The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-12-11
The Siege Of Charleston-A Hopeless
Yankee Account Of 1t.

The New York Tne5 has long editorial upon
the siege of Charleston which f. exceedfnsy
cheerful reading to the Confederate public we
copy II entire:
fn, several months the advices from the yjciuI-
~ of Charleston have uniti my been To the effect
that We should soon have the qualification of an
nouncIns its fall; that Fort Sumter was battered
To pieces, and must surrender without delay; and
the public heart has been made sick with deferred
hope, until now Ii ha. ceased to believe any pre-
detons of the capture or demolition OF Charles
ton.
Fo,t Sumter, we will venture to say, will not be-
taken by the present line OF approach aud mode Of
operation. And what military object Is TO ke
gained by Its capture? We already perfectly com
nand the entrance to the hatbOf 80 that bloc
running has entirely ceased; we could command II
no better were Sumter In our possession. Nor.
If captured, would II be- practicable 20 put there
The heavy guns that would be needed to operate
upon Charleston for they could not we'll be trans
ported To the ruin and mounted. under the tise OF
The numerous rebel batteTies that line Hnvan' .
Island and Fort Johnson. Even If guns were sue
&C stuily placed IN )n, we should be bul tive
hundred yards higher the city than now aud Par
Iott rides throw into IL with perfect ease from
Cuinmings's Point, where they are already estab-
iished. Nor does u seem Mat Sumter e?n
Not 0hiy Fort johnson and The works
On Suilivan's Island armed with very heavy bat.
teries, hui tne. shores oi the city and even lis
wharses are mounted with the heaviest guns In
army has M power whatever 10 act. One assault
has already been made upon The ruin with
veiy unsatisfactory fe5utS-ihc whole party
fell into decided Trap, and any other would
probably share the sane fate. Although harmless
for the offence, II sii has resstve power Of very
strong character. The lower tiei Of casemates
cahno, be destroyed for the rubbish Of the upuer
tiers OF the work have 80 covered them that even
iRe heaviest shell have no power TO penetrate To
theui. few men, comparatively, can s1ii 50
shelter themselves that assaiiing party can find
cover from their deadly, because close, fire, and
artillery fire added to this would make the ruins oi
Sumter but lille safer than the crater OF vol
eano. Success In an assault is therefore very
doubtful, and II would be folly to run the exceed
ing risk OF failure when success can give 10 de
eided military advantage. We may chafe and fret
because our flag Is not hois,d over those battered
walls; hut disaster would annoy aud damage US
more, and assured'y the dictates Of public opinion
aud feeling should not be followed when likely 10
lead 70 grief
The further progress of operations In the harb0r
Is now, as before, question for the mentors. II
avas Intended that they should pass these bat
teiesif they have not done SO, certainly no faui!
can be found with Gen. Gilmore for the faI,ule.-
And we do not believe thai ube monitors will Un
dertake this task. The delays that have ensued
since Sumter was deprived of Its teeth seem to In
dlcate that the future gives 10 promise OF better
fruitIon than .,e past. Let II be repeated-Ws
doubt whether the monitors will attempt to run the
gauntlet into Charleston harbor. All they can ac-
eompIsh will be to burn Char!eston; they cannot
destroy The batteries that defenn IT,, but they can
tnrE the ciiy-and Gen. Gilmore can certainly do
that from Cunmings's Point, wIthnut exposing gu
irOn-eiads Ia the prospect of loss. In fact, the
blockade OF Charleston harbOr being perfect, any
other game Is not worth the powder uHd the public
riay well cease to expect any news Of any such
success az II has been led to hope for.
And why sh0uld Charleston be hurned' Whit
military advantage would we gain by burning that
abominab!u ,sbel city' Unless we can take pos
session Of the ground on which II stands, we
achieve or acquire nothing by it's destruction. Fol-
assuredy in no case could we be guilty of any
such atIocily as that recently perpetra,ed by the
English against she unprotected Japanese city OF
Kagosima-where, merely TO glut wild and say-
age lust for vengeance they suddenly opened their
artillery upon and battered burned 10 the gr0u
4 city Of $50, 900 inhabitants. Charleston IL now
probably about deserted Of It's population, and
were a hombnrdmeHt necessary il would result in q
very limited loss Of III, but as regards pro
perty We shalt 10 the end carry this war with a
forkeaYance as.1 magnaninii,y unparalleled In The
annals OF the worlds wars.
When the batteries that surround IL are destroyed
then Charleston will be surrendered; butto expeei
that the haIbor and all tho strong wOi Is around IT,
and the command OF the Indispensable railroads
that cantrc AT Charleston, will be given w 70
the city, Will be yielded less readily after it, de-
sTuction, Is an Idle and unfOnuded expectation.
When part Of the great military advantages now
hstd by the COnfedeTates shall have been won ky
and transferred 10 us, then tbs safety Of Charles
lou may be battered tor the remainder. Until then
,e, US walt patiently, particularly there In no
reasonable prospect OF our inpatienee Fastening
the end for which we have 81 long and 50 vainly '
looked.