Washington telegraph. [volume] (Washington, Ark.) 1839-1871, 1863-04-29
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| IL 40 WON "nu oowaruiy W w 80. IL is no less
bold than wise to look misfortunss fully in the
face. The news of the past week has been
SAD and heavy. Let US acknowledge til at frst
OF all, and honestly estimate its consequences.
Van Dorm has been defe at ed in Tennessee.
1t was no trifing Skin mish, but a pitched bat
tie. Seven thousand cavalry and battery
make an army.
Taylor's forces in Sout hern Louisiana have
been overpowered and driven back with con-
siderable loss. The. steamer Diana, over the
capture of which we so lately exulted, has been
crippled and lost and, more distressing still,
the Queen of the West the main hope of our
Red River navy, has been burned, and, so far
as we are yet able to learn, all on board have
persisted, or fallen into the hands of the enemy.
esides that, We very much fear that five of
the enemy's gunboats have passed below vicks-
burg
That all this is sad, and should afiict us
with the deepest grief for the loss of our noble
soldiers, it is vain to deny. We would be cold
hearted and selfish to view it in any other light.
But cannot that it materially affects
our ultimate prospects. He is but weak
patriot ana feeble supporter of our cause, who
sees in this any cause for desp ondency 1t is
unworthy of the noble frmness which liberty
demands Of all her votaries. Never in any
country, has her struggle been attended with
an uninterrupted series of triumphs She has
generally conquered nder disasters and de-
feat. We read the history of our old revolution
to little purpose, if we do not learn this lesson
We reject reason in our enthusiasm, if we do
not expect that the more numerous and better
| appointed armies of the North will be often
victorious in particular battles We have
heretofore lost battles of or eater moment than
this Of Van Dorns. Larger and more impor-
tant portions of territory than that around New
Iberia have heretofore fallen into the hands
of the enemy and been rec overed again We
have lost more important vessels than the
Queen and the Diana, and ut more perilous
crises of our fortunes Still, We have risen
superior to disaster. The strength of the Con
federacy has increased. The despair of the
North has none the less rapidly drawn nigh.
and the fortunes of the Confederacy. in tn.
eyes of all the world, have stilled progressed
nearer and nearer to the Contamination Of her
independence
Ii can aid the enemy little to have defeated
Van Dorm in their approach Southwark
Bragg's army Tor Johnston's es We hope) still
stands In their course offering them battle.
and holding possession of the best portion of
| Tennessee. 1t is but an incident, by which
they make no substantial progress
| The loss of Southern Louisiana west of the
river, throws all the sugar growing region into
| their hands. and exposes the planters to their
| ravages. That will aid them little in their
main designs. Our army has fallen back, and
will be ready to face them again when rein
forced. They are no nearer the conquest of
the South than before. We ale annoyed, but
they are not forwarded on any definite course
| through which they may hope success. The
malaria of summer will soon neutralize the
| slight advantages which may now seem TO them
important, and to US appear disastrous.
The loss Of the Queen and their accession of
naval strength Of true> deprives US of the bopc
Of recovering the avigation of the Mississippi
and Red River for the support of Vicksburg
aid Port Hudson, at least for n season BE il
so. We feel no alarm at that. Doth these
! places are impregn able to attack from any
force the enemy has been yet able to command.
| They cannot starve them out by cutting # The
| r ed River supplies. Each of them. if we have
been rightly infor med, are well supplied for
the present, and each ha open communication
| with all the Eastern States
We are not disposed to look around for fan
ciful arguments to derive consolation from dis
aster, We think one thing is so very obvious
as to need no argument. Our late partial re-
verses result from the loss Of hope on the part
of the enemy, of accomplishing any one of the
main objects Of the winters campaign Vicks-
| burg and Port Hudson were to be taken and
the navigation of the Mississippi opened to
the West by Christmas day Charleston was
to be opened to the ports Of the world. Such
was the programme and such the destination
of the armies and navies of the North. The
winter has passed. and the summer heats draw
on. They have failed at every turn. They
are Withdrawing their armies aud navies from
these objects, and fritt ring away their forces
in ignoble triumphs. The army at Berwick's
Bay was the one sent cut at first to capture
Port Hudson. The defeat of Van Dorm was
probably the result of large reinforcements
| drawn from Grants army to that of Rosecrans
These things are of piece with the petty
spirit which caused them TO cover their defeat
at the assault of Vicksburg by ;he capture of
Arkansas Post. We read in their present op-
erations evidences of despair and draw new
courage. Lincoln must do somethin e. or he is
lost at home. Vicksburg he cannot take
Port Hudson battles him. Charleston is i'm
pregn able. And now his generals resort to the
pitiful subtcrfuge of covering their defeat, by
petty triumphs against small and unimportant
forces by superior numbers. 1t cannot deceive
long. The people of the Moth clamor for
substantial fruits of victory, and these they
cannot get
| Whoever allows the timid doubt Of the ability
of the South for self-defence, to creep into his
heart, let him state the case fairly to himself,
and estimate what the vast land and naval
preparations of the North have amounted to
in the end They have captured the Post of