The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-02-10
IND. ....FEB. 10, 1884.
THE PRESIDENCY--1864.
CCoSTfNUED |

first take fairly with the account all Of
the foregoing considerations then let
him stretch his gaze over the vast re-
suits! And does he not behold nation
Of people nearly subducd, within an al
most incredible short space Of time P
n hostile territory, extended over lines
Of unprecedented military length? Ev-
cry man can see this for himself by sim
ply regarding, on the map, the points to
which (taking Washington as a common
base for our armies, we have fought our
way against Spartan armies; agaist odds
will maintain. All things considered,
we search in vain for a parallel to such
successful achievement in all History.
When the Rebellion broke out, States
claimed and held by the Confedracy, ex-
tended from Chesapeake Bay to the
Rio Grande, and from the Missouri and
Ohio, to the Atlantic and the Gulf OF
these, we already hold and occupy
more than half. More than one half of
the white population, Of all the original
Rebel States are at this moment, living
under the national flag g;-brought back
by the power Of the Union arms. AS the
South has rendered the issue that this
war resolves itself into aquestion Of alb
olition-and as, indeed without the ne
gro element, the Rebellion must needs
instantly collapse-in this view, then,
e. Il hat m l.
done. Gen. Grant has defeated Bragg.
Let him now pursue his programme-as
well he knows how and push part Of
his army to Montgomery and Mobile,
Savannah and Of Charleston; and every
slave (notalready actuslly free by the mil
itary Act ofthe Emancipation Proclama-
tion) every remaining slave, will be
within our army lines, and thus set free
A few guerillas linger on the banks Of
the Mississippi; but, for all practical
purposes, the passage for boats is unin-
terrupted.-Two and one half years ago,
Cairo was our most Southern point
The fall of Fort Donclson: Of Island
No 10: Fort Pillow: the brilliant naval
victory at Memphis: the surrender Of
Vicksburg and Port Hudson, gives the
Father Of Waters a tranquil course to
the sea. We have taken more than sew
enty thousand prisoners, and of four
hundred pieces of heavy and light ar
tillery. We have captured enough Rams,
Turtles, Gun Boats, floating Steam bat
teries between Columbus and the Balize
to sink, in n smooth sea, the whole
wooden Navy of Great Britain The ex-
tent Of country substantially reclaimed
from the Rebellion eclipses the con
quests of the great Napoleon. The
whole region drained by the Mississippi,
with the exception of a single tributary,
is freed from the presence Of an organ
lied Rebel force. A few more blows and
we shall have recovered Texas, as we
have already recovered Arkansas and
Louisiana. From the Missouri to the
Rio Grande little remains to be done but
to CLEAN up the broken fragments of the
rebel armies; while from the Georgia
and Alabama northern border to the
Gulf, the rebellion is in our grasp
Even now we find that, scarcely are we
in possession of Chattanooga and Knox
vile before report from Richmond goes
out that the chief Arsenal and depot of
the rebels is transferred from thatpl ace to
Columbia, South Carolina. The capital
Of Virginia is no longer the great depot
of the supplies of the rebels Rich
mond is now bound to the South by a
single, narrow line of communication a
line too long to be defended, and which
must be abandoned whenever il is threa-
tened.
AS the NAVY has been the object of
mnch carping, we will be excused for a
few general remarks in reference to the
administration of that Department. Ev-
cry man of intelligence is supposed to
understand lhe details. so far as they re-
late to the strength of the Navy improvi-
sed by this war. Suffice it, on this head,
to say, that we have ahoat, four thousand
four hundred and forty three guns
Perhaps, in this particular, our inven-
ton and skill have advanced the world
centuries. This great fact, the pitiful
and selfish fault finder finds it conve-
nient TO forget. Like foul bird, he
scents out and feeds upon carrion. We
do not propose to recapitulate what on,
Navy has done: it were to attempt to
'.gild refined gold,' to write panegyrie
-.
upon the sublime deeds which have cul-
minated in the practical opening of the
Father of Waters. Its feats Of glory
have already made for the American
name monument Of glorious renowu a,
which the world gazes with mingled awe
and admiration. European Powers nc
longer look down upon the American
Navy. No longer do they assert grand
superiority on the seas. No longer dc
they threaten to invade. to blockade, tc