Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-07-27
Mnrtester 4a1Ip SPY.
THE DAILY SPY.
The Rebels, like Mark Tapley, ind
Consolation in Misfortune.

Consolation in Misfortune
From the Richmond Dispatch, July II.
While Paul Jones, in the wretched old hulk
of an Indaman, hundred years old, (the
Bonnie Homme Richard) was Jagged in the
desperate conflict with the Scraps, Il new
English frigate of the first class, just out of
port-after single broadsde had rddled her
so completely that he was compelled to lash
her to the Englishman to avoid snking-when
nearly all his guns had bursted and half his
crew had fallen-a moments cessation of fir
ing induced his adversary to hail HIM and en-
qure whether lie had struck. 1--WE have not
begun to fight" was the laconic and pithy re-
ply; and after two hours more of mortal
combat, he had the proud satisfaction of walk
ing the EngliShman's deck Il victor, under cir
cUmstances SO desperate that at one time
there appeared no chance OF escape. Such is
the reward of valor when allied to constancy
and directed by an indomitaBle will.
Lincoln, Seward, Halleck, and the whole
Yankee press are huggng themselves in the
delusion that they already see the end of the
war, and that that end is, to US, the death of
our liberty, and the beginning Of an inter-
minable servitude. TO their taunts and sneers
we reply, in the defiant language of Paul
Jones, eve have not yet begun to fight"
They think they have seen pitched fields, but
those which mast come, but as the freshness
of an April morning to the fiery breath OF the
dog days-but as the snow upon the side of
Hecla to the whirng gulf of flame within
but us December to Junc-but as an ice house
to Il furnace heated an hundred fold.
The people has never put tortf its strepgth
to half its extent, furious as has been the war
in which it has been engaged mighty as has
been its struggles, glorious as has been its VIC
tories, unparalleled as has been the result.
What we have done is scarcely type of what
we can do. The present situation, far from
being desperate, is only trying enough to in
duce new energy in the contest, to call for
new cXertOns and new sacrifices, to remind
our people of the nature of the conflict, and
the object of the enemy, to bring out our
whole strength, and to let the world see of
what we are capable. While the Yankees
think they have subjugated us by taking
Vicksburg, we repeat, in the language of Paul
Jones, owe have not begun to fight"
Such is the spirit Of our people, such the re-
sources of our countrymen in their own de-
termined will, such the obstacles the enemy
will have to overcome before he can ever sub
due us. We have lost Vicksburg and Port
Hudson. What of that? Suppose we lose
Charleston, Savannah Mobile, Wilmington
all our seaports. What Of that we ask again?
-"What though the field be lost?
All is not lost! The unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
All these remainn
These we would still have, though every
thing were gone.
But we are reduced to no such straits On
the contrary, we speak the solemn truth when
we declare, that in our opinion, our situation,
although it is one which calls for the utmost
exertion, so far from being desperate, is not
even gloomy. The enemy has taken Vicks-
burgh and Port Hudson. Does he open the
navigation of the river thereby? Not at all,
as we showed the other day, and we think we
showed satisfactorily. On the other hand, he
weakens himself by the garrisons he is obliged
to keep in those places, and he strengthens
our armies by returning the garrisonS which
have been 80 long shut up there. He would
do the same thing by taking Charleston, Sa-
vannah and Mobile. Having no longer any
detached ports to defend, our army could then
complete the policy of concentration which,
but partially pursued, has already been at
tended with such memorable results.
Retiring to the interior as he advances, we
shall weaken him and strengthen ourselves
with every step that he takes on leaving his
base Of operations. We have made our cal
culations long ago, that all the towns within
reach OF the enemy's navy. would fall and
giving them, for the sake of argument, up to
him, we conceive that we are more able to
beat them without them than with them. Let
it not be forgotten, in the meantime, that we
have powerful army-an army that has never
been beaten, with general at its head who
may rank with the most renowned leaders of
whom history makes mention. Let the de-
spending think of these facts, and tell us
what there is gloomy in our situation. For
our part we see nothing whatever. We may
be called on to destroy more cotton and to-
bacco to prevent their falling into the hands of
the enemy; but, in our opinion, this would
not be the worst thing the government could
do, even Of its own free will. 1t would recall
the minds of thousands from the pursuit of
wealth to the defence of the country, and that
would be a positive gain.