Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-08
Petersburg, vicksburg and Scbas-

10 o..
1t h possible that the humiliatiug disaster
which has Just overtaken the corps Of General
Burnside. before Petersburg, NAV not compel
the speedy Abandonment by General Grant of the
present campaign against Richmond That /,
mus, seriously cripple tho Commanding General
in the prosecution of his operations is certain,
ard o. we have already shown in these columns
IL mus, depend much more upon the plans and
movements of General Lee than upon those of
the enterprisnS and persistent cheftan whom
We sent forth with the early summer of the head
q the finest aud most powerful army ever Assem-
Died in America. whether the scene OF active hos
tilities Tor the rest OF the available year shall or
shall not be transferred from the banks Of The
james anG the Appomattoy 90 those of The Po-
tOmac
But this day. vi at DAYS, should he a day for
the telling OF tue downright truth. The Presi-
dent has summoned all to day for full and
humble confession. and for honest PRAYER, iato
the presence OF the Supreme DispOser of human
events; and the poor devices Of msrepreseuta-
ton and deception, always Odi0us and inadequate,
we're teniold contemplate aud idle to-day
Whatever auspices Of good, whatever elements
OF hope, can tiud N the posture of our affairs
to-day, We must be sought, not in refugees OF lies
aud perversOns OF TACT, bat in an honest con'cm
plaiion of things as they actually are
The Army OF tho Potomac, notwithstanding
the severe losses which il has suffered in this long
aud brascly borne agony OF battle and siege, go
painfully consummated on Saturday last is still
an efficient aud formidable host. II bates not
yet, as we delight TO believe one jot of hear, or
hope and whatever gallant men can do when
wisely led, il wisely led il will doubtless still at
tempt aud DO. But this only makes it more i'm
perative upon tho guides of public opinion that
they should not wilIfully OF thOughtlessly mis-
lead the public mind as TO the particular nature
and the particular chances of the particular thing
which this heroic army has been planted before
the intrenchments Of Petersburg 10 attempt, and
which. if the army IS TO DC kept before Peters
burg, still remains for IL 70 achieve
The comparisons which are daily Instituted for
the purpose of cheering the public temper. be-
tween the military position OF August, 1864, in
Virginia, aud that OF the Angl0-French allies be-
fore Scbastopol ten years ago. or that of the
forces of General Grant before NieksbuTg in the
summer OF last year, are so dangerously un
sound that it tbey are 10 DC accepted as the bases
of our present confidence and hope, the results
must almost inevitably grieve and confound. If
they do not absolutely oyervhem Us.
The Anglo French allies Immediately after
their victory on the Alma. pushed forward to the
occupation ut SebsstopOl. very much as Genera
Grant after his passage of the James. pushed for
ward 20 the occupation OF Petersburg. Their
advance was mismanaged their opportunity was
lost and they found themselves forced TO estab-
lish incomplete investment OF the Russian
stronghold Their fleets CO operated with them.
aud not only effectuaIly cut Oh all hope of sue
cor by sea TO the invested army, bu; secured to
the armies investing full and certain communca
tons with their true bases in England aud in
France, bases rs far distant from the scene of
operations as is New Orleans from W ashiug ton.
The land communications OF the invested Rus
sian army With its own bases in north and central
Russia it was not IN their power 10 interrupt. So
far, certain sort OF analogy may be traced be-
tween the conditions of that world-f ia nous cam
pagn and those which now obtain before the
COckadc City OF Virginia.
But whereas the Russisn line OF cOmmunica-
tiOE stretches over thousand miles OF spaTscly
settled territory. III provided With roads and ex-
posed 10 the fatal influence OF the tremendous
Russian winter. the defenders OF Petersburg are
kept, by ali extensive system OF RAILWAYS, in di-
rect aud easy communication with the concen
tratcd resources OF the rebellion IN the southern
Atlantic States The supplies md reinforce.
ments OF the Russian army we're far more terri
bly, dealt With by TIC rigors Of the climate aud
the 'hardshps at the wav" than thew could have
been by The most skillfully organized raids OF
the cavalry of their enemies Upon the cnor-
nous difference which this single circumstance
establishes between The prcseB; prospects OF Gen.
Grant aud those OF 81 AIpsri and Lord Raglan,
when they FIRST began to measure themselves
assins; the genius of To;lcben it Is scarcely ne
cessaty 10 dwell |, isa difference which simply
destroys the attempted parallel and dsspates all
expectations founded ihereupou. Between the
conditions Of the siege Of Vickshurg and those Of
the attack upon Petersburg still wider and
equally decisive difference exists
When Gen. PeDbertou. disobeyius the orders /
Of his superior Johnston bad fOolishly advanced |
upon Grant. and giving him battle With Iijicu |
lousy inferior forces 10 tic onen country. bad I
sustained crushing defeat. bis retreat ugo |
licksburg drew victorious army after him,
into such position that tue rebel garrison found 1
themselves shut ia between our army BY land
aud our heet upon the Mississippi. After tic
battle ol Champion Hill, Penlbeston had /
absolutely DO chance of escape from surren-
der save IN The reinforcement OF Johnston 70