The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-04-04

TIE KESrucKY RA1D.-Ws suppose that the
rebel raid into Kentucky is about over. But
perhaps some persons may have attached great
Or importance to it than it merits. A eight re-
ference to the position of orr armies and the
character Of Southeast Kentucky will at once
dispel any illusions Of that sort The whole o.
that region is mountainous, with only here and
there spot susceptible Of cultivation. It il
very spareely peopled, and produces, in the
most peaceful times, scarcely enough grain to
sustain those who live there. The Cumberland
river rises in Virginia and runs southwest, with
scarce any valley, between Monticello, in Wayne
county, and Somerset, in Pulaski, into Tennes
ses.. The whole region has scarcely passable
road, and 10 accessible from the North, only BY
the way Of Danville, Stanford and Crab Orchard
or Richmond, and London. The nearest points
on the railroads are At Nicholasville, on the
Dapville route, and Paris, on the Richmond
route. There Il good pike from Nicholasville
% Crab Orchard, and also from Paris to Rich-
mond,-perhsps further.
From these facts it is evident that it must
be exceedingly difficult to keep any considerable
force further south than Crabb Orchard and
Richmond, and at these points only At great ex-
peuse, and then without being Of any greater
service than if further North.
The rebels have held Cumberland Gap since
it was evacuated by Gen. Morgan, and that is
the key to the whole region. This point is not
merely defensible of itself, but 10 accessible
With facility from the South, while, from the
difficulty of the country, the great distance from
any base Of supplies, it is hard to reach and al
most impossible to pass round, from the North.
The outposts Of our army in that direction have
Of necessity been At Stanford, Danvills, Lancas-
ter, Mt Vernon, and at other points in that di :
rection with headquarters a. Lexington. The
whole intermediate country between these points
and the Gap has all the time been open to
the rebels They had nothing to do but to
march through it, ct will, without danger Of in.
corruption from any armed force, until they
reached our advance. In the late raid they got
to the Kentucky river-but it seems did not find
it possible to cross it We presume the num-
Der Of the rebels was greatly exaggerated, for
the reason that We do not believe that any very
large force could have procured subsistence In,
o. transported it through, that region at this
season. +ts5 s@' .0 sAes 5E6
All the rebels have made BY their raid is what
they we're able to steal in Lincoln, Garrard,
Boyle and other southeastern counties. Wher
they get back to the Gap. if they do get back,
We imagine they viii have little, If anything,
more than they started with. They will only
have succeeded in rousing more enmity against
themselves among the Union men of Kentucky,
and probably turned hundreds Of "neutralsn into
hearty opponents. That appears to MS to be
about the sum Of the whole affair. All the con-
scripts they have seized is 90 much clear gain for
nA They are doubtless mostly Tories and are
where they ought to be. The only mode Of
preventing repetition Of il, is to take the Gap,
and pour an army into East Tennessee and de-
stroy the railroad connection between tina. re-
ZION and the East Then the raids will be end
ed-and not before.
NATIONAL BANKING LAw.-The Bank Super
intendent Of the State Of New York has given
notice that he will institute legal proceedings
against any banking association that may at
tempt to do business under the National Bank
ing Law. OF course he will, and Of course when
he gets 70 the end Of the Law he will find moth.
Ing left to him but bill Of costs. The more
speedily that result 10 reached the better. On
the other hand It is announced that Bank il
bsipg organized in Brooklyn and one in New
York City, with large capital. and Others At
various points in the State. The capitalists do
not appear to imagine that the laws Of Nev
York will very seriously trouble them. Il i.