The Portland daily press., 1864-08-08
The Unrelenting Gripe.

We think 1t was an English newspaper, mot
friendly to the Union) that first used the
most striking and appropriate figure that has
yet been found to illustrate the great cam
paign of General Grant before Richmond.
Our readers viii remember that after the six
days battle In the Wilderness, on the first
day OF which We were repulsed, and on the
sixth day of which the rebels retreated TO
new line, the Richmond newspapers claimed
a great victory in the beginning and a drawn
battle afterwards. The Examiner said that
''the Yankees we're crushingly defeated and
any commander except Grant would have re-
treated across the Rapidan after the first days
battle" Reasoning, as they did, from the cam
paigns OF the three last years, they were ma
turally confounded at the stubborn pertinac-
ity of General Grant, who did not know when
he was whipped and declined 10 recognize tie
plain and standard rules of war, as establish
ed by Lee and Mcclellan. They therefore
fell TO bewailing the ferocius blood-thirsti-
ness and logged insensibilty of our Lieuten-
ant General in which humane and pious roe
they were dutifnlly followed with copious
accompaniment Of crocodile tears) by the cop
perhead press of the North
After the accounts of the Wilderness bat
ties and of our triumphant victory at Spott
sylvania Court House, which resulted in the
renewal OF Lees retreat on Richmond, had
reached England, we remember to have seen
In the print above referred to this remarkable
and prophetic statement. General Grant
has got his teeth fixed in the neck of his ad-
versary with bulldog grippe and he cannot be
persuaded TO let go his hold" There are vol
umes In that single sentence. General Grant.
having completed his preparations, marched
directly by the shortest route for Lees army.
He fought bloody battle and gained moth
ing but the retention of his position. But
this he held, and instead of retreating and get
ting out Of the scrape as quietly as he could,
he pressed forward; and for five days fought
with great fury and equal success. Northern
endurance and pertinacity told heavily on
Southern dash and enthusiasm, and the great
army of Virginia, defeated. baflled and beaten
back into its entertainments awoke one fine
morning in amazement to see the "key OF
Richmond" securely invested and all commun-
icalions with the main part of the Confederacy
cut off. The lighting is now converted from
the destructive and doubtful expedient OF
fighting in the field to the slower but safer
operations OF a permanent siege.
We have accomplished therefore great deal
Our persistency aud endurance have never
: for moment tagged. We have steadily ad-
vanced. The sullen silence or the forced gai-
ETY. OF the rebel press, the outcries of the cop
perheads at the lavish waste of men and their
profound and denunciatory criticisms of Gem
eral Grants strategy, all proclaim, in unmis-
taxable terms, our substantial success. AL
ready cries are beginning to be heard against
Lee and Beauregard as "old fogies.p Dick
Taylor and Hood, one Of whom never won
but half victory and the other was
disgracefully beaten in his first battle, are
lauded as the coming men-young men, i'm
bued with the spirit Of the age-and not "old
fogies" tied to their text books. The copper
head press follows its partners lead, denoun-
cling Grants strategy aud magnifying the
petty raids of the rebels. Pretended peace
commissioners invade the classic precincts of
the Clifton House, and, borrowing inspiration
from the sacred punch bowl that martyr Val
andigham erewhie drained, seek to delude
or to brow-beat the "bufoon of the White
House" and manufacture capital for the ap-
preaching convention at Chicago. Breckin-
ridge and Early gallop up and down the Shenan-
doah valley and skirmish abont the defences Of