The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-12-27

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What Nextf
The situation Of JEFF. Davis. his ruling junta
and his army In Richmond. may now be aptly
compared TO that Of the unfortunate Jews,
when, In their rebellion against the authority
and power of imperial Rome. they were in
vested by Titus in their sacred city of Jerusa-
lem. Despairing Of a successful resistance,
cut of from every hope Of outside relief, and
reduced to the extremities Of famine, there
were yet added to the terrors Of the siege the
most violent discOrds within Of divided coun-
ellis and clashing factions. Such now is the
situation Of JEFF. Davis and his ruling confede-
rates at Richmond. Whether, from an iucaps-
bility of agreeing upon timely capitulation
or retreat, they will await, like the Jews, the
alternative of wholesale destruction, is the
problem which now remains to be solved
We incline to the opinion, from the develop
ments Of disaffection against Davis that have
leaked out through the Richmond journals, and
the debates in the rebel Congress, that the des
potic reign of the arch traitor hangs upon a
mere thread, which may any day be broken in
q reactionary revolution and coup detdt at
Richmond In behalf Of peace. What was the
work which he was set up to perform
as the military dictator of the so-called
Confederate States! The establishment Of an
independent Southern coniedsracy, bounded
on the north by Mason and Dixon's line, the
Ohio river aud the northern boundary OF Mis-
souri,; on the extreme west by the Pac fic
Ocean; on the south, temporarily, by the Rio
Grande and by the Gulf Of Mexico; and on the
east by the Atlantic Ocean, including the pos
session Of the Mississippi river, from the Mis-
souri, to the sea; of Washington, Maryland,
Fortress Monroe and Chesapeake Bay. Such
was the Southern confederacy which Davis
Was set up to establish, and upon the
corner stone of African slavery. He and his
leading oonfederates entered upon this stupen-
dous enterprise, 1t must be confessed, with
inadequate means, but with abundant promises
Of success. They promised their deluded fol-
LEVERS that the Yankees would not fight; tat
if they did their commerce would be swept
from the ocean; that the Northern democracy
would join their Southern brethren; that King
Cotton would bring England and France to the
rescue; that the finances Of the United States
would soon be broken down. and that should
all these expectations fail in the interval, the
Presidential election of 1864 would surely
settle the contest, in the recognition of the
Southern confederacy on satisfactory terms.
The inevitable end Of the war, in any event,
was to be Southern confederacy, resting on
the corner stone Of slavery. from which King
Cotton would dictate the law to the continent,
and the laws of trade in the four quarters Of
the globe.
Dazzled by this magnificent programme, the
Shareholders Of the South, as by q sort Of
spontaneous combustion, were indamed and
eager for the war, with the sound Of the signal
guns opened against Fort Sumter. Where are
they nows Where are their expected North
ern and European alliances! Where is King
Cotton! Where is their overshadowing South
ern confederacy! Where is its corner stone,
that fascinating Southern domestic institution
Of African slavery! Let Hood, and the help
less remnants Of his shattered army from the
northern border OF Alabama; let Magruder,
from Texas; let Price, and his routed troops,
from Arkansas; let Joe Johnston, In his I'M
deserved disgrace at Macon; let Hardee,
stealing OF from Savannah into the swamps
Of South Carolina; let Beauregard, from
Charleston; let Bragg, from Wilmington;
Breckenridge, from East Tennessee, and
Davis himself, from beleagured Richmond
give the answer. All their great expecta.
tions in succession have signally failed
Their confederacy il now, for military pur-
psses reduced to the contracted area between
Richmond to the Savannah river; while VII.
Enington, the last link of connection between
the "confederacy" and Nassau, is cut of, If
not In our possession.
Against this hopeless condition Of things
what is the alternative to which the slave
holders of this dsjointed Southern confederacy
are now invited? 1t is the foolish expert.
ment of emancipsting and arming their negroes
as the last but winning card for Southern
independence. 1t is the alternative oil
tearing out the foundations in order to save
the building; 1t is the Japanese alternative oil
hari-lcari, in order to avoid destruction by
other hands. 1t is upon this proposition that
the Shareholders Of the South are now called
by JEFF. Davis to make their election Here,
however, that delicious Southern panacea OF
State rights aud the question OF suicide come
to the relief of the Shareholder. Hence the
wranglings which prevail among the rebel
Solons Of Richmond Fire-eaters who have lost
their slaves, and reckless politicians who have
never been blessed with slaves, are clamoreus
for negro emancipation and a negro army
while those shareholders who still possess their
negroes, who know what they are, and who are
still hopeful that something may turn up" in
their favor, even In tue old Union, better than
Southern emancipation, fight stouty against
the sacrifice Of their slaves to the Moloch who
rules the roost at Richmond
Tho criaia In NJ hand for tho antilcrnon ,f Ill