Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-03-11

cautious, to fight them to advantage
They have undertaken to conquer the
South and must advance In Missouri,
Kentucky, and northwestern Virginia, we
may bide our time and opportunity, select
our positions and fight them only when it
is policy to do so. They propose too, to
90 to the relief of Eastern Tennessee
Let them try it when they have march
ed through Kentucky it will be impossible
for them to keep up communication with
the North, and their invading army will
fall an easy prey to our forces
Since this boastful prediction, the ex.
pertinent has been pretty thoroughly tried
aud the world knows the result. al
must know before this, that our learned
author was not born for prophet, and
that his Judgment of the composition,
skill, and ability of Northern and South
ern forces is of no value at all.
Another extract 1--WE must conquer
Washington and Maryland on Virginia
soil. And half dozen defeats would not
iniurc us. A single one would ruin them
aud open the way TO Washington and
Marylard. We must break up their
army before We advance into Maryland i;
and this they will afford us at an early
opportunity TO effect, if we will be but
patient
Washington i. not conquered yet, nor
Maryland, nor do they seem likely to be,
though desperate efforts have been made
to do it, both on Virginia and Maryland
soil. We have met with more than 'onc
de eat" but they have not ruined us, )"
nor "opened the way for them to Wash.
ngton." They too, have been defeated
dozen times" or more, and If they have
not been injured" at all, whence comes
the oft repeated admission, that one de-
feat more in Tennessee, and they are
ruined? They have not been able to
"brcak up our army before advancing into
Maryland. Twice they have thus ad-
yanced, and in both cases been glad to get
bac. a quick as possible with great loss,
but still our army is not broken up, nor
likely to be. Indeed, it is becoming
more and more effective every day.
Once more this learned Nirgiuian in
his boastful spirit shall be heard. He
says AL the States of our confcderacy
have behaved nobly and gallanty through
ont our struggle with the populous North.
Each has done all that was required or
expected OF it---all tha: it had occasion
or opportunity to do. We would make
no lnydious comparisons or distinctions.
vt, we are Nirginian in feeling, by
birth. By remote descent and by extern
,ivo connections AMI friendships. We
feel peculiarly sensitive to what effects
her interests or her honor. She from
her longer line Of frontier, her many
tide-vaters, navigable rivers, and her vi
cinity to Washington, has been most ex.
posed, and has had most to bear in the
brunt Of the war; She has made the
greatest sacrifices and exer,ions, simply
because she was by her position required
to make them. She was the first, and
still is the great battle ground. Soldiers
have Hocked from every State Of the con-
fcaeracy to her assistance. She has re-
ceivcd them with gratitude, entertained
them generously and fought side by side
with them, with chiyalry that added
luztrc to her and only cmulated the chiy-
airy of her allies because it was inpossi'
BILE to surpass them"
i" Great swelling words" these. surely.
| The writer goes on to boast in the next
sentence that 1T Is no small distinction
to Virginia, that she was the first of the
border states to seccde; and this distinct
ion we shall jealousy cherish whilst readi-
ly admitting that the secessions:s of the
other border states were equally brave
and patriotic, and only delayed in action
by circumstances which they could not
CONTROL In high degree, that is glory
ING in their own shame. We all remeIn-
Der that Virginia held back, and for a
time, declined to secede, alter the more
southern states had. She proudly claim
el that she would act as a "mediator be-
tween the North and the South" But
long, shs did not wait, but let herself
down soon to tail on to deluded suicidal
band of states, of which South Carolina
was the corrupt and corrupting head
But she was the ''first of the border
states to secede." Yes, and had the con-
sumate folly to do it, in full view Of the
wide spread desolation, carnage and saugh-
ter which must come down upon her land
aud her people. South Carolina with all
her gross wickedness and folly had the
cunning to seducc the proud old "Domin-
ion" on to forbidden ground, and make
her the grand battle field of the nation.
But she is yet to be savcd-to come back
into the Uuion, with all her companions
in folly and crime. They have done what
they could to destroy themselves, aud to
make true their "foolish boastings"; but
the good old Union is too wise. too good,
and too strong to allow any Of her mem
bcrs to destroy themselves utterly. 1t
will cost vast amount of treasure and
of blood--of sacrifice and suffering, but
they must be saved. Troublesome As
they have been. with their peculiar in.
stitutiou," without that, they are worth
all they will cost. Yes, and they are to
be freed from the curse Of slavery, and
the slaves are to be freed from the curse
of bondage The slave ind his master,
each, enjoying his equal rights, are soon
to come into the Union, fellow citizens and
laborers together for each others good,
and the best interests Of the entire nation.
Let it not be said it cannot be. 1t must
be. Providence has so decreed it, and
,nls ~h