Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-18
A Forcible and Patriotic Summing
up of the Progress Of the War.

up of the Progress of the War.
Letter of our Minister residing Mt
Paris 10 the French Secretary Of
Foreign Affairs. #E[g.E
EIoNsIEUR LIZ MINISTER: In Rrecent con-
versation had with your ExcellGncy, you
asked some questions iE relation to the
population Of the Southern States, and the
position Of the several divisions of our
army. This, ia connection with state
ment in your dispatch Of the Both Of 0Clo-
Der to bis Majesty's ambassadors at Lon
don and ST. Petersburg, officially publish
ed, induced me 10 make 10 you this CON-
munication.
Although that dispatch was addressed not
TO me OF TO my Government, yet II soIinti.
mateIy concerns the latter that am sure |
shall be excused IL refer TO it 10 couuec-
ton with the subject matter Of your con-
versatiou. do this, not with u view to
any criticism, or tho exposition ofany opiu-
ions beyond those already given By me, but
I TO correct so much as can what seems to
me mIsapprehenSion of facts. | do this
in the hope that should the question pre-.
sent itself for consideration ia the future,
your EIcsllency may be induced to revise
your opinions as TO the strength OF the
parties involved in the war now existing
in the United States. Your ETcelency
says there has existed between the beIlig.
erents from the very onset Of the war M
equality Of strength which has been almost
constantly maintained ever siucei and after
so much blOolshed they are now in this
respect very nearly the same position as ut
FIRST. Nothing justities tue expectation Of
any more decided military operations at an
early day.
In answer to your questions in our con.
ference of the 1lh inst, eudeavOred, With
the aid of a map, to point out the districts
Of country occupied at present BY the sew
eraI divisions OF our army. II your Ex.
cellency can, from memory, recall these
questions, and compare them With the
condition Of things at the very outset Of
the war, or even as 1t has been within the
pAst year, you will find cause, am sure,
for grave doubt rs to the accuracy Of opin'
ion expressed In the above extract. a lit
tie more than year ago the whole Of the
Slave States soath Of the Potomac, and nj
most 10 the Mississippi, thirteen In all,
were in possession Of the insurgents, ex-
cept only small locality In Virginia Oppo.
site to Washington tract Of country In
the same State TO the west Of the Allegheny
Mountains, In which there was mixed pos.
session; tho northern parts Of Kentucky,
aud perhaps Of MissouFl-with these eTcep.
tionS, they bHd undisputed sway Of the en-.
tire country Of the South. .....
They possessed, ut the same time, the
Military Arsenal ut llArper's Ferry, aud the
vast naval arseuals aud dOckyArdS at Nor.
folk and Pensacola. They had, likewise,
possession Of the eastern shore lof the
Chesapeake, Bay, which, in connection with
the command Of the Potomac, gave them
coatrol over the access by water to Wash
iugtOu, the capital Of the nation. They
have lost during the year the eastern shore
Of the Chesapeake and the command oI
the Potomac the city Of. Norfolk, with it,
arsenals and dOckyArds, and the nGighbor
ing country, and the dOckyArds Of peusa'
cola. They have lost all Virginia west o.
the AIleghanieS, Kentucky and Missouri
aud part Of Tennessee, comprising among
other points, Nashville, the capital, and
Memphis, It's commercial port on the Mis-
siSslppi.
They hare lost every port, hArbor ant
fortifcaton on the Atlantic coast OF any
value-those ut Charleston alone excepted
from the Chesapeake TO the Southern
point OF Florida, and thence around 10 tht
Gulf coast to Pensacola. But more i'm
bortnut even than iIiis-they have withil
Ihe year lost New Orleans, the great com
mercial metropolis Of the South, with tht
numerous Notifications established for III
defense. They have likewise lost tue Mis-
siSsippi, with every island mud river forlif
cation, save that at Yicksburg, by which !
was defended. The river, which drains Lh'
entire Valley of the West, and cuts IN twt
the slave States from OaIrotO the Gull, nut
/ on which could Aoat the nAviVs Of th
world, which can neither be fOrded no.
bridged, must forever separate the rou
slave States and their COntiuguOus terrific
rles on its west side from those on tn
east. ...... r,.....
The loss Of the river was moro injuriou
10 kUt CHutVuN tHo luuullVb'lOH'9'S th"h W.
loss of many battles. Conscious tlatthi
would DO 90, Il WAS fortified, your EEcel
Iency will remember, not only at its mouth
and below and at New 0rleNus, but nt eve
~ available point upward; yet, with II
many iorlhcnliOns, ViCksOurg alone or
cepled, has within the year been lost to tn
South. The TennesSSe and Cumberland
great interior riyers Ot the West, with tlei
dereuses and Qualifications, lmVs likuwis
been taken alter hard struggle, by the ar
mica dr tho Union. Ia u word, the insur
gents DO not now hold foot Of grounI
Which they did not held early IN the war
, while The Aag Of The Union has been con
/ smntly advancing, and now aonts som
where on the soil, or over tho fOrtifcatiOn
of every slave State save one, Their ar
mics have iu the mean tlmO been driver
; from 40 area of country, embracing In III
aggregate, not loss than 100000 S1uNr
miles, and occupied by population rang
, ing from lSOO,0OO to 9,00OOOO Of people
I But ia wRr. equality III strength consist
D not In LhcBO things only.
. Permit me, therefore 10 remind you
E1cellenCy that while nl the ineipient eG
/, jottS on the part Of tho South to crpatc
" 4 a