Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-14


nosition of great responsibility, but stands on dan
gerous ground InpTessvd profoundly with sucn ieeF
r gs and convietionS loud shrink from the UNDER
taking you have called me TO- ou' Ior .ae soSs
aiousness that where duty leads no one should ever
Tar 10 tread Great the dsy gers that threaten
ma perious as is our siIulton-and DO not intend 10
s..sta or undertake neither to awaken undue ap-
urehension to excite hopes ana never
- he reaz sd-psrilOus, therefore, as our situation is
= "a far FAR from being desperate or hopeless and
seI NO hesitation in saying to ycu in all frankness and
ndor that if We true to ourselves and true to
cause al will yet be well
In ths progress Of the war thus far Il Is true there
il much TO be OF suffering of sacrifice and Of des
oaiou; much sicken the heart and blush for
civil zation and Christianity. Cites have been taken,
towns have been sacked vast of property have
been burned fields have been laid waste, records have
been DESTROYED churches have been desecraed women
aud children have been driven from their homes, uG-
armed men have been put to DEATH States have been
uyerrun and whole populations made to groan under
the heel OF desposm all these things are seen and felt
but in them nothing to be seen to cause dsmsy much
s desuair; these deeds Of ruin and savage barbary
nave beeo perpeIrated only on the outer borders on
the coast and on the lines of the rivers, where by the
Aid of their ships of and gunboats, the enemy has
had the advantage the great breadth OF the interior
the heart of counry-has never yet been reached
nv them they have ye after struggle OF near three
years with unlimited means at cost of not less than
our thousand millions of dollars how much more
knowp) and hundreds OF thousands Of lives been able
ouIy to break the shell OF the Oonfederacy The
only signal advantages they have as yet gained have
been on The water where their land aud naval forces
we're combined. That they should have gained advan
tares under such circumstances is not mater OF much
Il SURPRISE Nations in war, like individual men or anil
mas show their real power in combat when they stand
unon the advantages that nature has given them, AID
6sht on their on ground and their own element The
lion though king of the forest cannot contend success
fully with the shark in the water. In conflict OF
assy from euaboats, during the whole war; since the
6st battle Of Manassas to that Of Ocean Pond, have
our gallant soldiers failed Of victory, when the numbers
nm each eide we're at all equal The farthest isance
into the interior from the base and protection OF their
gunhoats either on the coast the rivers that the
enemy has been able % make for three years the
late movement from Vicksburg to herdiao, and the
i sneedy turn Of that movement shows nothing more
cIe.rIy thau the faculties and Disadvantages attend
me ali SUCH these things should be noted and marked
in considering present situation and the prospects
d the iuture In al Losses up to this Time no vital
boW has ever been given either 10 our our en-
ervss We still hold Richmond, after repeated efforts
no t,ke il both BY force aud strategy We stl hold on
the Cuff Mobile and on the ocean front Wilmington,
Savannah and Charleston. These places have been,
and are stil, held against the most formidable naval
armsmeut ever put ahoas.
At Charleston the enemy seem to direct all their pow
or lind and naval that be brought to bear in COM
Ib;nstion-sll the II energy rancour aud yeugeance-
CartGsqo dsedd est" Is their vow as to this devoted
CITY Every means shat money can command and in
osnuity suggest from the hugest engines OF war never
6stors known TO The fendish OF Greek fire. have
hssn and are being applied for its destruction. For
nearly nine months the city, under the skill Of
sumInate commanded his sub ,rdna es and the heroic
virtues of our matchess braves in the a9ks still holds
on, ae anst all the Disadvantages Of defence without
su table naval aid That she may continue to hold out
aud her coil never be poued by the unhallowed foot
prints of her vandal beseger is Of course the
visa of ALL But even il 90 great disaster should hap
pen TO US "a the loss OF Charleston be not dsmayed
indulge no sentiment akin to that Of
ia not vital part We may lose that place. Savannah,
Mobile Wilmington, and even Richmond, the seat OF
government ana still survive. We may lose all our
strong plaees-the enemy may traverse great int
rOr as they have lately done in Mississippi and may
stin survive We should under cGlamities be
no worse of than ancestors In their struggle for
ndepeDdence During the time that "t.ed mems souls
wh them every city the coast from Bo ton to SayaD.
nab was taken by the enemy. Philadelphia was taken,
and CONGRESS driven away. South Caroline, North
Carol na portions Of Georgia, Virginia, and other
States we're and occupied by the enemy
pletely a. Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana and Ten
nessee are Low. Take courage from the example of
Vour Observation-Disclosures caused wi them nothing like
dsmay or despair-hey only aroused spirit OF renew
ed energy and iortitude. The principles they fought
for suffered and endured much for, the Tor
which We arc struggling. State rights, State sov
ereicnty the great principle forth in the declaration
of independencs-the rghS oil every State to govern
itself asit peases With the same wisdom, prudence
forecast and patriotism the same or Isl satesmsn
ship on the part OF rulers in drec ing aud welding
our resources our material Of war; that controlled pub
c affairs at that time in the camp and in the Cabinet
and With the same spirit anmaug the breast of the
ueope devotion 10 liberty and right hatred of tyranny
and oppression, affection for the cause for the causes
sake With the came sentiments and feelings the part
of rulsrs and people 10 these days in those we
M; ght and may be they we're; interior
NAV be penetrated BY superior hostile armies and our
country laid waste theirs was, but we be
conquered as they could be- The issues of war
depend quite as much Upon statesmanshp general
ship quite much upon what is done at the council
board as upon What is done In the field Much
the greater part OF all wars, is busness-plan
practical every day life business there is in il no
art or mystery or special knowledge, except good,
strong common ssnse-tbis relates to the finances
uuarLermasters aud commissarys department the
Ways and mears proper-n Q word to the resources Of
country and its capacities for war-the number OF
men that be spared from production, without weak
enng the aggregate strengh-she prospect of supplies
subsistence arms and munitions OF all kinds. II is IS
necessary that men should be trmed clothed shod and
fed as that they should be put in the sdsubsistence
ia as essential At present have subsistence
sufficient for the year. if is taken Of and man
aged with economy. Upon moderate estimate, one
within sasonabe bounds the tthes Of wheat and corn
for last year not less in the States east of the
Mississippi TO say nothing Of the other sde) than
eighteen million bushels. Kentucky and Tennessee are
not included in this estimate. This would bread an
army of FIVE hundred thousand men and one hundred
thousand horses for twelve months and leave cousd
cradle margin for waste or loss This we hsve without
buying or impressing bushel pound. Nor need
bushel of it Re lost account Of the of trans
portaton from points at distance from railroads At
such PAGES could be fed to animals put ato beef and
oork and thus lessen the of these articles of
food to be bought Upon like estimate the 1.-THE of
meat for the last year will suppy the army for at least
81 Notwithstanding the purchase of supplies Of this
ticle necessary for only half the yearthe surplus in
the country and above the tithes ample to meet
the deficiency. AL that is wanting Is men o. business
capacity honesty integrity, economy and industry in
the and control Of that department. There
need be no fear of the want of subsistence this year.
our officials do their duty. Bot how will it be next year.
if the policy adopted by Congress, at late session. is