The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-09-05

TO turn up. Its way Grant has, not to fol-
low, but to lead. 1t never once occurred to bis
mind to pass the season under cover OF his
a,,trsnchmenls as Mcclellan hibernated at
Manassas. With Grant single defeat Is but
an incident in campaign, and not to be re-
garded as cause sufficient for cowardly re-
treat from the field of operations. Grant
never sets down in in hopeless Inactivity IL
Is not his habit, but after all, we think he
knows when he is fairly whipped, which, it
was said, sold Zach did not know. gtR
We opine Lee after the explosion of the
mine and its unexpected results, to see Grant
s,eaming down Tie James liver, bag ard
baggage. Well, as if to conirm such expec-
tatons, Grant did make a move in that direc-
ton, but soen his forces were located on the
North side OF the James river. o.. Lee was de-
ceiyed aud thought his opponent was deter
mined to gain a position neare the rebel Cap
itsl,while sach a movement was Intended to
cover up the msrchieg of the Union forces 10
point on the Weldon railway below Peters
burg. So completely deceived was Lee that
he suspected our forces We're withdrawn from
the front of Petersburg, aud this suspicion
was confirmed by the rebels opening a terrific
fire upon our lines and receiving no answer,
or, at most, very feeble one. Lee was now
satisfied that the seige had been abandoned,
and Gen. Warren found no enemy to oppose
him at the Weldon road, which is now in our
possession.
Since Grant has obtained possession of this
Important railway, he has been desperately
assaulted, but the enemy has been repulsed
with fearful loss in every attack. We trust
our forces will be able TO hold ii, and also to
destroy the Danville road, so that Petersburg
and Richmond will becpme isolated from the
rest of rebeldom. The possession of the
Weldon road cults off one of the most impor-
tant rebel lines of communication South, and
we may expect that Lee will do all that lies
within his power to regain it. II he fails in
this, we may safely deem such failure signi-
flcant sign that the military power OF JEFF.
Davis is on the wane. He will undoubtedly
throw dragnet over all bis available forces
and mass them at this point, but we may rest
assured that The indomitable Grant, in the
meantime, win not remain inactive aud Idle.
Knowing the great importance of holding
this road, he will tax his utmost energies and
do all that can be done TO keep the posses
sion of it. We hope and trust he will sue
coed.
Had Grant been in McClellan's place at
Manassas Lee would not have so leisurely
walked away with his army and escaped. II
was a great aud serious blunder on the part
of Mcclellan, and greatly injured the Union
cause. We could better afford now TO have
such blunder committed than we could al
that time. II Lee had been fought and
whipped as he might have been at that juno
ture of our affairs, it would have been most
serious and disastrous blow upon the rebels
! one from which 1t would have been difficult
/ for them 10 recover.
Ii Lee had been brought to grief then, IL !:
among the possibilities that the rebellion
/ would have been crushed Out long ago and
peace restored 10 the land. To those who
/ have closely watched the progress of events
for the last two years, and noted carefully every
phase of the rebellion, the above statement
may not appear unreasonable or far fetched
Such blow upon the rebels at that tint
would have been a staggering one, and proba
bly, have saved many hard battles which hav'
since been fought. We have always consider
ed the escape OF Lees army from Manassas
as one OF the most unfortunate occurrence
of the whole campaign, and the entire blam
rests Upon the shoulders of the General VIII
held the command at that time.