The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-07-09

The conlederacy. which had lest jackson
In this episode felt thar 1t had been disgraced,
and Lee was obliged to project another raid
into Maryland to restore his prestige. This
enterprise, which was still more senseless
than the first, was detected at once by Hook
er, who, placing himself, by rapid marches, in
: the front of Washington, held Lee at bay
long enough to enable the Government to con-
centrate its troops near Frederick, and to iso-
late Ewell, who was already in Maryland,
from the main Confederate army, so as TO
oblige him to fall back to the neighborhood
OF Gettysburg. just at this period, however,
Hooker, finding that Halleck was unable TO
support him, felt obliged to throw up his CON-
mand, and the impending battle, which his
maueuvres had devised, fell under the con-
troll OF Meade. The country knows its his
tory, and it also knows, that though it result
ed in victory which utterly demoralized the
rebel host, pursuit was not given by our forces
for three days. Extraordinary rains, howev-
er came on AS our auxiliary, and Lee was de-
tanned at Wlllamsport until our victorious
and much superior numbers had come up to
his front and ranged themselves within the
distance OF barely half mile. Escape for
him now seemed to be impossible, and 1t has
since been sscertained that he had barely
seven rounds of ammunition in his camp
Besides this, the impossible Potomac was
even a few trees, hewn from the banks a mile
or two above and cast into the stream, could
surely interrupt any preliminaries for pom
toons.
We doubt not 1t was Meades desire to en-
initiate the rebel army; but he had had some
experience in the cross-purposes of his pro-
slavery chieitains. Most of them were ambi-
tiously signing for his place; and as he had
seen them betray his predecessors, partly
fhraug oh anyv and t.artIv fhrouuh aenirpr,
hope, lie probably thought 1t would be prudent
to ascertain how far he could rely upon them
TO put finisher on Lee and make himself
great man. He therefore called council to
ascertain II they would stand by him, where
upon they voted against an attack, and thus
virtually replied that they would not In half
an hour after this decision was recorded, Lee
twho seemed TO have received information of
itl began preparations for his retreat across
the river; and during the next twenty-four
hours he leisurely accomplished it. Had he
been struck By Meade while venturing this
operation, he must inevitably have been de-
molished: and he would have yanishsd from
the roll Of heroes with an expression of de-
rision that would, as we said before, have been
disgraceiul TO a corporal.
Such were the exploits which Lee, at the
outset Of this campaign, opposed to the ardu-
ously acquired and signal victories of Grant.
What has been developed since, is in keeping
with their respective qualities aud records
Each new struggle has resulted In the rebel
giving ground, and every fresh obstacle which
laborious obstinacy could rear against our
progress, has been evaded by Grant with the
ease of a master dealing with the resistance
of pupil. We believe 1t will be so to the
end; and it is for the purpose of contributing
our share OF confidence, in Offset to the disloy-
al suggestions which are intended to depress
the public mind, that we have been induced
to make this short comparison between Grant
and Lee.