Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-05-07
From the London Times. April 10

turned dry land into sea- and sea into dry land making
canal through Mount Athos and building bridge
across the Helespont The American ltepubiics see
partake much of tie violence aud extravaganza of the
Persian monarch than of the wise counsel and well
bined action Of the F. deraton of Commonwealth which
opposed him Excited by tremendous war, end all
the portans of approaching revolution the imagination
OF the American Democracy seems to have run riot
OF satsft with all the destruction which modern sci
ence has enabled mankind to wreak upon each other
The North has called to its aid the mighty agencies Of
nature and seeks to ruin and muate halt continent
the vain hope overthrow or intimidate its nhab
ants
In vain has Nature after series Of tremendous
yulsiops settled herself down ipto 1methng like order
aud regularity ndentng the coast with bays aud har
bors ar dra ming the of continent through
the agency oil rivers The rage OF man frets
against these natural and benecint ordinances just
Xefxes flung letters into the and es1td the winds
that were renelIious to his commands By the aid OF
the "stone h=et the United States have bockaded up
the entrance to several much frequentd harb0re and
Dow with less labor and far greater SUCCESS they seek
to drown the land which they cannot conquer 1t is
calculated that by the action OF the Federas In cutting
the evees dams, which keep the Mississippi in Its
it through the the level lands towards
the sea- district large Scotland has been drown
ed in ting State of Mississippi and tive thousand square
miles in the State OF L"lelana.
Had some enormous strategcal advantage been OBJ
tainabe by this proceeding, mankind must have depor
ed the the harsh and dread al necessity which
ed for the OF civil man. drove the Federais to lay
ard devasta considerable portion OF its sur
face But the re is to suppose that any sd
vantage in the least degree commensurate with the
amount of and cruel destruction which Eas been
pei petrat d could any how have been obtained Most
certainly no such advantage has been gained The ex-
petition from Yaz Pass far from reaching its des
tined point near Vjcksburg has been encountered
and defeated by Confederate batteries, and driven to
take refuge in anotherriVer avoid further injuries
he ont in a
Those who have called the mighty Mississippi to their
aid have proved themselves unworthy ofther potent al
ly and powerful only for mischief have been singular
ly discounted in the endeavor to profit by their and
singular enterprise
We have alFread how the Dutch, the mighty precur-
sors of the United States people conspicuous for
doing much with small resources as the American
Union for doing little with great Ones when they found
themselves reduced to the two small States OF Holland
and Zealand with which alone they had to make head
against the powerful monarchy of Spain, in the ex
temiy OF their despair and desOaton cut through the
dkes which protected their fields and gardens from the
which rOared above their heads choosing rather
to give their native land to destruction than to see 1t
in the grasp of tyrant or prosecutor This courage
prepared for everything except submissonthis NOBLE
fortitude which the extreme of i'll fortune could not
sabdue-forms one of The brightest pages OF history,
apd invests the sieges OF Harlem and OF Leyden with
interest second nothing in the annals OF mankind
But in proper ton to admiration of those who call
ed in the ct the German Ocean to protect their
faith and their freedom must be the adherence ngpir
ed by acts wanton and ter0cous that of letting
loose the waters Of the Mississippi the limitations
Of the South, and overwhelming under the that
which it is found impossible to subdue.
AT the beginning Of the war the North went forth
to battle in all the presumption of ovorweenng strength
ard numbers Their notions of success thorough
y oriental They had the largest number ofmen under
arms and doubted not OF the victory especially they
had the largest TO feed arm and recruit them
Received in the field by troops lar less than
their own, The IuDd their establishment Row little
the leaders of the South had to dread from them in
the open f3ld From that time the whole aspect Of
the has entirely changed. Ia proportion sue
cess has become difficult the means employed for
its attainment have b en- more odOus an cruel Every
effort has been made TO light the torch Of seryila in
surrec.ioD and as if this not dreadful enough,
wafer has been called in TO supplement the taTdy venge
of that fire which, knded by the hands OF slaves,
would if the pious and dec North could have had
their WILL wrap in mighty corf4gra;ion the labors
OF LuLdrcd years. Men may Wrangle and dispute
about The ctuss the sights and the wrongs OF this great
quarrel but as TO these measures pOseNty will have
but verdict 10 pronoucCca verdict OF horror and
eXecratOn.
And this cruelty and ferocty SURPRISING 50 far al
that is recorded of the wckedness and barbary Of
former wars has been called into action for the
purpose OF meeting foreign INVASION, but for q war
avowedy intended 10 restt Federal Union, which
unhappy differences have partially interrupted. The
men who thus letting loose at the moment fire
AID water unlted In al unDaural compact against their
adversaries sick and tired of repeating that they
fight for the maintenance of the Union, and look for
ward with mistaken confidence TO the time when their
great Federation shall be restored, and the brethren so
I0ng eetaDgei from each other shall once mere unite
together in harmony and peace.
1t is difficult to say what time what interest may not
effect Nations have she'd each Others blood like water
on f-ds of battle. They have covered the ocean with
the wrecks of their naval engagements and the bodies
of their seamcn. These things may be expiated, may
be forgiven may at last be forgotten but deeds like
those by which the Northern States making their
pr sent with the South singular and ex, cr9 bic
among the and blood annals Of mankind eau
never be forgiven 0fg6tten 1 be moment a2y idra
Of reconciliation entertained those dreadful memories
will rise up like spectre between the two parties aad
forbid every attempt at reconciliation, unless founded
on absolute Independence the side, and complete
renunciation OF every claim to obedience on the other
1t is curious to remark how utterly paraysed for the
purpose OF legitimate the very persons who
anxious to wage it with such extremity OF ferocty and
Jury, The Army Of the Potomac remains inactive ;
nay, there is much reason to believe that Washington
owes her safety at the present moment TO prudential
and political rather than to military considerations and
hat the capital of the Northern Conederacy, though
able to effect the easy and fruess crime OF drowning
whole provinces by breaking down the bank of mighty
ver is incapable of defending her archives her public
buildings, and the seat of her Government. The
promised vengeance against Charleston aDguishes and
in empty threats Savannah taken with so
much by the British in the War of Independence
'esists firmly and efectualy. Port Hudson has re-
pulsed attack and the Mississippi itself has turned
traitor ard by way of set-of for the inundation of
Southern territory has filed up and rendered useless the
canal which to carry the Federal gu0boats the
other side o. Vcksburg. The Confederates threaten
Fort lloneson, and new invasion of Kentucky is
seriously apprebended.
Under these gloomy auspices the month of March has
H.