Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-06-18
IF Vicksburg Should Fall.

The Federal Administration with it's War
management has had to bear the obloouy
and odium Of much abortive effort, M sue
cess aud popular disappointment. Friend
and foe-the former, perhaps, a little The
more severely-have alike pitched into IL
on every fair occasion, and opportun;t;es
have certainly been abundant. It has been
blamed FOR every reverse it could and manv
T. could not have avoided. The loyal Mil
lions have not unreasonably said to live
have given you all you asked--we ask Of
you IN return but one thing, Success-and,
that fafilng, we shall hold you responsible.
we don't want excuses nor apologies-we
demand victories and conquests, and shall
condemn you it they are not forthcoming.
Hurry them upr's E'F.Ssas
AWe have united int these sxactions, and
We now, m common fairness, interpose
suggestion1that Success, G achieved, be
Prd'sed as fai!urc has been 5lomed Do not
charge all failures on. the Administration
and credit oil successes wholly to tho Ar
mics, but let the rule which prevailed in
adyersity be held good also in prosperity.
The disgrace Of Bull Run was purely
Military, yet the Administration shared the
reProach, and justly; for il was bouRd to
take care that superannuated, incapable,
untalthful, half hearted leadees,s should not
have had control of our Preparations and
combinations for that first serious trial of
strength with the Rebels Solwitk other
blundsrs, mischances, and reverses. The
People rightly said: at is your business,
Messrs President and Cabinet, to take care
that our sons and brothers are not sscrif-
ced to Military incapacity or treachery: and,
whenever they are, We shall hold you re-
sponsible. And this, with reasonable lin
itations, is a. il, should be.
Now. il Vieksburgh shall really fall, and
the Mississippi be opened, with no acoun-
tervailing disaster on our part, the Rebel
lion will have received q staggering, we
trust q mortal blow, and the Administration
will deserve large measure OF credit there-
for. 1t is no easy task to keep such vast
armies as ours supplied with everything in
dispensable to their efficiency, especially
when some OF them can only be reached By. !.
long circuit at heavy cost Of time; whereas
the Rebel communications and lines of de.
tense are far shorter than ours, and jeff.
Davis, sitting in the. telegraph office at
Richmond, can talk with all his Generals
this side Of the Mississippi as though they
were gathered around his dinner. 10 BILE. -
Until recently, he could have, directed the
movement of troops ID Texas as readily as
in Virginia, but this il now no more, as we
trust his clutch on the Mississippfsoon is to
be. Half a Million soldiers defending his
empire are full equal to twice as many SUI
rounding and from oil sides assailing it
And If Grant shall be enablad TO reduce
.Vicksburg and Banks Port Hudson while
no staggering blow is dealt to the Union.
cause in any other quarter, it will surely
not be because the Rebels are asleep or ap-
athletic, but because the disposition of our
various armies, in accordance with orders
from Washington, was SO skillful as to af-
ford our desperate foes no chance.
Again we say, As we have oil barned the
Administration for failures when incurred,
let us credit it for triumphs If achieved
A nd when the history Of this war comes to-
be truly written, we trust il will appear that
Grant has been re enforced and supplied and
sustained throughout SO promptly, amply,
zealously, as TO reflect great credit on the
Government without detracting ono ,iota
from his own merits or those Of his gallant
army.-N. Y. Tyibane. 7'''"