Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-05-30
A Short Summer.


which We prssame few will b bold enough TO dispute,
not even Gen. Grant Precisely what number sfSWAl-
lows are necessary to make a summer We have never
Yet been nfOrme5 but lAsey We haVa now means
oflnRormatOn which enables rs dispense with this
very unreliable pathological test We are indebted
70 General Grant for the information. That versatile
person has discovered that two three battles on The
RAppahAnnock constitute a summer Il has been lefs
iO- him thus to compress two seasons into one. The
SeruG aad the sctita periods are Jhis year. have
the high authority Of the Yankee Lieutenant General
for sayinE, embraced n the limited compass Of three
weeks. TIE month Of May stands for both spring and
sumner. There can be no doubt about it. Grant means
wat he says; and according to the New York Herald
his assertions are as true GOsps and bis resolves
81 memorable as fate.
short time ago, after being expelled By Lee from
the lAbyrnths of the Wilderness, and While struggling
with ell bis might for the lines Of SPOsssylVania
COurs House, he sslegApbed to Stanton that be In
tended 70 6ght il out at line If il took all summer
He had then chosen Fredericksburg his base Of sup
plies; and with his eyes turned towards Richmond be
tried TO drive Lee from the intervening path But Lee
positively refused to be driven. If Grant rresisti
bic. Lee vas immoVable. eGrHnt vas nexOrobless
fate Lee was as absolute destiny. But if the Obs
nate Lee would not 90 back on his tracks the fixed
and vsrAeOus Grant could net 90 back upon his word
/: Vas Hl.Ila rsstiga rsirsa for both Of them. Thus
the problem again became intricate and psrpleIing-
Superficial people might suppose that she memorable
Grant had rlsked and lost his reputation for infahbty,
just a. superficial people supposed in the language Of
the New York RsrsldS correspondent, that Grant Was
whipped In the bloody battle OF the Wilderness. Both
suoDositions must be considered erroneous Else, the
partnership Of Grant, Fate Co., must be admitted to
be dssoVeG-l consummAton which Is not TO be
thought Of for moment. We are, therefore, to con-
cuds that the summer Of 1854 has been sadly brought
10 close even before its beginning. Grant was de-
tsrnined 10 fight il out on that line if is took
III sumner. He telegraPhed as much TO Stanton
and he Is as nsxorAble fate. He has fought
Il out on that line. he has fought it stubborn
~; in Differences to Yankee hopes and GrantiAn inis
billy, we viii MOI say unsueCessiny, but he has Ger
sAoly fought it out He has abandoned that line; he
has relnqushed The Aitemp, to reach Richmond BY tba
route. Consequently, are bound TO believe tha. be
has taken 81 GUNNER for the tssk To be sure this in
wolves slight perversion Of natural laws bEi as the
Yankees show the most exalted capacity for the peTver
sion and violation Of all other lass We may admit their
capacity to overcome the laws Of nature As well. If
Joshua made the sun and moon sand still, by Procla
nation, Why should not Grant eliminate summer by
telegram
Bat after fighting it out on the Fredericksburg line
win Grant have any better luck o. The new line ne
has AdOp.edi The lion vas in his path in The WI
dsrness and a. spotsylyania COuH House. Win he
not 6ad the same lion 10 his path when be crosses the
Panunksy' Grants peculiar forte is 6ghdng-agSt-
log to-day, 6ghtDg tomorrow, fighting all the tune.
He certainly justified this view Of his character in his
obstinate aud desperate struggle against Lee on the
RAppahannOck. But be has found bis master in that
game and be has given il up Driven at last to appeal
to his limited fund Of strategy be has sought to eVade
his antagonist BY the old e1peden Of marching round
him; but always a. respectful distance. BE is now
compelled to change once more his base Of supplies
which must nov be Fixed the White House, and be Is
taus brought the IDENTICAL line adopted BY the deri
dsd abused and superseded Mcclellan There could not
bs clearer confession Of Of Judgment and failure
OF s1scutoa Grant has fought three bloody battles
besides hall dozen minor engagements, without BY
force Of his assaults, moving Lees army single inch
While losing % the lowest computation City thousand
men, And all this in order, after abandoning his orig
nal line and tEcs changing his base Of supplies to ar
rive at point which be might have reached without
aring gun or l0sing man. IfGTank instead Of NOV
log down from Culpeper Court House, sOd fighting his
unsuccessful bus sAngunsry battles the RaPPahAE
mock and then, By circuous march 20 the Peninsula,
drawing Lee back towards Richmond; if, instead o.
,his be had landed originally at West Point or White
House, be would have accomplished precisely the same
result, without mourning any loss sEPsndng any Of
bis strength.
By finally adopting this Inc be has admitted the su-
psrior Sagacy Of Mcclellan and the greater merit Of
that Generals strategy. Mcclellan, even although he
had 70 reduce or turn the fOFti6eaOns Of Yorktown
before commencing his advance, arrived at point
within ave miles Of Richmond without losing, q fair
estimate, more than ten thousand men. Grant refused
20 avail himself Of the advantages Ored b this line,
even though the obstacles existing in hoCsllns time,
no longer eonfrontsi him, until be had rutessy e1-
pended his strength In vain effort reach Richmond oy
another route Even the Yankees viii be able to see
and 70 reason upOn these facts and as Grant sinks in
popular estimation, who knows hut that Mcclellan may
rise sgaioi As 70 Grants taking Richmond BY the
White House line, or any tthsr line, be has himself
gwen the most emphatic denomination OF the absurdty
Of any such idea The lion q still in bis path add If be
come wiShn reach Of IL again, viii nsst sssuredly de-
him without any sort Of ceremony Ia the classic
plrsss Of YankssaOu Grant may l'Ok upon hrasef As
. gObblsd nan"
LINCOLN APPALLED,