Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-09-14
The True Issue.

AS the smoke clears away we see the effec
of the explosion, and as day drsgs slowly at
ter day, the disaster at Atlanta becomes les
and lesa irreparsble.
Little by little the hideous stories of los
and decentralization dwindle away from thei
first ogershadoWihg magnitude, to the scan
tier proportions of truth. The loss Of foul
Thousand has turned out TO be only meagrs
fifteen hundred-ffteen hundred too. many
|. God knows, but still only fifteen hundred
Tho 7cores. OF siege pieces deserted, have re.
solved themselves into fourteen Of the leas.
servicable heavy guns; the husdreds Of engines
and cars destroyed stand in official figures as
seven of the former and four score odd Of the
latter; and the innumerable demoralzed de.
serters. fade away to the contemptibls reality
of few militis who, like IIotspurs Couriers,
cannot abide these vile guns.
But one Of the grisly batch of last weeks
rumors holds Its. own, and that is the sombre
tale which spoke the fall of the beautiful
Gate City.
Unobscured now by the smoke we review
the field; and, with no other purpose thar ON
honest desire to speak the whole truth, find
absolutely nothing to indicate that utter,
speedy, and inevitable ruin 50 many have
suffered An excited imagination to portray.
Atlanta is gone:to be sure, but this Con-
federacy is no house of cards to topple at .
single blow. Its fall is not necessarily that
of Augusta, nor that in turn of Georgia, nor
that again Of this whole great country into
one common ruin. The city and State, and
Government are not like SO many bricks set
up all Of row. where the fall Of the FIRST
brings down all the balance.
The loss of one, position-be it ever 80
not our death blow, nor are We
vet 80 reduced as that any fifteen hundred
casualties, can leave us utterly without de-
fence: ~
Blessed be that God in whom, it is our
Federative motto, is Our TSust, these Con.
federate States have many high places yet to
be humbled and many SONS yet to; be hewn
down, before In the language of Scripture our
wallis shall be broken and our people led
sway captive.
But the armyis beaten, and: Atlanta is
rone. and the enemy may march where he
win. Granted. It is the fortune of war
that he should sometimes win battle or cap
ture city. 1t is their turn to-day and may
be ours tomorrow. The rain falls on the
lust and The. unjust, and victory declares as
we'll for the baa Gs for the good. We cannot
expect TO have all the fair weather to our
selves, and,shonld console us amid che howl
ng of the tempest by remembering how soon
The sunshine follows the storm.
In the long run, the rain profits only the
ust, and victory declares at length for the
good and the final sunshine CLEANS upon the
Right, while. the Wrong is hidden in clouds.
But the enemy may now march where he
will. Yes, and when might not the saHe
have been said Of any .tyrant from Senra-
:herib down if no opposition were msde:to
ais progressa OfceurSe he may march where
ne will five make no effort to stop him. We
have shuf1ed this question long enough, and
now it mpstbe met-are We going to make
hat effort2 Arc we going to take irn
stand in this matter aud declare that We will
not give up, or, in the detestabip slang OF the
lay, are we 10 whine it's no use, and we're, ,
gone up, and they've got us?-Constl .ation-
dist.