Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-05-20
MATT1.E CR1fICls&'

othc that embraces the amusing, the rid'cu-
lous and the nauseating, it is the com
ment on c,nrrnt military operations Q,
brica11s lawyers, third class Clerks "''
beys fvst out Of school, who have oo'''''e'
sssitpations" n editors and are c's's''
in sS,hAihg newspapers. These 't'ner'",
.na-, psxsaedgcd. scribblers, puzzled anu
overwhelmingly confused by the mass OF
dispatchcs. and feeling Obliged to say some
thing, and to prove that they are intense
" patriotic and wisc LAUNCH ont, head
long, cxclailning IIurfah Boys We've
licked EN- - and subsidc in The complacent
conviction that Lee is wiped out in Virginia
and that the rebels are sublngatcd every
where, Bat it i, a satisfaction that there
are papers of more sense which look upon
the matter coolly and whose criticisms are
sensible and instructive. A few of the
more sensible views Of the onward march
Of the Army Of the Potomac, we give be-
low.
The New York Ereniag Part, in a gencr-
al article on the situation embraces III the
following brief paragraph suggestions which
arc pertinent to oycry stand that the enemy
will make as he falls back
Our armies are now considerably greater
than the cneiny's: but We must not forget
that they have need to be greater our
soldiers figh, under singular disadvantages.
Take MS an instance the recent battles in the
Wilderness there Lee chose the field and
prepared it beforehand hc knew the coun-
try thoroughly; and Grant was obliged to
accept battle on his. i
From several elaborate articles in the New
York Tmes during the closing days o. last
week we take the following cautionary par
agraphs
We suppose there were enthusiastic peo-
pie who tancicd when Grant set out in pur-
suit of Lee, that he would closely follow up
the rebel, on the doublc-quick, until he
found refuge behind the carthcn walls Of
Richmond. /; would have been a fine thing
to do, had il been in mortal power to per-
form it b:i, thp movements Of great hos
Tile armies, whether in retreat or in pursuit.
are under conditions very different from
those which govern foot-race. Were
Grant to travel the nearest roads from the
Wilderncs, to the rebel capital he would
have something like seventy miles to pass
over; and this space is close threaded with
rivers and streams. which have to be crossed:
is well studded with strong works. which
can be s.iillv defended and is, moreover.
notwithstanding the battles of Thursday
and FRIDAY. guarded by a large and lcsper-
ate army led by capable General Ire,
~iM bit u stag.s dieistot, ronM yst.,rd the
adsane rpm, Eichmoad cary sGriopsly, aAd
.toro considora'te h.a., by the simple STRAIT
egy Of standing at advantageous positions,
and compelling our army 70 frequently form
line 81 battle
No reaSono6fc nan could hay.
erer looked forward to anything like rou1
Of Gen. Lees army any more than that q
our own. When such veteran corps i.
Longstrects end Rnrnsidc's meet, as the,
have done on many Il bloody Held. there i.
no thought on either side Of "A rout or i
flight, as thing hich could possibly hap
pen. 1t is so with other veteran corps IL
both armies When they are beaten they
simply Withdraw so much OF their men and
artillery as they can save, andrctrcat to til,
next commanding position where they can
make a stand.
In such 4 country as Virginia, an a,my
can nsrer bc entirely broken mp W ono dc
feat. There is no opportunity for such a
pursuit by cavalry as we read of in Euro
pean battles. Artillery, and the strong po-
sltions peculiar TO the country can always
rctard the pursuing enemy, until the defeat
ed army can reorganizc.
II is only by some fortunate double attack
like that which is the popularity of this
campaign, that large rctreating army in
America can be broken up Unless Butler
should be PECULIARLY fortunate on the James
River, re may erpeet sresls Of stubborn con-
t., betmoen the gr,,duoHy J"iiing or~y u
lie md his Increasingly sfsong ond tcn0cious
opponent for it must BIC remembered tina;
Grant has to add to his right wing the I'M
p,rtant corps under ten. Sigcl. from the val
ley.
No immediate or startling end CT srh q
struggle ram te expected. 1t may be a long
aud tough contest of pluck and endurance.
Northern tcnaciy will be on trial against
Southern ardor Disasters and DELAYS mus,
frequently occur ; the difficulty of supplies
Tor Grants enormous army must be exceed
inely great. Yet the question will be mar
rowed down to al absolute and final strug-
gle OIL an equal fed lie we,n tie resources
AID the spirit CT the North and the South
Ii Is Wen tiiat the great contest between the
i've civilizations should be t!ils finally set
tied. Who can doubt the issue.
Ii j. no disparagcincnt to Gen
Butler TO say ta..t We only fear the cxeca
ton OF the whole Plan may not be as yigor
Gus as was the inception. As it is no; once
IN centuries that a man educated a. IL civil
ian has the nerve and the peculiar talent .oi
great military operations. Certainly this
war has presented TO exceptions to this
statement. Still, even il Butler never, reach
es Richmond, he has produced pro.oun,
effect on this calnpaign.
\ great deal has been saia
By some very well meaning but over san
guinc journals aoou. the growing discour
agelnent OF the rebels. We are bound t.
say that we have seen no cyi,.crcc of it
On the contrary, We DO not rccollect = time
for the last two years when the rebel paper.
generally, have eyinccd SO much satisfaction
with the spirit Of their people. and such
steady confidence that their cause would
triumph, rs since this year opened No,
has this been entirely without reason. The
Tact that the Southern people have SO calmly
submitted to the unprecedented m asurcs o.
the rebel congress-tho levy en- masse, the
conversion, or rather, annihiiatioa OF the
currency, the appropriation Of all corps,
present AID future. For the use OF the army
say what we may Of it, shows urea,
stauncincss |; is weakness to call i The
effect of intimidation.
No government thai eyer c.istnd ro,,lJ