Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-04-01
Endurance the Test of Strength.

At the close Of the Third volume of
ALLIsOS's History of Europe, (HARPER's
edition, speaking of the disastrous retreat
of NAPoLEAS from Moscow, in relation to
the causes which produced that memora-
BILE catastrophe, the author considers how
| far it was owing to the sudden coming on
of the winter full fortnight earlier than
was expected or how far it was owing to
any special interposition of Divine ProYi-
dence, and then at last well remarks that
it is more CONSTANT with our ideas Of the
established order of the Universe "tO behold
IN 1t the consequence of the fixed moral
laws oil our being than any special out
pouring of Celestial wrath Il acas tie ne
csSstty q conquest 70 sristsItce, which NAPo4
LEAN so often felt and so strongly express
ed, which was the real cause which nre.
cipitated him upon the SHOWS of Russia y
! The moment in the history of any GOV
eminent conquest becomes necessery IN
existence, Generals must and will run
risks and engage against odds which are
certain finally to prove their ruin. If We
apply this principle TO the war in which
! we are now engaged, we have simply to
| inquire who can longest continue TO carry
on the present struggle scit,0en being VIC
I torious, to know who will have to give
way first, and who will prove victorious.
The first strain of war comes upon the
purse, and the question then is, how long
can the South hold out with prices adj
yaneing upon the purse, and the question
then is, how long can the South hold out,
with prices advancing upon them at pre-
sent rates. The prices of food, clothing.
and all the neceSsaries of life are about
one thousand per cent. higher throughout
the entire South now than before the war
began. 1t is not luXuries merely or chief
ly. things which cus be dispensed with on
a pinch, but salt, pork, flour, sugar, mo
lasses-all that is necessary 10 feed and
clOthe the negro as well as thewhite man
has risen in that proportion. This
must make the expense of carrying on
the war ten times more than the same
efforts would naturally occasion.
Prices have raisen with US. But it is
chiefly in regard to matters of luxury OF
of speculation, that prices are advancing,
and not 10 the same ruinous rates. The
question IS, how long the cities of the
South can exist. and those classes who
are unable to earn money or are depend
ent on fixed salaries, annuities, or past
earnings? How are widows and orphans
TO be supported? Now, we may and
must grant that, at this moment, the en-
tire South IS more on IRE in regard to this
war than We are or have been. But they
are not on the whole more unanimous now.
If so much so. At the beginning of the
war, only few leaders were really in
earnest for war of separation, and the
rest were dragged into the struggle
Then, as it progressed, they became more
unanimous. But now, how many do we
hear of who are becoming wholly indiffer-
ent. On the contrary, with us all parties
seem to be increasingly unanimous, now
that all compromises are impossible and
and feel that the sooner and the
more resolutely the thing is fought
through the better Mr. john VAN BU-
rem and Mr.. SUMNER are now quite agreed
as to the necessity of vigorous prosecu-
ton Of the war.
Life is, however, after all, the great fl
nal test of endurance in war. Who can
longest continue to raise the most men
,0itkom being victorious must at last be
There is no doubt but that
the Southern conscriptiOn has, thus far,
been far more Tigidly executed, and pro
duced more men in proportion, than our
acts have. But when we con-
slider the numbers and the classes upon
which they have had to draw, IN order 10
recruit their armies to carry the war thus
ar, and the wholesale unexempting ma
.ure of their drafts it is evident that only
he hopes of invading the North, and of
iome sudden victory or foreign interven-
ion, have sustained them, while we have
yet hardly begun to feel the strain of
on our white population, or
% use, to any extent, our colored people,
hould we find it difficult to raise men
Without using them. .-.. .. ....1,,
All that is, necessary Is not to throw
lway our strength, nor waste any fairand
ecure opening, but to discipline our for
.es, not feed the enemy with victories,
blow up our vessels rather than surrender
hem, recover the coast, and watch all
outlets and frontiers, and time must re-
,over the rest, rs the South cannot keep
he field without victory. '..r.' f.lf