Washington telegraph. [volume] (Washington, Ark.) 1839-1871, 1863-03-04

| lie
gale may still sweep the deck. and the spray
of the broken waves may still be drenching the
rigging, but his quick eye can detect the signs
OF the spent fury of the elements He knows
that each blast will come with weaker strain
upon the cordage; and that each wave will
strike the vessel with diminished shock. He
still neglects no precaution, and abates no eff
fort, for these are at all times the price of
safety. But his mind is at ease.
Even so, reviewing the PAST history and
present condition of this war, We may mark
its phases, and see very clearly that the crisis
has passed, Whilst we observe all precautions,
and relax no efforts, we may already lift up our
hearts in gratitude to Him who rules over all
be cnuse He has delivered our nation from the
han DIS of the mighty.
1t is only at the North that these phases
have occurred. From the first, one only senti
ment has pervaded the Southern mind, and
still exists. 1t has been calm determinati on
to separate ourselves from the North, at any
| cost, accompanied by our unfalterinc assurance
of final success. Victory, which has rendered
nnduly. Defeat has not discouraged us at all
We scarcely seem to hava lost our temper. Il
is very remarkable that we have ever hell
ready to pr fer, the olive branch. We have
not even indu iged threats of future revenge
Whilst our statesmen have preserved the un
bending frmn ess of those who consciously
execute the 6ecrees of fate, they have at tn
| anne time. exhibited the calm dignity of tina,
higher humanity which regards war as a nee
essary evil. and peace and good will as the
atural and fitting condition of all mankind
L Leg Lave looked with indifference upon the
outside Infue ces of the old nations of the
world. They have net sought nor rejected
foreign aid. They have not deprecated for.
egn wrath. From the beginning and now.
we have been. and are. sufficie t unto ourselves
in deed and in hope. We ask 10 help, and
require no encoura cement.
1t viii he curious and instI uctive page Of
history which records this contrast between
Southern constancy. and the varying mood of
the Northern mind, the progress of event
has, one by one. revealed to them the danger
! first, and tien the certainty of the loss of the
| rich empire of the South, which made thea
era nd among the nations. None of them he
. lieved that at first and the democrats sold
themselves to the Black Republicans for mess
of pottage. Looking upon the suppression Of
the rebellion a. easy and certain, and suppo-
| sing that it would become odious hereafter, a.
was the case with the Hartford Convention,
and the whiskey instruction, and Shay's re
bellion and .he Rhode Island war. and fearing
that heir rivals, the Black Republicans. would
ASSOCIATE them with that odium. the Demo-
Gratis were the most furious of all the warriors
for the Union. In this first phase of til
naughty arrogance of conscious power, tn.
most conspi edous feature is the indecent levitl
always exhibited by little minds in the pros
pect of humbling those whose moral and soci
superiority makes them ashamed. The war
was considered frolic. The people chuckle'i
! over the astounding energy Of Lincoln, in Call
/ ing for 5000 men, instead of 10000 men.
which would be amply sufficient. The rebels
would. no doubt, be aghast with terror. They
would fall upon their knees at tie approach oi
50 vast a concoursr of superior men, with SUI
perior eapons superio~ intel igence, and SUI
pcrior physical frames. 1t would be short
aud decisive exercise of energy, wherein much
fun was to be hal and little danger. The
first men of the cities ard the hamlets went forth
to revel, not in the =. halls of the Montezumas,"
hut easier and peasanter far, in the mansions
of Virginia gentlemcu. They provided cham
payne ind coIkscrews, and rpuch bravery of
dress and apparel. They thought of dancing
in the saloons OF Richmond. AMI other of the
old cities of the Old Dominion, where Southern
beauties. whose fathers had been humbled, and
| perhaps handculfed. would lavish their smiles
| upon the potent conquerors. Great was Billy
| Wilson in those days. Nose" and ''Syksey'
were exalted in the hope Of plumber. They
ina gned themselves driving cut d" Lie" be-
| fore spans of Southern horses. A hero and Il
martyr eas Ellsworth.
| Verify, if the angels 10 weep at fantastic
folly, aud pity the fatal decisions of erring
man. what shower must have been wrung
from their eyes as, in their prophetic vision
aruse the fields of Bull Run and Manassas, AMI
they saw that grand AIRY go over the Potomac
so full of Haunting insolence: so loud in
thourhtles boasts. But swift destruction
fell upou them: AND THE NORTH WAS CHANGED
FROM THAT HOUR.
! They were bafiled. bat not humbled. They
| still retained confidence in their vast resources
and great multituies. They still believed
themselves irresistible and then, too. they
| first began to realize the dlngers of their po-
| siti M The time of serious an earnest effort
arrived. There was no more leyi:y- but gigln =
tic preparations. 1t was the dark period OF
our history-the height of the storm. For a
while the clouds lowered very heavily upon IA
We will not recapitulate the history. From
| Il first battle of Manassas to the second. the
enemy were seriously aware of the nagn itude
Of the struggle, and put forth all their efforts :;
but they were confident of power, hopeful
united. For long period all their calls for
hundreds of thousands of men were responded
to. with alacrty. Their numbers seemed I'M
limited their wealth inexhaustible We re-
manned anxious but determined; firm and
pra, erfuG. Our prayers have been answered.