The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-23
PROVING TOO MUCH.

The secession writer's in the New York organs
of JeT. Davis sometimes forget, in their zeal to
serve their master, the dangers besotting tina
method of argument, which proves one point so
conclusiyely that it completely upsets a general
theory. A letter-writer in the World, who gene
rally foreshadows Lees wishes, and always aims
10 aid his plans, is guilty of little lapse of
memory of this sort in yesterdays issue of that
journal, which shows that the adage, "easy as
lying" not to be so true as its opposite, that
"liars should have good memories" He would
hardly venture to deny If asked, that in this
summers campaign Lee has met with some con.
siderable losses, and that his army is a good deal
reduced in numbers yet in the face ofthat fact he
has the temerty 10 announce that General Lee now
has under his command in Virginia an army of
IO9,O 900 men, which he il scattering about with
most lavish hand, Moth and South, deeming
2O,OOO quite sufficient to hold Grant in cheek
before Richmond. II Lee has any such army
now, II is certainly u very small estimate 70 put
ii at 1900 at the battle Of the Wilderness and
If he began the campaign with so magnificent
force as that, what becomes OF the UOrldS CON
slant assurance thai the campaign of Grant has
been failure II he has compelled Lee with 50
again, day after day, and week after week, from
the Rapidan 10 Richmond, and to take refuge,
at length, behind his earth-Norks, then the ana
paign, according to this writer's own figures, has
pfiichmond be not yet taken.
/ Nor is this all tuat he proves in proving too
much against the constantly reiterated asscr-
ton Of the lFOHH that Grants overland march %
hichmoud was unwlSc and disastrous. Re-
ierFing 20 tho late movement OF Hancock and
Bhney, north of the james, this lgttCr-Writgr
ASSETS tbat Il has accomplished nothing bat
TO prove the great strength of tie Rebel works
around Richmond; that those which these
generals have attempted t. carry arc only
outTorks, ten miles from the city, and quite
interior IN strength q those nearer the town,
and on whit rhc X bC rely for its safety.
Now II This no 50; It these intrenchm snts are,
as this writer would have us believe, absolutely
impregr aro; il 20 010 arc, as he asserts. quite
suhcicnt Tor tue cGi isc ui liirhmCnd aGi H. a.
the Outset OF the cIMp iign Lee had IN arnv OF
l9OOOO ms n on tic Rhp!dau, what becomes ils lin
OF tie IOTc" argument that General Grant
should have adopted General Mcclellan
sIIhteey, have approached Richmond bv way oil
the Peninsula, and sat down before that Of y, +.
he could, without risl,ing battle ThIf Un.
dOnbtedly would have suited Lee, rs d par o.
his army could have awaited Grant behind thssc
formidable ingrenthmcnts, while he would have
been left free 20 60 where he pleased with the
remainder.
But it was precisely this which Grant meant lie
sshould not do. When he sat down before the
lefonses Of Richmond, he meant that Lee should
be squatted behind them, and TO make sure OF /;
be attacked the Rebel General in front, aud
drove bin before him. When the World and its
coIresponden, euIeayOr 10 prove the strength or
jth6se deienses, and The formidable number, 70.
me rebel army thcy offer the strongest possible
Justification OF The course pursued by Graat in
keeping that a my always before him a. b. az
|proache d a city so strongly defended
Had Mcclellan done the same, the Army o.
the Potomac under him would never have buried
so many OF ITS brave soldiers in the Chickahomiuv
swamps; the battle of Cedar Mountain, and she
second Bull RIM would never have been fought:
Richmond would have been ours-tha; is sun
posing Mcclellan ever wanted to take 1.-two
years ago the Rebellion would now be talked OF
as the late war so speedily and happily ended
and the country would have been saved u thou
sand millions Of debt, and two hundred thousand
lives of Its best and brayest.
No doubt the detenses of Richmond are forn'-
liable, but Grant may yet carry them; no doubt
Lee has an army OF considerable strength, though
not SO large as Il liorlFs correspondent would
make It. Bat though, in Oyerestma ing the
sTeneth Of bo.h he unwittingly p owes that the
objections made b. such writer's to Grants pan
ot me campaign were made, not 10 Grant,
method Of approaching Richmond, but to aI-
preaching Il at all, or TO do anything that pro-
nlsea 70 suppress the Rebellion, he shows that
Lee. '"''' "