Washington telegraph., 1863-06-10

| VICKsBURG-W hdI IS at Worth?-Whifst we
write. the fate of this now famous citadel hangs
trembling in the balance. We write, holding
our breath, to catch the first tidings of disaster
or of triumph. Before this meets the eyes OF
our readers, the tale will be, no doubt, told
tale of triumph we confidently hope, but in
no case one of unmixed gladness. When the
smoke clears away and reveals to us that "our
flag is still there" the shout of victory will
arise spontaneously from our hearts. But
thousands of signs and tears there will be
also, from every county and village of the
South, which no human Civilizations can sup
press, nor human means allay. These can only
| be laid at the feet of the Comforter. who. in
his own good time, will grant resignation, and
| convert these sacrifices into new baptism,
BY which the cause of the South will be con-
! secrated in the heart
| In the midst of this painful anxiety, the
question arises to every one, ''what if we
should fail and Vicksburg be lost?'' 'sWhat is
Vicksburg worth to our cause?" The question
is highly important, for lost it may be, and
strength to meet this result also, and pursue
with unabating energy and confidence the
courses which may thus be rendered necessary
in the future. For mark this, and make it a
maxim: Whilst the people are faithful to the
Confederacy, her ultimate success is certain
all particular reliances are uncertain We
may fail in any pitched battle-we may lose
any named city or fort. The vicissitudes of
war are proverbial. Those who place their
hopes upon particular events, upon Northern
| revolution, upon foreign interior euce, upon the
sovereignty of cotton, upon the strength of one
| army, or the Invineibility of one place, grad
| uelly come to associate that confidence with
the cause itself, and, if disappointed, are liable
| to dispair. They set their all upon cast of
the die, and if they lose, abandon Ithe stake.
But those who doubt particular results, whilst
they bend every energy to accomplish them,
and calculating the chances of disappointment
| forecast the means of recuperation, are never
| despordent. They come to look only at the
business of the cause and the great mass of
resources, which lie still behind, and may often
see the brightest CLEANS of hope behind the
darkest clouds of war.
| In order, then, that in case of success we
may know how much to exult, or in case of
| failure what may devolve upon us in conse-
quence, let US patiently ask ourselves: what is
Vicksburg worth?
| In one sense its value is inestimable. For
the glory of it, we could not lose Vicksburg
without the deepest modification. 1t is the
| Thermopolye Of the West. 1t will be famous
forever. Here noble and devoted band, sus-
| tanned by the patriotism and .elf-sacrifcing
spirit of the citizens, first successfully resisted
the terrible iIon-clad fleets of the enemy, and
arrested the destructive avalanche which
threatened to overwhelm the South. The guns
of Vicksburg exercised the terrors of gunboats,
before which Memphis, and New Orleans, and
Natchez, and all the lesser villages of the Mis-
sissippi had fallen with no or slight resistance.
The check at Vicksburg cost the enemy years
delay in their operations against the West, and
imposed upon them hundreds of millions of
expense in renewed preparations, whilst it
furnished a brilliant example to ourselves, un-
der the influence of which We have been en-
eouraged to successful resistance of their fleets
in every quarter. Proud little city. set upon a
hill, it gave light to the Confederacy. But
these things belong to the past, and are matters
of sentiment
Practically what concerns US now is the
present value OF Vicksburg in the progress of
military operations. We think that compara-
lively small. 1t has long since lost is chief
Importance, when the fleets Of the enemy,
passing that point and Port Hubs on, obtained
the possession of the Mississippi and shut up
the mouth of Red River. 1t was chiefly vau-
able in connection with Port Hudson in pro-
tecting the navigation between them, and af-
fording free transportation for our provisions
and armies between the East and the West
That is lost, and we have already suffered the
| full measure of the Inconvenience. Vicksburg
protects nothing else. The roa Is to jackson
and the whole heart of Mississippi lie around
Vicksburg, and the armies there offer no OBJ
struction. Shut off from provisions and re-
Inducements by the river, it cannot form for
us base of operations for the protection of
any portion of the ConfeGeracy. The armies
of Bragg, in Tennessee, and of Johnston, in
mississippi, would be no less efficient, and nc
more embarrassed in their movements with
| Vicksburg in the hands of the enemy than they
are at present. The Trans Mississippi Depart
ment would be no more exposed The pros
poets of our cause would be left little worse
than at present. The moral effect for the time
upon the North would certainly be inspiring,
whilst the Northwest would be elated with the
idea of restoration of navigatjsn but thai
would be but transient. Fl pknXould
soon convince them that their tff1spSrts could
not safely navigate the river, and if successful
their goods would find barren markets, Wills
the Government would find the spirit of tht
South still unbroken and the prospects of con
quest as distant as ever.
But if the event should prove, as we nov
Confidently believe, that we are able to sustain
the place, it would have upon our part thu
| effect of advancing our own cause intellectually
We fight, in fact, at Vicksburg more for grca
and positive advancement than to sustain oul
present fortunes. If we hold that, we 90 for