Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-04-07
From the Columbia Guardian.

In conversation with the lamented Mr.. Yancey bat
short time before his DEATH ausion made TO the
confidence felt by troops before every battle, of
vanquishing The foe. "1his vtctory."-was the re-
ply OF the eloquent orator.
At this time such confidence is universal The Rich.
mond Examiner IN of its pungent articles, demon
strates that the Yankee army does not fight as 1t did
in the second year of the war The causes are
Gus and obvious. All the recent conflicts of our arms
have testified the truth of this position The success
of the enemy Vicksburg, Port Hudson and Mission
ary Ridge furnish contradiction. In all these,
whemiDg numbers, and combination Ot adverse cir
cnmstances carried the day against US. In Florida,
Mlssss'pp and on Johns Island the prestige OF Fred
ercksburg, Chancellorsvie, and Manassas have been
more than maintained by arms. The Irish element,
to which most OF the hard fighting in the armies of the
enemy has been due, has visiby declIned Yankees
and negroes the forces troops to meet
The year 1864 has opened with the encouraging
auspices for US. This confidence, which is victory,
abounts throughout our armies. Big talk is taking
the place of depleted armies among our foes. Grapt
and blus,er to supply their failure of recrulting-
Old troops goir ont and raw leves are to take
their places where their places to be taken at ALL
We have all sides the most encouraging prospects.
Let Us continue to be of mind-and the spring OF
1864 will ever be memorable epoch in the war of
Southern independence.
The DEPTH CT SPAcE.-In 1887, Professor Bessel,
of Germany, commenced a series of astronomical mea
sures for the purpose OF getting the exact distance OF
the fixed stars, thing that had never been DONE The
INSTRUMENT WHICH ne uSeO 10 connection Win power
ful telescope, IN his experiments was heliometer
(gun measurer After three years hard labor he was
so fortunate to obtain paralax, but so minute
that be could hardly trust his reputation upon it, But
after repeated trsls and working out the result, he
fully satsfe that be could give the true distance to
6l Cygni. But who comprehend this immense
distance! We only convey idea to the mind OF
this distance, by the fact that light which travels l2
600, 600 of miles a minute, requires less then ten
years to reach it Just let any try to take in the
idea. Ooe hour would give 720,00O,0O0 of miles
one year, then-8,760 Yourselves 63O7 200 900 900,
and this multiplied by ten gives 63 O72 900 600 900.
This according to Bessel is the distance of the
est fixed star to The All astronomers confirm the
correctness of Prof Besses calculations. But this
distance, great it is, is nothing to be compared
the. distance of the Milky Way. Sir William Her
schell says that the stars that compose the
Milky Way are very remote that it requires light
going at the rate OF II 900 900 of miles minute
100000 years to reach the earth And he says there
are stars, Iebuae five hundred times remote
Now make your calculation 10000 years reduced
to minutes, and then multiply that sum by II 600 U0O
and the product by 500. What au overwhelming
idea The mind sinks under thought we can't real
ze it it is too vast even for comprehension. David
says 1.-The Lord hath prepared his throne In the heav
ens and his kingdom Tor government raleth ALL"
On infuite, glorious Monarch!
PIrHY CoLLGQUY-A correspondent of the M isis
sppian reports the following conversation between
Yankee and David Dickson, of Rankin county, Mis-
ss.ipp:
Federal-Have you any horses or mules on this
place?
Dick-NOne.
Fed.-Youre id liar.
Dick-Ill take that from Yankee
Fed.-Have you any negroes?
Dick-Yes-one.
Fed.-Do you think he would like to go with US
Dick-No.
Fed.-Why?
Dick.-Because he knows than you and put
together, ard niger having that much Pm
sure would not 90 off with the Yankees
Fed.-Why ale you not in the army.
Dick.-Because they wouldn't have me. Maybe
you'd take me?
Fsd-Why do you wish to go with as?
Dck,-WeIl, I've been doing nothing Tor the past
two years, and am consequently rathsr behind in
ey matters So you see, by joining your party I'd
have good chance to make up for lost time, |
derstand you all proficient in the science of steal
ug.
Fed-Goo1 morning.
Dick -CToo6 radiance.