Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-01
THE RESULT OF. THREE YEARS FIGHTING
FLATFERING DELUSIGN EXPELLED.

Under this caption the New York World says:
For the last six mon hs the administration has been
inducing the people clay the fat erng uncten 10 their
souls" tnat the rebellion i, crippled that vigorous
spring canpaign will cause it to succdmb. The am
neey proclamation OF the PRESIDENT issued in the be-
ginning Of December, great absurdity except on
the hypothesis that such impression had been made
on the mind OF tho rebels that they would least take
into consideration the question Of submission Three
or four months have elapsed, aud the cer OF amnesty
has produced no effect whatever outside of mtai
lines beyond adding to the evaporation of the rebes
and stimulating tber efIortI The two principal expe-
dions fitted this spdog baye demoDstra cd by their
mi csrragl that the representations by which our
hopes have cen fed for some time past were altogether
fc .oul We, of course, refer TO the Florida exped
on and to Slermans which conformity provo that the
rsviving UDiJn sentiment in the South, OF which We
have been told much Ia imaginary, and that the
walton theory which over-sapguine people have
lied so much in predicting the early close of the war;
| has "a little foundation in iacs
Ths florida expedition based upon the idea that
there was very considerable Uaon population in that
State which required ons the and protection
of our troops 70 declare itself openly So strong
hold had this IDEA taken of the Warrington authorities
that the military expedition into Fords designed
10 be merely incidental 10 the civil reorganiz rtion OF
the State which was the miin obj Of the movement
But wha was the state of fac disclosed by the exps-
/ ditioni General Seymour, in his advance into the
State acted on the theory of bis official superors and
treated the people with the euity and confidence which
| would naturally be pfac iced by Union general to-
ward repentant population which he wished to
cilate Blu. the result showed that every pretended
oyais who into his camp rendering assistance or
Offering information was rebel spy. lealins Re-
publican Newspaper had, last evening, long article
severely csnsurng General Seymour for placing conf
dsncs in auy OF the white Inhabitants Of Florida and
attrbutng his disaster to his neglect to use negro
guides. Such censure is confession that there is no
loyalty among the white population of that State. But
IL IL clearly unjust TO bame General Seymour for acting
In accordance with the theory which his expedition
was ftted OUT which was, tia: the return ng UGion
sentiment was sufficient basis for civil recoc structon
There Is every 10 believe that the public sen
ment OF Florida is that Of every part Of the Southern
| s atts not included wi hin our military lines.
If the Florida expedition disproved the existence
OF reforming loyalty, that OF Sherman dispes, in
quite conspicuous, the idea that the rebel
lion is likely to be starved out. The reports
brought to headquarters by Shermaas scou.s proved
that be was Advancing in land Of abundance. The
vast quantities OF g,ain four and PROVISIONS which he
and Smiths cavalry are said have destroyed aud the
great nun Der OF beef cattle which Sherman is reported
to have driven away, show how preposterous is the
expectation that the rebels can &c starved out. The
government, and the people whom the government
has deluded will have to clear their heads Of that
nonsense and make up their minds that the rebellion
be pu. down only by superior strategy and ener-
| getc Sighting.
III Is amazing tnat inte gent men couid ever nave
supposed that the reb;ls can he starved irto subm-
sion With the mod I'm implements Of hu,oandry one
man can raise enough of the prime neces les of lie
to support as least dozen. The only ional ques-
ton that could any time have arsen In this regard
was whether the great body Of the Southern people
would consent TO We necessaries for the sake
of independence. In gland, France, any country
where The scale of living is pretty high, the limit Of
tax ,tiou Asoon rsiched, because the people will not
consent to much a6ridgment OF their customary cum
forts Hence Louis Napoleon, absolute arch as be
lie, hnds an snnua deficit which all the skill OF NJ
Fould, his able finance minister, cannot contrive {,
make up. But In the South there are two powerful
raso; why the taste fer comFors or luxury does no;
gain the mastery over military efficiency Ia the first
place, the blockade both shuts GU. such articles and
SHUTS In the staples by which they were won. to be
purchased. In the next place. the conf cation policy
and the evaporation natursly cauasd BY invading
mica have KEEP the political and national pa sions OF
the ope hhamed to such pitch that they are rsady
to sicrhcs Injuries comforts sud life itss rather than
fail
A very Little reflection will suffice to show how ut