The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-12-28
THE GATE CITY +.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20. !.


Richmond Examiner on the Cam.
Paign in Tennessee.
The Examiner in the following sig
nifcant editorial, bewails the misfortanel
Of Hood in Tennessee, and of the rebe
army generally:
The news from Tennessee is bad
The situation is bad, but it is Tar from
being irredeemable. The army in Ten.
nessee has been terribly misused, and ha.
suffered awful injury. but it is not lost,
and may be restored to full efficiency by
the same hand which redeemed it after
the battle Of Missionary Ridge but to
change the fortunes of the country, the
Executive and the Legislative must
change their character, and abandon the
road to ruin hitherto systematically pur-
sued by both.
The opening of this campaign found
our best men in real command, and in the
two principal positions, Lee in Virginia,
and johnson in Georgia. The military
condition OF this country was never so
prosperous as it was at midsummer, for
these two men had SO done. their work
that it was then morally certain that the
last supreme effort of the enemy was going
to fail; and had it failed, it is impossible,
no doubt, that this year would have been
the last year of the war. The unexpected
and luconsequent freak of the Executive,
and the removal of Johnston, permitted
in silence by the country. has produced
frnits such as inconsequent folly and SUBJ
servience never produced before. Though
great evils might have been and were
apprehended at the time, the results have
so much surpassed the expectations that
they assumed the appearance of a judg-
ment.
But let the past go. The best remedy
for the present evil is simply to stop the
courses which caused them. Let the
Executive cease to interfere with the ar
mics; send johnson to the wreck of that
army which he surrendered to Hood in
such magnificent condition, give him carte
blanche to do what hc thinks proper for
its salvation and the defense of the coun-
try, and guarantee that neither his
commission nor his plans will be any more
meddled with. Give to Beauregard CON-
plete direction of action Oh the coast
Give to Lee his whole army and full pow
er in Virginia, and prosperity will return;
good fortune will again befall the army
of the South, and the great dangers which
menace the Jonfedeiacy will vanish like
the clouds OF the last rain. But if good
sense, modesty and justice will not actu-
ate the Executive, let Congress abdhate
its functions aud psblic opinion it's rights
The nation will suffer just punishment
whenever they entrust power to puny
hands, puff up the eonceit and encourage
the passions Of the rulers by fulsome fat
terry and silent submission. We have
done so. The follies of the Government
are manifest to all but if any one pays
their cost, proposes opposition, or even a
remonstrance, the alniable mainritrr cry ::
"Hush oh, hush hush We can't get
rid of him, and he will do this and all the
more if he is opposed. Don't say any
thing"
We must have concord and upanimity,
and there must be no opposition to the
Government Therefore the only voice
which is heard at all is the voice of fat
terers, the voice of those who have neither
head nor heart, neither knowledge or
prime. pie. Hence the Executive is en-
couragcd to pursue his fancies, and al
though every military misfortune of this
country is pslpably and ccnfessedly due
to the personal interference Of Mr.. Davis,
the Legislature continues at each session
to be his subservient tool and furnish ne
incentives to peryersity, and new means
of mischief. 1t will not be sufficient for
the Executive to have lucid interval
Congress aud the Southern public must
change their attitude and adopt m orc
distinct and manly tone, and deal with
their own affairs with more resolution
and keep the Executive in the path oil
duty, and curb him with peremptory
resolution when he interferes with things
beyond his capacity. Great adversely ha
fallen upon US, but the resources of tht
Southern States are not broken. Thei
resources are enormous, aud in no sense
is the breach irreparable. OF all the ex
treme dangers there is not ore which can
not be successfully met, but create
danger is with folly bolstered up with tb'
license of hattcry to encourage folly n,
calamity which has happened is in itsel
rniuous but what will ruin US Is this
that the Government should 60 on to d
and continue to do the identical act
which have made calamity by the neces
sary sequence of cause and effect.
The more harmony and the more con
cord and the more sef-abnegation W
evince under such circumstances, I'll
more rapid is our progress to destruction
Let us determine that the course of th
ship shall be altered. with that deter
mination will be found the means to con
pei the change.