as strong as safety
and certainty OF success would require, and that his
or movements may DC also embarrassed by Bnrns;da,s
OF imputed march in the direction Of Cumberland Gap
and East tennessee. at all events, tho greatest con-.
fdence IS felt in that quarter in tue success of our
'n arms and this confidence, pcrvading alike the army
al and the population, is itself a very Important guarran-
tee of victory.
lat The fortunes Of the, Gonfederacy.are to be decided
on during the next ninety days in the Valley Of thu
n Mississippi and i the situation of affairs there /
be not as encouraging as might be desired, still II i e.,
lat more promising than it was at the close of the last ses
Tor sion's c%anlpaisn. and is certainly a subject rathe,
It'll ofhope than ofdespondency.
he ~
,er HE ALABAMA report has come from New Or
ne leans that the S. S. A4absma, Captain Semme 8
KS had captured =" %AspinWall New York steamer Mo
SEES TAYLOR. NiE.l = fTc9Cr1ra fra;obt or