, 1864-07-20

lean ship owners to sell out to British OWL ]
ers hut fraction short Of three-fourths OF |
our entire American ocean shipping, British |
merchants hare destroyed thsce-fou1ths OF
our ocean commerce. Well may John SoA
look this way before going to war for Den
mark. But would It not be more worthy Of
that national honor and independence, OF
which the British Government boasted in the
days when Pitt, Canning and Peel ruled her
councils, to remove her remaining privateers
from the ocean, and then no longer fear to sue
cor oppressed nauonalities, like Poland or
Denmark, when their territories are wrested
from them, or their liberties crushed out by
the iron heel Of despotie power. Atpresent by
her own confession, her want Of courage to
prevent her piratical citizens from preying on
American commerce has deprived her of the
power to yindicate her own policies In Eu-
rope She Is thus doubly humiltnted-her
czimtnality towards us compelling her to be
puei]1auimous towards others.
nEBEL RAIDS.
The Eastern press is specn1ating upon the
consequences Of the late rebel raid, and
arguing very gloomily from It. "H Grant
cannot prevent such an expedition they
A-~
his whole army northward and capturing
Washington The question is much like
Pats about the cook stove: "If one will
save half the wood, why not get two and
save the whole 81 1t does not follow. that
because Lee can send out an expedition Of
10000 men, he could send ont 100000. It
was Of course possibility that the rebels
could raid North, as well as We South, only
60 they could escape our troops as We did
theirs.
The country may as well conclude that
this rebel expedition was stealing one, first
as last. It was, properly speaking, nothing
else. Horses, cattle, pigs and merchandise
we're wanted BY Lees army. They must
be had, or the army must starve;
and, IS Grant had cut their COM
mupications South, and little could be
had in that direction, it were well to see If
something could not be had fro N the North.
A strong force Of 10000 to q, 900 might sue
coed in getting some plunder. They doubt
less succeeded beyond their anticipations; !;
| for they had not calculated how fully we
were occupied with what Grant and his raid
ers were doing. Of course they took US at
disadvantage. But as to any future or per-
manent advantage by 1t, other than that OF
filling their hungry bellies, We do not believe
in it.
Lee cannot slide away unobserved by his
enemy, for Gen. Grant was fully informed o1
all this procedure, and gave the Government
timely notice. And If he should even gel
to the vicinity Of Washington with all hi
army, he would hardly get the city at once
and not ut once, not Mt all.
As to the repetition Of this ralding busl
nesa by the rebels, they will Of course repea
it as often as 1t proves profitable, II we SUITE
them to do 60. But We see their game nov
as we might have seen it before, and itis OF
> fault if we are not hereafter ready for sue
!. thihgs. It is manifestly not good policy,
carry our concentration 50 far as to ser
r tseyery man to Grant," or anybody else, so
:. to leave no defenders at the Capital, and I
i troops go posted rs to guard such fat hunti1
ground as lies about and to the west Of Bal
Ec | more.