Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-03-19
THE SOUTHERN CORRESPONDENT OF THE LON
DON TINES VISITS NEW YORK.
Isoulh.rn Correspondence. of III. London TlnsGI


NKw YoRK, January "a.
So far as my own experience goes, it wouli appear
that there Ia no more difficulty in passing from Wash
nRtou to Richmond and from Richmond 10 Washing
ton than there ia in proceeding from the later place
TO Baltimore or from Augusta to Charleston OF
course would not have your readers imagine that It
Is desirable for a stranger to follow the example CT the
able author Of "Guy Livingstone" and to talk secee
sion publicly for many weeks In Baltimore before he
hazards the experiment OF passing through the lines to
Richmond. With ssch antocedents he will probably
insure failure when he makes his effort TO The bor
der; but assuming that he POSSESSES ordinary discretion
and confidence thee is nothing to prevent man pass
ing backward and forward when he peases except
siderable exposure the Potomac YER and possibly
long walk upon either bank There Is, In fact album
daut to think that the seats of the two rival gov
ernments Of this continent hAbitualy swarm with
emissaries from the enemy Such will probably always
b, the case when the bell gerents speak the same
language and more 80 where their lines stretch over
such an immensely OF area Blu; t Is felt in Ricl-
mond and probably ais in Washington, that the es
ence of spies is of wonderfully little Importance There
Is nothing that could iDjure the Confederate 10
be picked up in the streets of Rchmond for upon the
whole considering the irksomeness the pressure, and
the WEAKNESS engendered by tbs war; do not bel eve
thathstory can exhibit harmonou, and homogeneous
ma ion as the Southerners Similarly, from various
reasons, and chiefly believe from their ignorance
about the SJutb the fever in the North has swept
all opposition before il since General Lees retreat ard
the fall Of Vickburg IL will take AZ least twelve months
more Of hope deferred before the North consents TO
drain the bitter cup long and resouey held away
from its ips by the stauuoh old George III That this
cup will have to be drained, ii no, within the next
twelve months at leas within the next twelve years. IT,
In my Judgment as memorable fact ss mathematical
dsmoOstration, as much beyond Federal pesen,ion as
the revolution Of the planets There Il q strange
shadowy sense Of unreaty attached to passing sixteen
months Ia and about Richmond, and then waxing up
to find ones self in Washington. To describe such
a transition would demand not only unriyallad de-
scriptiye and antithetical excellenos, but also
some such quAintneas OF conceit as has exhi-
bited Rip Van Wrinkle starting from his long slumber in
Sleepy Hollow. Ia Richmond the spc ctator has for
months and months been famLilr with war about b .
plh and about his bed and all his meals aud under
every roof War Is b.eathed In every breath, waf ed
upon every breeze, heard In every sound, visible at
every STEP For grace and elegance and lettsred ease
there Is neither time supelfuity OF resource; nor
It must be added are they compatible with the sub
lime earnesness Of temper exhibited by man and Wopan
Ssntss at the head Of every street substantae the
pAsserS identity and investigate his right to bs absent
from the army. At early dawn you are awakened BY
the monotouops chorus Of thousand Of negroes, en-
gagged in flashing the defensive works around Rieh-
mond and going forth chesruly to their labor, which
has long assumed such proportions as TO defy the assault