Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-02-09

r,eonnoISssuo. on the line Of the ralToid between
Strawberry Plains fou ID enemy, and TINS, WHO osDsI
igctr ndclt that he has moved IN force towaf1s
DAndddge On reby threatening our right nsnk. mnle
the remote object of the movement the OF
Knoxville his more immediate aim is to gain possession
of Ire fertile valley Of the French Broad river ana tne
ttorts If forage aud provisions which It con1ain':
On Monday or Tuesday lasthe threw pontoon oriege
over the river at DLndrdge aud by this time the great
or norliou of his force is the lower side, and Htan
to days' easy march of Knoxville. The rich valley
thus placed in po session is the only one LEFT IN TINS
section of the State which has not been drained OF sup
pes Il has been the prircipa source OF subsistence
or our own army, and was equally necessary % tne
rebe Their occupa ion Of Wss essential should tpey
postpCne the campaign against Rockville and go INTO
winter quarters in the interim 1t IL therefore, gfouno
Of spute to both armies, and will compel enenslVe
operations on our part.
The entire movement has necessitated correePohn-
log movement on the part Of our army which bass DoF
changed front on what formerly the rght hfA. 4.
Is nov in line parallel with the Tennessee valley ana az
right angles with the French Broad valley, whoa Is 81
ont,t of the main valley ofthe State leading into North
Carolina Lopg.treet by this move has pui nmseli IN
TO position in of disaster to flu back through Tue
SMOKY Mountains to North Ca DINA. There are some,
iodeeo who think that despairirg OF the csp'nre OF
Knoxville, he is moving along the southeast edge o.
the State huggng the mountain as be goss win Ihe
intention of rel OHM the army CT Johnston III georgia
POLITICAL.
A Washington correspondent of the Herald says
I, ia said that in Democratic Congressional caucus
recently held resolution Tes Sdoped 10 ignore the
whole question Of slavery in the address 10 DE isueu
and also TO tender to General Grant the PTesdsnta
nomination. The only opposition ot'red was o. lew
of the peace Democrats. The ind cation ola radical
tendency in the democratic organization was followed
10 day by straight ou antisavsry speech from Ssna-
tor Sherman foreshadOwiDg the abandonment oy the
r. pu 1cans of ali conservative leadership ana posi-
tive adherence 10 progressive fadicalsm Is sara III
Republican circles here that the nomination OF General
Grant by the ID mocrAts will compel the Republican
narty TO makeMc Chase instead Of Nc. Lincoln their
candidate"
sHs ISSUE or The NEXT PRESIDENCY.
TIE N. Y Herald, under this caption, makes the fol
lowing comment il which tho "smut!y joker" is handled
without gloves:
Attempts enough have been made 10 show beyond all
nuestion that Mr. ncoh cannot End the war and vi
The country wants is WHO can. Such IS the lssue
OF the next Presidency. And upon this simple and die
nct issue there is TO be this year one OF toe ande
p yolutiol the world ever saw. Apparently The people
are now somewhat Indifferent upon th Sc points but 1t
viii be found that this apparent apathy s only the
usual ominOus quite that pTeeedes great upheava.-
IL Is always co. Only the week before the tremendous
excitement in hich the country rushed to arms when
Sumter was fred upon the correspondents OF the Lon
don papers wrote that the Northern people had no in
ters in the questions at stake. So it viii be in the
present case and The apparent indifference with which
the people now contemplate the political mst@ lTres Of
the party in power VII tighten into revolution that
will sweep away the last vestge OF that party
There is therefore, but question for the people
10 decide in this matter and that is who is the man
tina, will END the war; General Gran. and General
Mcclellan are the only uen of any promise in that way
Unfortunately the radicals have eaoaled and lnrsusd
so successfully against General Mcclellan that they have
arrsyed against him the minds Of great many good
men in the country; and hs comparative want OF cue
cesshOugh also the result OF le Vaccinations OF the
radicals-wi weaken him in the popular view. And
thus the field LETT 10 General Grant, who is preemi-
n nlly the man for the OCCASION Never before had
people an opportunity place. By their own will, 20
grand conqueror at the national helm Csr'a oily u
would be the last evidence thai we're besolted and
blinded people IT, with man ike General Grant within
our reach We should cody pss him by 10 re-sect the
nbecie joker who has dragged the country into the
slough OF slaughter and corruption tina: it has been In
for to past two years"
..IDr