Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-13

our population suppose, and every hour
makes it stronger. Some apprehension Is
felt in regard to the number of troops IN
and around the city. On that point II
would be obviously improper to state par
ticulars. We may be very sure, however
that heavy reinforcements are at hand
They may not arrive in time to prevent the
enemy from achieving temporary success
such as the burning OF bridge, and the
capture of an outpost, but they can come
soon enough to punish the enemy for hl'
temerity. We expect for several days tc
come an unwonted degree of excitement
and many startling and alarming Iumors.,
Are We Prepared.
[From The Richmond Whig May e.l
Suppose the battle between Lee and Gram
Is indecisive, or suppose the .enemy gan
such advantages as to compel Lee TO fai
back toward Richmond, are we at all pre-
pared for such contingency Candol
compels a negative answer. for we have
been so elated by success after success tha
we have not permitted ourselves to contem'
plate the probability of anything but vic
tory. This is not wise. The reaction from
the elated condition in which we have beer
for months past may carry us to the other
extreme, and at a time when the highest
qualities of manhood may be needed to re-
pair n temporary reverse we will be found
in state of supine dependency. We should
at once look OH the other side of the picture
and accustom ourselves to the idea OF
temporary miscarriage of our arms, and to
the requirements of such an event. While
the auspices were never more favorable fol-
Lee, the chances of battle are so various
and so much beyond human control that ii
is impossible to foretell with certainty the
issue of the pending engagement. A year
ago "Stonewall' Jackson fell not far from
the spot on which Lee and Grant are about
to join battle. What If Lee should fall!
May Providence spare us this calamity, for
the people of the Confederacy are by no
means prepared for it.
We all know this, yet no one has asked
the question: What are we to do if Lee
suffers reverse, and is forced to Tall back
upon this city? Still less have we permit
ted ourselves to consider the consequences
of deplorable accident which may hap
pen any day. They have made up their
minds, unwisely, that the war must end
one way or the other this year, forgetting,
quite that there can be but one way. If
Lee should fall and his army be unsuccess-
full, we greatly fear that the majority of the
people would begin to look the other way.
But neither the loss of Lee, nor the re-
verse of his army, nor the two together,
will justify the contemplation of that other
way. Let it be dismissed at once and for
ever. Suppose Lee falls, we have Beaure-
gard. Suppose his army fails to drive off
Grant and has to retire, we have reinforce
ments and many excellent lines of de-
fense. Whatever betides, this is very
clear. Our independence must be won.-
Short of that we can never stop. There is
no middle ground, as Mr.. Leach fancies, be-
tween independence and subjugation. How
often have we proclaimed that the fall of
Richmond, and of all our cities, would not,
and should not, end the war. Do we still
stand fast to that proclamation, or are we,
indeed, ready to see the war end this year,
one way or the other. Perhaps at this mo-
ment the great contest on the Rapidan is at
its height, and before the setting of this
days sun, the wires may bring us sad
tidings. Should it so chance we must set
hard the teeth and rally once more to the
breach remembering that the cause for
which Stonewall" jackson died may suf-
fer thousand reverses, but can never fail
The mishaps of to-day may be repaired to-
morrow, and in the end we will, for we
must, triumph gloriously.