Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-08-07
Richmond not to be Taken from the
Front.

The n. Y. Times recently published an
article upon the military programme of the
future. In speaking Of Lees escape to Viz
ginia, and the probability of " forward
movement" on the part of Meade, it says:
Looking at the subject in all it's bearings,
we see no reason to believe that any pursuit
of Lee has been attempted by Gen. Meade,
or that he is in the slightest manner censur-
able for any escape" that he has allowed
Lee to make And so far as concerns any
supposed interference of the Government IN
Gen. Meade's plans, tending to hinder sue
cesstul pursuit-for we have seen such charg-
es made-it is, perhaps, worth while stating
that there is not a word Of truth in them
the military authorities at Washington ex-
pressly REFUSED to give any opinion that might
seem to embarrass Gen. Meade's movements,
and left the matter entirely in his own hands.
1t is not possible for us to detect from any
maneuvers General Meade has yet made what
front of operations he means to assume
whether the line of the Rappahannock, or
one more to the right, toward Culpepper OF
Gordonsyillc. 1t is even not improbable that
no active advance, on to Richmond is in
tended at all from Nirginia-that to the war.
worn, battlefront battalons of the Army OF
the Potomac may for the present be simply
assigned the role of keeping Lee in check
holding that powerful rebel army in Virginia
and covering Washington, while active work
is carried on elsewhere: All who are capa.
BILE of taking in the changed aspect of the
military situation over the whole field of op
erations, brought about by the late victories
in the Southwest, will be prepared for ar
entirely new military programme. Who
knows how much truth there may be in the
| reports the rebel officers who returned from
Ficksburg to Richmond brought with them
to the effect that portions of Grants army
that had left Vicksburg announced on theil
departure that they were going to Rich
mond?" If such combination as We con
| fdently look forward to shall be speedily eff
fected between the magnificent armies Of
| Grant and Rosecrans, we shall be able to gel
| possession OF the great mountain region
which, like a wedge, penetrates the heart o.
| the Confederacy. From there we seze tn,
great railroad line leading to Richmond
thus isolating the rebel capital, and compeN
but we have, at the same time, the great mair
line of communication between the east anc
the west-between the central zone, the re
| Sioi vi tiC ploouStloII anu uiSlIlOutIOn U
all manner Of supplies, and the left zone
the chief theatre of military operations. Ii
thus severins them, we COMPEL the cvacua
ton Of the whole of Virginia and the with
drawal of the rebel army into North Carroll
ma. Rosecrans is, even now, planted securely
within striking distance Of Chattanooga
which may be regarded as great natura
bastion on the salient angle Of the main line
of communications between the East and the
| West. He only waits combination with
Grant to move on it and on Knoxville.
We shall not be greatly surprised if W,
have no more advances " on to Richmond
by way Of Virginia. Nor shall we be greatly
sorry to see this bloody tragedy comedy o
marching forward and concentrating back
ward cease. With their interior lines and tn,
numerous powerful positions they can tax,
up--not to mention the circle of fortication
around Richmond-the Rebels have enor
monsly the advantage, and, indeed we doub
if the capture of the rebel capital be possible
by any line Virginia affords, without fore
the double of what we have in the field.
But Richmond wiU be taken. The key t
the situation is, as the rebels rightly conjec
turc, in the West,