Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-06-18
Rr0ln the Daily of June 10.
An Impartial View Of the 'ssitua-
tiun.~

ineIe are NcrN many WIZ bciloN' VI
profess to believe that no progress has
has been made by the North in this war
for the maintenance of the Union. Those
who merely profess TO believe this, are of
the copperbead persuasion, whose intense
ly patriotic programme contains this
among It's parts--to convince the people
that the war is a failure, and the attempt
to coeroe or punish traitors, and thereby
restore the Union, is hopeless. OF those
who really believe III this alleged want of
progress, most are probably well and 10y
ally disposed persons, whose timldity over
comes their judgment, or who are blinded
either by the occasional reverses OF the
Union arms IN battle, or by the dust
thrown up by copperhead brawlers. To
these last named persons, we commend the
following foreign and impartial view of the
"situauon," taken from the London Daily
Re,os of May l9tn. The author writing
before the news had reached him of the
series Of brilliant victories ending with the
investment of Vicksburg, says;
1t is said every day th2t the North had
better at once abandon the cause as hope
less, and sue for peace. But any one who
viii take the trouble to look at the map
and compare the position of the North at
the beginning of the war with the position
which they now occupy, may readily con-
vince himself that the grounds for such
advice are not military or historical.
1t is an undoubted fact that the South
have never recovered one inch of the
ground which they have once lost. What
the North have once gained they retain.
For moment the Southern armies regain
ed the Northern side of the Potomac, but
1t was only for a moment. And now,
whilst the whole of Western Virginia is
in the hands of the Federals, the half of
Ea.sern Virginia is in the same position.
Passing down the eastern coast, Fortress
Monroe on the north side, and Norfolk as
we'll rs Suffolk on the south side of the
James River, completely control the en-
trance to Richmond, In the Carohnas the
islands and estuaries are still held bv
Northern troops nor have the Soath sue
ceeded in compelling the North to relax
their hold Of Florida. In the Gulf of
Mexico, with the exception of Mobile, the
North hold complete command. The loss
OF New Orleans was probably the heaviest
blow sustained by the South, and now
Banks Is IN possession of large district
on both sides of the great river. For
time 1t seemed doubtful whether the North
would be able to possess themselves of that
part of the river which hes between Port
Hudson and Vicksburg but the ex-
PLOTS of Porter and Farragut have practi-
oally resolved this doubt IN its favor.
The Confederate States are absolutely
divided. The gigantic confederacv of
Shareholders which threatened to establish
its power from the eastern seaboard to the
Pacific is now an lmpossIbility. AS to the
border states of Kentucky and Tennessee,
the contederates are still unable to drive
R9secranz back from Murfreesboro; and
the Federals are now IN possession Of
Tusoumbia on the borders of Alabama.
Thus it appears that the only States
which now remain IN the undisputed pos
session of the ContedeCates are North and
South Carolina, Georgia and Ala
bama. How Is It possible that these
four States should constitute an indepen-
dent power2 Any one who looks to their
population, their wealth and the peculiar
ity OF their position, must admit it to be
ma impossiblhty.
But it appears that the South are eX-
posed to special danger which it seems
difficult if not impossible to ward off. The
only mode by which the South has been
able to maintain their position against the
North has been by the railroads. The eX-
tent OF the country IS SO great, that with
out such means Of communication it. would
be impossible to move the troops with suf
tioient rapidity to meet the attacks of the
enemy. 1t Is obvious that if the North
retain the command of the sea and are
able to maintain their railroads, whilst the
South are excluded from the sea and lose
their railroads they must be put under ter
rible disadvantage.
Now it is asserted upon trustworthy au-
thority that the railroads of the South are
wearing out, and that the scarcity of iron
makes it difficult to repair them. If this
be so, the difficulty suggested has already
come upon the South. But over and above
this there are difficulties as to the supply
Of food, which have already proved almost
dangerous at Richmond, and which may
vet prove more serious,
Upon the whole, therefore, it appears
that so far from the North having any rea
son for dependency, the result of the
struggle has been distinctly in their favor,
and is daily becoming more so.''
In addition to the above, the New York
Post recalls to mind what has oeen accom-
phshed in Missouri, Arkansas and the
western territories, and the fact that Ma
ryland, which it was necessary at one time
to hold by force of arms, Is now among
the most loyal States in the Union; and
adds, that more prodigious conquests, in
truth, were never before made in so short
space Of time.