Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-29


than by the energy they dispi dtheisac
riAces thsy make, and the SUD, gings the.
endure in prosecuting it. The let ahaly
sis, therefore, cannot nov b AIKEN inn
account in estimating the total sum o
probabilities In our favor. since, how
ever, the utilization OF onF ui1, estiOnRbl'
resources depends entirely upof the vii
i and purpose of our people, Sand as thesi
again are greatly influenced hy the degree
in which hope or despair, Anticipation oi
encouragement, may prevail ~ the public
mind, it becomes of great IMPORTANCE C
ascertain what reasonable gsouh hdssxist foI
the development of these sentiments.
We, therefore, return to tue question
with which we commenced; 4eRhy should
our people be discouraged bythe present
aspect of affairs 2'' In ansWering this
question, we shall, for the moment, limit
ourselves strictly 70 its geographical side,
leaving 1t, as to other bearings, open %
on the whole, the results of tills yeaI's SP-
erations are smiuently favorablsito the
Southern cause, an opinion which will be
justified by comparing the military sttuR-
ton now with the military situation st the
beginning of the campaign. In Match
last, Grant lay along the Raptdan With an
army 80 strong that, according to Northern
calculations, It only waited f0F the signal
of its commander to march straight into
Richmond. Sherman, after having twice
traVersed the whole breadth of Mississippi,
had taken commond of the Federal Army.
which lay at Dalton, ready to undertake q
final and eOnquering advance.
The whole of North Alabama was in the
euemy's possession; the whole of Tennes-.
see, with the exception of the small corner
held by LongstreeE, and nearly half ot Mis-
sissippi. In the trans5M Mississippi DlpaFt-
ment, Price had been pushed down tooam.
den, and the enemy counted so confidently
on u permanent conquest of ArkAnsat that
q general election, under Yankee aus1ices,
was ordered, and actually held, through
out the State. In Louisiana the lastFem-
naut of Confederate power seemed % be
vanishing over the Northwestern bGder,
and in Texas the lower valley OF thu Bio |
Grande Was occupied by Union fOrces
To-day Grant lies powerless and ippR-
Fently aimless before Petersburg and Rich. |
mond, after exhaustive efforts to take!hose |
cities, costing him -in Casualties andpris-
Ouers, in his various Virginia opertiOns,
at least 250, 900 men, or about 75. .0O(more |
than the amount of his combined Gmies |
at the opening of the campaign. ShFmsu |
has completed his march through GSFgia, |
and his arrival at the sea coast in sfsty, |
not as q couqueror, but as a fugitfe, is |
bailed by his eountfymen as magHlcent |
and satisfactory triumph. II he captures |
Savannah he will, after all the struggles |
and sncrifices of the campaign, havesim'
ply exchanged one base of Operatiob for
another, pnd will, with a greatly dimiiSh-
ed force, continue TO threaten the inkriOr
from the ocean, instead of Threatening it
from the mountains.
The net gain to the enemy, from hese
operations, is simply nothing. Fgpm kil:
bama the enemy has been sntifels zfulls I'd
and likewise from the whoiedf Mlssissi ipii
except Q few points along the river, lle /
bis tenure of Tennessee has, foEss slime
months, been so precaTious thatthe Con-
fedetate authority has been domigant |
throughout almost etl Of West Tennessee, !
a good portion of Middle aud East TOuues.
see, and has even extended into Westiru
Kentucky. Arkansas has been almost o.
tirely reg4ined; SO likewise has Louisiaia,
except New. Orleans aud the river ban b
and in Texas the only symbol of Fedfai
power is an insignificant garrison on he
sandy beach of BrazOs Santiago. Tod 1t
will be seen that We. at this moment, bid |
far more territory than remained to a in |
March last, and that the enemy, SO far
from advancing toward his object, hasrs-.
ally retrograded from 1t,
Indeed, wa can state with absolute tutk
that at no time since May. 1862, haIl We |
neld sway over SO extended an area q at
this moment acknowledges the supremacy |
of Confederate authority. Aud we nay
conclude by saying, what we are ctrviced |
is true, that our armies, even now, hter
the defeat OF Hood, our only material dis. |
aster, are stronger in proportion to thOe OF |
the enemy than they were at the closl If
the last years operatIsns-from all OF
which it is plain that there is nothing to
depress, but much to eX alt us 10 the pes |
ent aspect of military affairs.