Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-08-04
Tho Fate of Richmond

The Fate OF Richmond
Th4 following sppeae ed in yesterdays papers under
he head of "hts Northern news"
"A~icles that have appeared almost simultaneously
in the three Rspu7loIn papers Of this c7 NsW York;
20 TO sh,v tat the ruy of the Potomac ls hereafter
to sgt mainly e defensive, while aggressive opera
tons are 70 continue 10 the South aud Southwest"
Foo, who, With your painted mule, as tho cOu try
man sad when he saw the Z9bTl. This is the same
song that ng iu before Hooker plunged into the
Wilderness Toe Yankees managed tnen TO produce
be impression that HoOksf's army reduced almost
to an equality with Lees aud generally wss this be-
Ieved that We vel remember 10 have heard an intel
ligent oscr Of Lees army declsre positively, that
lockers force ID no. exceed, if it reached seventy
tiou and The ct is, the Yankees had in stsf,rd,
througaout the winter, fully 100000, AID sorns say
600 men, OF whom more than 100000 we're en-
gagged In the bate of Charlottesville. II this had
been known the Confederate Government Longstreet
would not hsv, been the 6ooess eIpsdi. on to
Suffolk, 1t would have remsined Ni;h LIE ami helped
70 make the battle of CsanCeIlorsyils decisive.
II is TO be no ed hat We will not sglin be deceived
IS 70 the s.reng of the "Army Of the Potomac"
che Indie atoms are that Meade already feels bims,f
strong en)ug TO give battle on ground Of Lees own
choosing. The cavalry fight Saturday las was only
Reconnaissance n force 10 ascertain Lees position
and strength, preparatory TO an attack on hin, while
the Rlpdan Ia in hi rear We have reasOn 10 believe
nat Ns4Ge vii 10: b. gratiied. Lee viii, Doubtless,
ou, the RapidA1 in ais trout AMI select field nery
possible A4v'nsgeous " himself the bills at Get
sysburg wer, to 4 ale.
It Is almost certain that Meade s being reinforced
every day. week ago it WAS ramorod sh4G Is 900 of
Gran t Oop, had jeil-d him; and, If that ruROr
veil founded as believe i. to have been, there
Title doubt they I've been followed by Is 900, per
laps 50, 900 more making Neade's aggregate Strength
not lee than 10000 Aad perhaps many as 10000
lighting men With this force, h. ought % be able
to rsue Lee across the RapidAn, and deliver general
engagement somewhere ia OEnge.
Il is worthy OF remark that after the exchange Of
prisoners had ceased entirely, g Of truce boat sud-
dsny and without warning appeared At City Point hay
ng on board number OF ma1gled Confedera;es and
budget Of Yankee papers, auo bsu the identical Re-
publican papers that pretend that Neade's army is
going 70 act the defensive. Sal further 10 Closk
.belr design the New York Times comes on. 10 Ia
pored article to show that the proper mode of taking
Richmond is By the junolare Of Giant with Rosecgans
be Occupation OF East Tennessee, and advance into
be hesrE the CouiederAcy, tnSs compelling Lss 70
,yacul,e ohmond without fight
ThiIi. very cunning, bps vii not answer Gen. Lees
ell 'oF OPS, and the Presdsns Proclamation to the
olters ind s that they are alive to toe crisis, and
teel that the fate of Richmond may be decided at
early dAy, by tFia arms more SERGE and. Sgainst
yrssteT 4, n in any previous engagement in Nir-
gina A a Why not After Visksbwg sad Per; Bgd
oa bad fallen after Bragg and Johnston had leucset,
4 sftsr the desdly heat of sumner in t . extreme
Southern States had set IN what better disposition could
ee made OF e,ln: Sld r Grams 81 TO bling them
quickly to Aesie's assistance, and SO csush Lae at
susl Bow! Vicksburg surreL1ercd on the 4th of
July and Port HaiscE on the 9Th, and commenced
T. retreat rom Jackson between the Is AMI 2Oh. 1t
STOW tie 4th of Augcst With the immense facilities
Of transportation at the enemye command all or near
al, o: Grant and R3secran armies could be eonceI-
.,a.ed In Virginia within ten days two weeks from
his ine-certsinly before the close OF the preselt
n1n.h. Bot Meade would no. wait for al Of the TO
arrive if he az . good chance Of falling upon
Lee Say lie las to-day 600 men, With r,inioic
meatS arriving hOudy. lie has pretty accurate idea
Of Lees myth and knows that Bragg and Johnston
arc ave or SIX hundred miles away, with few lines Of
broken GoEu railroads 10 i called to Lees aid
Beapregard Is kept busy at Charleston Nov, what
niaders toe crushing Of Lee the enveOpng him with
heavy cOnyergDg columns and the forcing of him, step
BY step MO ard perhaps Of the entrenchmens Of
RichmOni? It would be, perhaps the very best
thing tia enemy could do. And if he could force
Lee to an Engagement and over~heln him with num-
bers, this saving the expense and time of siege, it
~. e, "a,
For these reasons We believe great battle st
hand For thsse reasons Lee needs 10 Do strength
sned BY every available man. Tue gres. prize seems
The enemy to be already within bis grasp. Let us,
b. usnfu endsavOur, and sircere appeal for Dvil
gdsree aud favour in this browning hOer of trial.
il from him.