The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-01-08


If there be a man who is still doubt
ful about the ultimate fate of this re-
bellion, unless he is positively blind,
he may read it unerringiy in two sins
pie facts.
The first fact is that with the ex-
ception Of Sumter, the rebels haze ney-
err gained q single position by force of
arms. All the positions that came in
to their possession before or at the
( beginning Of the war eXperinced that
fate simply because there was nobody
to defend them. Their seizure was no
military achievement; it was simply a
pedestrian exercise So fell the forts
at the passes OF the Mississippi, Gal
weston, Mobile. Barrancas aud McRae
at Pensacola, Pulaski below Savannah
Picnkney and Moultrie at Charleston,
Macon at Beaufort, the two forts at
Wilmington, the arsenals at Baton
Rouge, Augusta aud Fayetteville, the
navy yards at Pensacola and Norfolk,
ana every point that fell at all, with
tAe single exception as we have said,
ofSumter, sud that case only makes the
general tact all the more forcible,
inasmuch as it required force OF
thousands 10 overcome garrison of
eihghty all told. No other position
which had defenders. however few,
was taken by the rebels. The old
flag has never, to this day ceased to
float over Fort Pickens, the forts at
Key West and the Toltugas, Fortress
Monroe and Fort McHenry, Tor this
good reason, that their yates did not
stand open, and there was men to
manage the cannon within AS it be.
gan so it continued. The rebels have
gained no territory by fighting. What
they have, came to them not by con-
quest, but by the fact that there was
no army to oppose them. From the
everglades OF Florida to the cha Pc
raj of the Rio GRANGE they do not hold
IN inch they have gained by the sw ord.
They have indeed tried to enlarge
their limits by the sword. They have
done their utmost to get Missouri, Ken
lucky and Maryland into their posses
sion in this way. But it has ali been
im.vain. They have made no advance
v hich was not quickly followed by a
retreat, and this, too, in spite of the
fact that in the first stage Of The rebel.
lion, they had the good will and the
material aid of large portion of the
people OF those states. Whether we
take into view the territory originally
covered by secession or that which
they have struggled to attach to it, it
/ IL usually true that military force has
accomplished nothing for them, in any
positive sense. The sword has failed
t. add to what they originally had;and
what they originally had, the sword
did not give them.
Our second fact is, that achat the
rebels once lose they neUeg regain. In
not a single instance since the war o.
Ipened, have they wresled back from
Us position of any account which we
have once carried. Fort Henry, Fort
Donelson. Bowling Green, Columbus,
island No. 10; Fort Pillow, Memphis,
Nashville, Corinth, New Orleans, Pull
ask, Port Royal, Port Macon, Suffolk,
Norfolk, I orktown-to say nothing of
minor posltions-haye all been in our
possession for many months. Demon.
STATIONS have been made against some
lew of them but in no instance of a
really formidable character. For the
most part, they have not even been
threatened. Il is indeed true. that
Iiarpers Ferry, after having once come
into our hands, was again possessed
by the enemy; but this solitary in
stance is hardly an exception, for Har-
per's Ferry was not wrestled from us
by force, but treacherously surrender>
ed, and moreover it quickly returned
to our hands. as if to make good the
nvarlable rebel tate, once lost always
lost.
Now we may account as we please
tor these two facts, that the rebels
have neither gained nor regained a
position by force of arms. we think
| them easily explained BY the great
national superiority in means and re-
sources. But whatever he the cause.
1t is certain that it is OF remarkable
steady operation. 1t is not possible