Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-07-09
The Fall o. Yicksburg.

rendered 20 the enemy the 4h inst In anticipation
Of this event. far back the 9Srd Of Nay gave
exp esOn 10 our views 10 the foIoHiEg paragraphs,
which msy be pardoned for reproducing, since they
smbody sgntnent' warmly cherished by US to-day as
when the calamity Wss Only held in apprehension:
"SIppose Yieksburg has alan-the army inside Of
the Notifications captured destroyed-Port Hudson
reduced sbsndonei-the Mississippi in il whole
length controlled by tas enem and she COniederaey
Temporal " for the remainder Of the war
n tEan. Suppose iGrher that this really great
TO the foe and c1e disaster 20 ourselves IS
teuded with consequences certain as they de-
pOrabs-increassd enthusiaam at the North, the
triumphant vndicaton Of the tyranny Washington,
eOnseapGOn enforced even At the Northwest Without
opposition, perhaps revival of the spirit of vouu-
teerng, peace pr les crushed forever men ard money
to endless obSiled, AND Europe, busy With
lis OWn troubles, s7ed Ito permanen. sil,nce. Sup
pose al this-ior it becomes Us nov So consider the
worst possible aspee, OF tao clse-sh4t theng
"Olr duty will then be precisely what it has alsays
bees-tO main.aia tie Cause una,ReLngy aud 70 e4-
hibit sPiri. more iadO be aud per Isle than that
&c lie enemy. Nothing Is to be giaed by dspOn-
deucy; al that has been los. may 90 regsi!ed By for
tituie and perseverance. great v,t9ry would
" have proved, applreEI tae sagacity Of the
appointment which has brought us 50 great trou-
bes gcea. deiess shoulI silence the clamor which
cannot az al undo eve; Of The pa I The unwis.
dom Of rulers must be oorue tls maniuly - the
evils OBJECTED by tie enemy. The bitterness Of heart
WHICH breeds despondency and disafeoiion Was 10.
triuuyhs, repairs 10 disaster, sudaas no cause
Greatness Of soul epls all the ca!4es OF var IN
the 4PTi. 0: defiance aud rises u3sros TO every mis-
"foyt NJ. If elano, bear defeat as well rs te
" YaUsees, unworthy to be rec Until some
ole o. our large armies has been beaten as often and
. as severely As the Yankee Army CT the Potomac We
cannot say courage has been fully tested or cur
ability to conquer peace and independence Las been
established
Should Pember.oH aud his whole Amy De captured
there will sill be left in She SOa,hEest materials for
vety isrge army under Johnston. Pembertos's men
vii soon b. returned TO duty by exchange the bal
anee being now greatly in our favor. Besides John
son's army, there Siu be others as large or larger
under Lee, BSauregard and Bragg The combined
tOrc's OF Kifoy Smith, Msguler and Price make an
army nearly equal to either Of las above. So IOrg
as these great leaders and great ses are LEFT to US
SO long as even one Of them remains uncrushed,
4" the cause is safe
Serious disasters have heretofore be- aided impor-
tAnt reforms decided improvement a the organiza-
to- Of our forces revival Of energy, an accession
Of strength in all the H2teGa Of war followed by
" Succession Of brilliant victories TIE fall Of Donel-
sou, Memphis and New Orleans preuded a'summer Of
heroic achievements in which the enemy wa, nearly
" everywhere pushed back TO his own soil
Scoring to initiate the Yankee by undermining the
consequences Of the fall Of Vioksburg we may yet,
with reason count upon compensation in the approach.
ing campaign TIE loss OF Yieksburg, if it have no
other good eject will secure in the future against
the appointment OF entirely inexperienced Generals
OF this may be perieels sure. Moreover, it will
add TO the strength Of armies. This is q neces-
atty. The North, Stimulated by successes will hurl
its myriaGs upon Us, and We must meet them with
every available Withia two years We have Ws-
stood fourteen hundred thousand Of the Vandals;
what shall hinder from withstandng as many more
during the year to come; Nothing bur want of that
manhood which the South has never yet failed 10 show
We have veterans cOmnar Odd by great Generals; the
enemy Rave recruits commanded by Generals inferior
" 70 our OWL Let them come on. We will see whose
heart is the stOutest let the war list as long as
- may
The reduction Of Yicksburg Is cOusummAtiOu to
any s than those they have put forth for the capture
Of Richmond. They have regarded that city as the
key 70 the ocmmsreial Of the Mississippi, a by
the full command Of the river they expect so completely
Isolate the great Trans Mississippi country as to rer-
der lie subjUgatiOn easy and its return to tie Union
certain IL now to be tested to what extent these sx-
psOAdOns lave b en- vel founded
In regard 70 the 6rst the commercial use Of tie river
which has been the object for which the great States
Of the Northwest have been putting forth such tremen
dO1s sTortswe do not how it is possible for them
70 enjoy il FOR distance Of at least two thousand
nilss tbs Mississippi flows through eOuA;ry hostile to
the Yankee and Government. Anywhe along
tae whole distance steamboats, would be in reach Of can
Do0-ge0srally in reach of the riHe-from eheEshore.
IL not possible for the enemy to maintain such
guard OF the river prevent batteries Of Flying Ar
lsfy from either shore, and shsrpshooters at all adyan
iageous points, plying upon the vulnerable vessels
with asal effect, ana picking OF pilots and officers
whenever they venture TO show Themselves. Com
merco il not qnte Eeutnresome enough 10 run such
gauntlet that The people OF she Northwest viii End
their hopes deeeiVe6. They VIII discover that the
FromsSs Of Lincoln hive been fIaciOus end that their
great expenditure Of lie AMI means has been all in
vain. Aud in this disappointment will come reaction
under the SOLDERING influence Of which hey may be able
TO discover hst peace the only policy by which they
can wiz back what they 50 madly threw away.
As to The second calculation, that BY bsectng the
COnfsderaey, and cutting of the country West of the
Mississippi from communication with the East they may
easily ovezrun there is as little or less reason foF is