The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-12-22
A CHEERING VIEW OF THE .sITUA-
TION IN TRANS-MIssIsSIPPI.

We extract the following encouraging views
from an article 10 the Mobile "News:"
When Beast Butler was removed from New Or
leans and Banks was sent TO take his place, the
latter brought fifteen or twenty thousand men with
him. With these, and the small fragments of
Buffers army, he was expected TO reduce Port
Hudson,.to to occupy Alexandris, and 70 overrun
most of the sugar producing portion OF the State.
He succeeded, by the aid of the navy, and as
corolaEy of the fall of vicksburg, in captu1ug
Port Hudson. Ho entered Alexandria only TO fall
back, after q few days, with the loss ef all the
military stores mt Berwick's Bay. The COpicd-
crate 'pickets, indeed, were close enough 10 New
Orleans at one time, to the spires o! 81. Pat
rick's Church. He was ordered to make expe-
diton to Mobile and capture us all hercj and two
corps OF Grants army, terribly reduced by the
siege ofA icksburg, we're sent TO him Ms reinforce
ments. These reinforcements only made hs army
about as large as il when he first went 10 New
OrleaDs-for Port Hudson, battle and disease had
fesrfully thinned bis ranks. About this time,
such demonstrations were made upon bis left by
our Trans Mississippi forces, under General Kir-
by Smith, as to induce him. to abandon the doubt
ful enterprise of capturing Mobile. The plan was
postponed, and grand Louisiana Texas expedi-
tioH. organized. What the result Of that expsdi-
tion has been we now know.
Thus We see what it has all cost. Butler'sar-
my, Banks original army, aud two corps OF Grants
army, have accomplished next to nothing in the
long period OF nineteen months; and the federAs
really hold little more of Louisiana than they did
month after Farragut anchored bis ships OF war
opposite New Orleans.
1t is true they have injured us, but they have
not benefited themselves. II they bad reaped
gain corresponding to our loss they might well
boast; but they have not. With all their troops,
and all their ships, land all their money, they can
not show any material advance towards the con-
quest OF louisiana after nineteen months ofsteady
and persistent effort.
This, too when they had every advantage.
They bad oil appliances Of war, By land aud by
sea. We, on the contrary, had nothing, after the
fall Of Vicksburg, but the soil aud the men-''the
kindly fruits of the EARTH" aud a people brave
enough Gas little bravery this requircs TO resist
the invasion Of a vandal foe. With all these cir
cumstances against them :he people Of Trans Mis-
sissippi have made what we may well call heroic
defense of their eoaatry-and il will be 90 adjadg-
ed in history.
Now, then, let the Yankees send their .expedi.
ton to Texas--what avails il? II they cannot
conquer Louisiana, permeated as che is with nayi-
gable waters, how they conquer Texas? Tex
is larger territorially than oil New England aud
New York put together. 1t is not iaterseated by
navigabie streams. Ii is an eApirs itself, large
enough to hold, and feed, and sustain the whole
population Of the Confederate States. The tex
pedition" there may succeed, 10 certain extert,
in one Of It's objects, which is nothing more nor
less than to steal cotton. But for conquest and
occupation Of the country, the thing is too a5surd
to be thought of.
On the whole, we rather think that the enemy
will, ia the language Of the law, take nothing BY
the motion Of their Trans Mississippi campaign.
They have already robbed the people Of all tho
negroes, and cotton, and sugar that canC In their
way. And there is nothing more to steal, where
they have any chance Of going in safety They
may gracefully retire now, with the honors Ouch
as they are) Of indiscriminate pillsge and they
may rest assured that these hoDors viii be freely
accorded them by those who have been their vio-
tins, and BY the impartial pen Of history.