Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-07-28
Opportunities.

D
the facs:tha, since bis conquest Of Mexico, he has
community of interest with Us in preventing The rcstO
ration of the Gnity authority ard power Of the United
sates There can be no doubt Of our ability and RICH.
TO enter into comm rciA treaty with him. giving him
advantages over other nations, which, without detr
msnt 70 US may be Of such benefit TO France as viii
coastran him accept Them though the eOnside-
ratol BE- the recognition Of independence, and
e,ad, if needed, Of bis to make that indePsn
dsnes secure :And this may be done without ecmprO
missing our character people, or detracting-frCm
The ua credit which ia our due for the success with
whic1.we have resisted the gigantic effort fer
throw Very carly in the struggle Of l776 the honoured
statesmen who then directed public ars sent Com
missioner 10 France on just such Grand Il sue
ceeded beyond expectation. The offer Of exclusive ad
vsntages in trade wa made 70 the then Monarch Of
France but generously dee nng to bind by such an
Obligation he nevertheless gave the potent aid Of bis
arms. ThSSme seems prOpidOus for renewed expert
mens in this way; and though viii not say that the
urgency Of our condition requires it. convinced
that the Judgment Of the country would approve it.
Il should be- remembered, too that in the hurry of
events and the shifting circumstances of ou- stu
atOn aud in the relation OfOher countries TO us the OPP
pOrtanity may not tarry with If not seized when
presented &c may pass away and be lost forever. We
have suffered enough in other matters by les. Opportuni
ties TO give Warnirg Ia the very first step to$ards
organzsd goyernment-the construction Of the admin
istraticn-sn opportunity lost Of forming Cabinet
Of Statesmen, equal 70 the ordeal Whch were en-
terng aud the error repeated twelve months later
when the Permanent Government inaugurated.
great opportunity was lost when the Government failed
70 secure the cotton Of the country, fund for foreign
crCdt and basis for domestic currency The planters
were eager TO place in the hands Of the Government
They would gladly have accep'ed eight cents pound
or less or nothing for t. n assured that necessa
~ or would be used for the public defence. Cotton
certificates would then have become the circulation Of
the couatry-god and silver would have been discarded
"a standard Of -ths-enormOus imitation OlPrices
which has taken place would have been unknown
speculation, e1t,rton corruption ''the love of ucre
which has ike gangrene into The very heart OF
the land converting too many among Us into Sorship-
pers Of gain; and rendering them unmindfuo OF their
duty their country, to their fellow men, and to their
God" would have bad nothing 10 tempt them aud moth
ing TO feed upon With such fund in hand, the Gov
eminent might have Ias a credit of hundreds OF mil
Ions in Europe aud with these mihOns might easily
have had constructed vessels Of enough 70 protect
our harbors from blockade, aud gunbOas sufficient to
defend our streams from nyasOa besides purchasing
all the!arms AMI ammunition We needed. Nor would
these have been the oay good results but the sale OF
cotton certificates and the transfer by that means Of the
ownership Of so much Of the cotton to European
purchasers would have created there such interest
IN our success that their Governments could not have
been indGirent spectators 60 the Wholesale rObberes
and destruction By which the stock Of cotton has been
50 materially reduced We should have had reeOgni
ton, Intervention or anytsi else put stop to such
proceedings d save the property Of European
owners. Oh what an opportunity thrOWn away in
this maiter,-the resuls Of the Op9'r:unisr throEn
away before by the President in falling to call to bis aid
the very first abilities Of the country. Measure what
this has cost us by the noble lives sacrificed the precious
booip9ueed Ou tie sqaandered the property
ravaged and destroyed the sorrow, tears Anguish Of the
country, and fte US if you can what would have been
the value'to m Of a wiser policy
Other opportunities, to- at which We need only
ganee have bee thrown away. We might eas ly have
taken and destroyed if We chose, Washington after
the first bate Of Manasa7 T. is not impossible that
the ,Tous foroEin up Of that remarkable victory,
10 all the eonse qlences Of which admitted might have
given "a immediate, peace We might have savei Mis-
souri, and kept the enemy from descending the sis
sippi By hearty secondirg Of the heroic Efforts Of
Price We might have saved Kentucky by reinforcing
Sidney Johnston We might have saved New Os!eans
by more energy in the building Of the irouclads, and
better skill in the. construction Of deences. We might
have saved Nashville and With all Tennessee by BLOCKING
aud fottfyi the river. We might have saved North
Carolina By stronger detences aud troops at Hat
teras inlet and Roanoke island We might have saved
yicksburg, by completing the defences at Grand Gulf
or even without that by properly provisioning the city
and placing it under commander who did not know
how to surrender The same of Port Hudson. Nor
VIII il do to say in reply to al this, that we had not
troops rOOPsOrng volunteers during
the 6rst year Of the rejected BY thousands
Why? AyoEedly because they could not be armed.
Bus if the fatal which we have sdvr:ed had
not been committed in the outset they could have been
armed.
Enough in this vein We 10 not reeur to these
things for the sake Of finding fau of giving pain to
those Who may be accountable for them Of exciting
dissatisfaction among the people. Such "reminiscences are
as painful 10 u3 any ef our readers and We would
gladly throw the mantle Of oblivion over all the short
c)mipes and blua1ers Of those 20 whom We have
trusted the direction Of Affairs, if did not hope by
reminding their authors Of them to arouse greater Ugi-
lance and energy, comprehensive intelligence Of
the true interests Of the Try, larger and wiser
ssatesmanship, and more catholic spirit. Ole impor-
tan. error the President might yet repair, though he
could not repair the calsmites that have resulted from
j. He might surround himself with constitutional ad:
vsers in whose ability counsel and assist him IN his
momsntOus duties, the country would have more con-
6dence than il has in mo Of those who new compose
his Cabinet Such a course would re-anima'e the coul
try with the confidence and zeal that sgnazed the FIRST
months Of bis administration. It would furnisi proof
hitherto war ting that no feeling the Executive
Mar bu. pure snd ardent devotion the good Of tie