, 1864-05-14
MiI1rn4ts A[r1t,upr~
SATURDAY, NAY "A, 1874
THE REBEL PRESS.

THE REBEL PRESS.
How the SsbeIs feel in Ricn.
mono.
Preparations to Come Down Easy
---What they Say Of Their. =
Plans and Ours. -.
TIE CAPITAL THREATENED.
[Frcm the Richmond Whis, Aay7]
In some respects Richmond is in more
danger tLan VIXEN Mcclellan, q: the head Of
one hundred Thousand men, was enca;npeI
within five miles of the corporation limits.
Our readers are well aware Of the weak
point III our defense. They know the city Is
III peril, and they hare repaired promptly TO
to the ticld. Tie quiet determination ot the
citizens yesterday morning was worthy Of
all praise. Knowing that the hour of suffer-
ing and trial Ind come, they armed them
scives and went calmly forth to defend their
wives md children from barb1rons foe.
Every nan felt that the occupation Of the
city, even for single hour, involved conso-
quencc6 most terrible, apart from the de-
struction Of property. Numberless calami-
ties to the pure and unprotected, who would
be crouching In ga:rets and cellars, were
TO be dreaded. To avert these calamities IA
theirs and brothers and SONS were Willin. to
lay down their lives. The cause was holy;
how could theg be otherwise th IN confident
with rcGurd to the weak side Of our defense.
We u4ay statc on good authority that its
weakness is less than the more nervous Of
our population suppose, and every hour
makes it stronger, Some apprehension is
felt in regard to the number OF troops in and
r.Sf In hut int ho
obviously improper to state particulars. we
maj be sure, however, TINT heavy reinforce
mente are at hand. They may not arrive in
time to prevent the enemy from achieving q
Temporary enccess, such as the burning
Of bridge and the capture Of M
outpost, bnt they can come soon enough
to punish the enemy for his tcmerity. We
expect for several days to como m uuwontel
degree Of excitement and many startling aud
alarming rumors. The enemy will bring lis
best to create panic. Such yexations are
Inevitable in time of peril, and can be coun-
teracted only by anticipating them, and pre-.
teptinE firm mind In spite, not only Of ru-
mors, but Of unpleasant facts. Let us pos
sess our souls in patience, no matter what
happens. Panics only make matters worse;
ind the best way to meet danger is to. face
1t. IN an hour like this hardness Of nerve
should be cultivated, for the alr will be thick
with ugl, and evil reports Our duty ID plain,
fist to defend the city to the list gasp, as
we'll from the la*less within as from tile In.
vaders without; and next to encourage aud
sustain our defenders. The many wounded
who will be sent here must not be left to the
hospital attendants alone.
The ladies Of Richmond must again become
angels Of the bedside, us they have always
been in time Of battle. Housekeepcrs must
give freely of their private stores Of delicl-
cies for the sick, for these are now too rare to
be purchased by the government.
Our whole duty done, we may safely leave
the Issue Of this final struggle for Richmond
to g just and mcrcitul Deity.
ARE We PREPARED?
from the Richmond Wing, May G.1
Suppose the battle between Lee and Grant
is iudecisiye, or suppose the enemy gain such
advantages as to CON pei Lee to fall back to-
wards Richmond, are We at all prepared for
such contfngencJs Candor compcis neg
success after success, that We have not per
mittcd ourselves to contemplate the pfoba-
billty Of anything hut victory.
THIS Ia not wise. The reactlon from the
|. c1cted condition in which We have been for
| months past, may carry us to the other ex-
ties Of manhoUd may be needed to repair q
temporary reverse, we Will be found In a
state Of supine dependency.
We should ut once look on the other side
| of the picture, and accustom ourselves to
| the idea OF temporary miscarriage Of our
arms, and 10 the requirements Of such an
| event While the aus ,1ces We're never more
favorable Tor Lee, the chances Of battle are
| SO various and so much hey ond human con-
troll, that 1t is impossible to foretel1 with Ger
tainty, the issue OF the pending engagement
| We Ill know this, yet no one has asked the
question-Hhat are We to do If Lee suffers a
reverse and Is forced to fall back upon this
| rtfTp still 1nas hnra IT fnrm{tfn6 rurseIyad
to consider the consequences Of dcplorahle
accident which may happen any day.
4 year ago tsStone nall'' Jackson foil not
far from the spot on which Lee and Gran1
are about to join in battle WAat il Lts
sttttld JaIs Nay 1sovide,et spare III tn
sa'emity, for Tie ttep'e ef he co"federacy ar
1Y 70 mans prepared for II.
They haYe made up their minds, unwfscly
that the war must end one way or the othcl
this year; forgetting quite, that there can b.
but one Way. II Lee Atonld tdN ard MS drtu:
be 6tuasuceeHtui, ,e greatly fear that the nGiorit.
oftAe peop@e rcpu'd b'yin totoos sheo Other Guy.
This don't correspond with what the rebe
sheet In this city says. It declares that tn
defeat Of the rebels will not materially haru
their cause, while one Federal defeat is tn
dissolution OF the Union.
Perhaps at this moment the great coutcs
on the kapidan is at its height. aud befor
.
bring us sad idings-
The mishaps of to-day may be repaired tc
morrow. and In the end We will, for "
u.ust, triumph glorioasly.
,lFrom the Richmond Dispatch, May IL
THE PERIODICAL on TO RICHMOND. !
The ruthless invader again essays bis per
odical effort to capture this city-this hate
fut city," as he styles it. Our people hav
i. BECOME so accustomed to these marche
upon Richmond, and the lesser raids Of tn
enemy, that they are no longer excited b
them. The spirit stirring drum and all til
eD Dblems Of war create no excitement nov
in our strccts. The citizen leaves his homt
his office CT his shop in quiet, orderly mar
as + be wtre gong or nns,ns.e matter Of pr
the women Of Richmond look upon the dt
parting column Of citizen soldieEs-thetr Fl
!. | thtr6, husbands, brothers, fTiends-not onl
1csignedIy, but cheerfully-proud indeed {
: the gn1lantry Of those upon whom they LEM
, in repairing to the point Of danger to defen
thesr city. A people schooled into sens
Of danger and e1lgepcy, as are the people I
!, Richmond, are naturally rcady to meet
But this people are animated By somethir
more than the mere familiarity with the me
:, cation to duty md resolution. This tht
have shown throughout this war In the
j. readiness to meet sacrifices Of all kind
!, They hare united with their devotion to tt
cause and their resolution to make any sacl
flee for the public defense an active humani
= and hospitality that display virtues that vi
|, entitle them to souc OF the brightes pages
the history Of their country.
T. We. do not believe the enemy will ev
reach the city detenees. II he should, ho'
ever, tkey will be defended in manner tn
will deprive the foe Of all hope Of ever reno
ing this place, which he regards as the II
he hates with the deadly hatred of the bios
hound and the wolf We we'll know its Fl
ii IL ever falls into Ills hands, and that nlo
Is enough-independent Of the high motis
which nerve the arms of our soldiers
"a y make its defense inelncfble and impregnab
Il WHAT TIE REBELS SAT- oF'THE1R PLANS A.
= OUR PLANS.
fRlchmond Letter (May - in Charleston Mercur
Grant has returned from his trip to F.
, tress Monroe, and Gen. ". F. Smith Is to
v placed In command Of the troops which =
i. move upon Richmond fiom that directit
l. Burnside will probably land few miles
,. low Fredericksburg, unite his right ri
Grants left, md By combined moyeme
force Lac out Of his strong position on
Rapidau, As soon Us BurnBide's moyeme
!. is disclosed, Longstrect wi probably ma
his appearance on Grants right and rear.
.e- L military man, thigh up in the pictures
SAYS 10000 men can be concentrated for
in place Of days, and knock Of SC, 900, .
tbc military man will be about right. !
ae' reserve militia Of the towns and counties
Of facent will be Joined to the local defend
= and placed behind the fortifcations when
aay Of trial comes. Non. combatants will
7 orurred away Horses arc already>being
n preksed. That's what Reliable' says.