Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-02-04
AMERICAN TOPICS IN ENGLAND.
MESSAGES OF THE PRRsIBESrs coNTRAsrEo
From ne London Tinesl


MESSAGES OF THE PRRsIBENrs coNTRAsrEo
From NE London Tinesl
We have clreiuly examined tbese State papers In
order to ascertain possible what view each President
tax OF ths prospects Of his own cause what estimate
he forms OF past progress and what hopes he entertans
OF future success We coniSfs after the most care u
consideration, we can derive little insight Ito the sub
jec. Tle u,h s that these addresses do not contain
50 much What the writer's think what they wish be
supposed to thnk l. either North or South desrared
OF the safety o. the Republic tie last place where we
should expect to fad any trace of it would be 10 the
inaugural addresses OF their President. Sill such ndi-
cations gs:her TO show that neither party
has right to lock forward % The conf year with
overweening confidence The balance OF advantage in
the last campaign has undoubtedly been in favor OF the
North. Prcsden. Lincoln claims some what premature
ly that the Mississippi is completely opened while the
very last sdyices We have received that this is
very far from tius Tennessee, he US is sub
stantisly clear OF nsorgents-a statement which the
las: accounts cannot be said to bear out.
We told for the hundredth time that the crisis Ia
pa and the atteation Of the President would seem TO
be directed rather the fac Of the ack than of the
white population of the Southern States He announces
his 6'm adherence to the policy of emancipation, and
c1ngratuates himself, think he reasonably nav
tiat that sub,o: have made progress dur
log the lat year. Taeto be 70 doubt oil the fact
Ii has pleased the Dm scratc patty in the Norh by
amount Of moral co Fardce to which history furnishes
10 parallel, to commit political suicide. To narrow tie
fsre. &c between themselves and their antaRoDs "a
the me,e question of lie proper manner Of carrying
on The war vas to take up P9sion by which every.
thing to be lost and potbiog to be gsned and
of course, whatever the mocratc party lest has been
Transferred TO those violent Hho in addition 70 the
irestmsbe advantage OF thoroughly knowing their own
minds, and having perfectly clear aud defnite views,
possssied for the moment power Place and patronage
and able 10 reward those CONVEX ions 70 which the
waknsss of their opponents gave only too reasonable
occasion
Mr.. Lincoln CO ifessca, however, to two wants both
Of them very seiou, IN war; the want Of and the
wan, OF money. lie speaks 10 guarded terms, not of
tie scarcity Of soldiers, but OF the want Of labor in
every field Of industry The havoc Of tho war has
raised up formidable competitor with the Stat; and
| the who enters the arnJ will probably be bet
ter paid for risking his life by battle or malaria than
the peaceful cgl.iyator Of the land VINO lives without
danger and without excitement There il also com
plant thai the enls nent for he army completes preu
ciciaily tribe entering OF seamen Tor the navy.
TIE address of the S-aIheIn President is entitled TO
the pr .se Of eanior 20 does nor perhaps admit 10
fully be ought the real effect Of the bloody check az
Gettysburg bu, With taia exception, we do Lot think
that General Ii eck hiueelf could ject to tbs view
which is given u the OF the late campaign. The
helsy blow which sustained by the capture of the
Mississippi foriressss and the recent defeat in TenDes
see stated sinh manly rankness-a frankness which
tends more 10 rae opinion of the prospects OF the
Confed Iscy than the aos highly coiored satemei t..
There is complaint of the difficulty Of obtaining men
for the army, though the Losses occasoned by
sp,k Of win bitter regret very different from the
roa stocsn which tae Northern leaders prescribe 10
| themselves such sutjecs But the statement Of
Southern fnauce is a melancholy affair.
The Scu.hern people are inunda ed by deprecated
pli currency, tner trade is Destroyed their industry
etrniy npeded, ard ye their President can make no
beaer suggestion Than the imposition Of heavy direct
ion in order TO reduce the currency within proper
bouads, in addition 20 what may be required TO make
| provso for the Nobody cal doubt these psn-
cp.es sound bus are they pactcablsg Aud il not
how are the Southera armies to be supported ia the
field, and to be provided with food clothes asns,
munition, artillery and traDspcr? TIE question not
what has been done in the last clmpaign but with wha.
resources the antagonists II confront each other
il the campaign which wall be opened in the early
Sprng. The .uhern President expresses confidence
in the superior endurance CT fgh,irg for home,
liberty and independence which leaves doubt TO the
result
Endurance will DO mich. la days when war was q
mere hsndto haad encounter between comparatively
small forces, il might perhaps do everything; hut
dnrsDce citGo. create capital il cannot manufacture
cre1it it csnpot provide expensive and complicated
macin g. ripl7 means OF transport which seem TO
be breaking down under ths pressure pu, upon them
Sill in one serso, there il justici in Gr. Davis conf
dsnce. We expected, when this war beg,n, that
the South would b able to cJnduc H. as it has d5ne
Oh the footing of great Power employing large armies
p divided with all the appliances OF IL was only
after the rspulso OF Mcclellan tka Europe began 20
rsiand tie magnitude ot the problem which the North
had undertaken 10 solve. Yet, though greatly IN
deraed the diff ,ulties OF the North the option
amos, universal that the aut agion OF tn. South would
be found all impossibiy The climate, the vast die
tlnces the enduring and inveterate opposton Of tho
people, the ormous oene, and the impossibiy Of
bringing things TO issue, all seemed on the side OF
secession.
The Proclamation CT tie President furnishes q good
iustrs Of tais difficulty H. proposes, "repub
eaa principles TO vest the Government of each
ded State in orc ten h OF the popult or, who will
sweer allegiance 10 Lin and ooedieGce 10 his acts OF
Csngrss and p, ordinations. Thcs, men will b.
able 20 maintain themselfes than the Thirty
Tyranl8 Of Ahcis witht the aid of tie Laceds nonsn
ga rsoi. Thsy will oru detested oigsrchy like the
Normans in Saxon L gland, eny that they will rule
over men Drawer alu warike than themselves
What force will be req1red TO support these Govern
meDts and what .. ioilty will there be, long ss
they exist of any law except that of the ,wordi These
things could be done in other times, but ben
the North has surrendered Ter liberty and beegarcd her
finances she will not BE- able peima emily to hold these
inmsnse countries and keep down their hostile popula
items on these terms Tough conceive it 10 DO
quite possible. then, thai. qyeborne by peTpe,urliy
cruited Numbers and meLse resources, the South may
become Unable 70 relaia large armies in the field yes
between that and snbiugati1n there int val which
We do no; expect 90 see FLIED up.