Shreveport news. [volume] (Shreveport [La.]) 1864-1865, 1865-03-14

L apply. the stroke is as harmless as
it was intended to be deadly. The
Islander stand r-futed by every act.
word and sentiment. in the .ventful
and distinguished career of General
Smith So far trom being influenced
by the passion of envy. he ISSUED
proclamation announcing that Gen.
Taylor was solely entitled to the
honor OF having fought and won the
battles Of Mansfield aud Pleasant
Hill, when it was notorious that Gen.
Taylor had insisted on fighting the
enemy AT other and different points.
less ad vantagc ous but had
been restrained 10y the express com
mands of Gen. Smith. Turning
aside from consideration of the
malice of the insinuation. let us look
to the fact with which it is associated
in this cru,.l cltar-c against General
Smith. Has this fact, at any time,
oeen true. since the first day OF the
commencement Of the war, to the
present hour-that is, has an army
in the field after its defeat, and after
its junction with fleet of gun-boa,s,
been placed in the grasp of any Gem
eral commanding our victorious
troops Has it occurred in any of
the great battles fought by General
Lee i'll Virginia, Maryland or Penn
sylvania -! Has it occurred any wh-r.
else We answ-rrmphnticaliy that
it has not. And when the editor of
the Wing aftirms that the army of
Banks and his feet were in tn. grasp
or power of Gen. TavIor, after III.
battles Of Mansfield and Plrasan,
| Hill. his fact il rs uutoundrd. rs his
malice against Gen. Smith IS sra,ui.
touS.
ihe editor crusur"s in strong and
disparaSins terms the commander ot
this department, for not sending
troops to the assistance of our armies
in the East, and Il" speaks of cross.
lug TIA" Mississippi. as he would of
crossing mountain stream in Nir-
ginia some fifteen steps wide and
some four feet decp-as mat
ter of no ditlicultv-but of choice.
lie appears to be Obvious OF the fact
that the Mississippi river is a gr-a,
inland sea. rushing with an imprtu-
Gus current Ia the gulf OF Mexico,
covered with tn. fleets Of the enemy.
ever moving. ..rcr vigilant to prevent
communications Of all kinds between
the Eastern and Western sections OF
the tout.dcrac> That all thctowns
on the banks of this mighty river,
with It's shores from the mouth OF the
Ohio to the BaliZ-. arr. in the full
and so far n present military opera
tons are concerned, in h. uudiSturb-
ed possessions # the enemy. Tina,
the banks o. the Mississippi are
guarded and protected. "a /, were, by
immense -wamps. travrrs..d b, deep
havous. and int.rspcrSed with nut
merous lakes. lncoons and Increases,
which are impossible during certain
seasons OF the year. by man or beast;
That it is after much difficulty, delay
and exposure. 20 capture. that a slngl"
man can cross that river, to say
nothing of an army, Il division, brig
AIDE or regiment of an army. And
that whether troops can be sent across
the Mississippi river, at att, IN the
fac. OF the enemy fleet of gun boats
is n. yet an experiment which no
Confederate General has had the TER.
meri, V to made-not even Dick Tay.
or himself. who had authority to
carry to the east with himself his
own divisi n of the army OF the west
OF the material facts in relation to
the passage of troops across the Mis-
tsissippi, TIE editor of the Richmond
Wing seems to be in the profoundest
ignorance. Whether troops can bc
crossed at all, from the west to III,
east, or from the east to the west. re-.
mains among the unsolvrd problems
of the war, 10 be tested in the dan
srrous school of actua! experiment
The last ground of accusasion agains,
General Smith, is his Glarins incom
potency. do not know by wha,
rule the competency of a Confederate
Commander is determined in tn. at
mosphere at Richmond, bu. if sue.
cess in every enterprise, and victory
upon every battle field in the east
as we'll rs in the west. be corr.c,
criterion to judge of a Generals mill
tary competency. of his high order OF
military abilities, then Gen. Smiths
reputation will pass into the hands OF
the future historian of our country
radiant with all the glory that success
land victory can shed upon the name
ofany great officer who is devoting
his services and his life to the estab.
lishment Of our independence.
FAIR PLAY.
! The ConJe1erates Recognised by
Merico.-Under this caption, in ex.