The Portland daily press., 1865-01-23
Tha Richmond Editors.

with the sitered tone of their leading articles.
True, there is much of the same Dragging,
Boosting spirit that has always characterized
their columns; the same propensity for lying
and Misrepresentation In relation to their ar
my movements and their great victories, anu
our signal defeats; their contempt for an-
KEGS" and sneers at the laboring classes Oh 'he
North: their pride, pomp and self-complacen-
cy. But underlying all this Pomp ana SELL
Qualification, there is despairing tone-a
fearful looking for of Judgment which, with
all their art, they cannot conceal.
They know as well, and even better, than
we do, that their prospects for the establish
ment of an independent Confederacy, based
upon human bondage, grows darker and more
gloomy every day. They see and feel all
this in their inmost hearts, and yet they cali
upon all their wit and ingenuity to conceal it
from the world, and especially from the mas
ses of the common people of the South. 1t
evident, to careful and intelligent reader of
their Journals, that public opinion in their own
States is fast becoming formidable power
which they begin to fear almost as much as
they do the Federal arms. a %
The fear has greatly increased since Sher-
mans march through Georgia. IL these
Richmond editors could have had their way,
If their desises could have been gratifed, they
would have had every white man and negro
who were able to carry gun, and every wo-
man who could WELD broomstick, in Geor-
~, ,ooreholIad IN font IF tho TTnion fnrces
and compelled to fight them every inch Of
the way. But no such demonstrations were
made, no such opposition offered, and Sherman
pushed along to his objective point without
trouble or molestation. And these editors
may well exclaim, Hinc lilac Idchrynaae fioa
These journals and the leaders of the re-
bellion have always known there was Union
sentiments secret aud suppressed love and
generation for the Ensign Of our Republic,
which would be dangerous element to them
II it should rise above military power and as
sert its rights and privileges. This sentiment
they have been combating ever since the re-
bellion was inaugurated, and in the first sta
ges Of the war they found the combat more
easy than they find it now. m8e-lrr
The march of Sherman and the capture Of
Savannah have alarmed them on this point,
and the defeat of the dashing Hood set the
ball in motion. The gentlemen who edit the
Richmond papers are far from being fools.
Their editorials are ably written and show
much tact and shrewdness. True, they lie
4 most outra geously, but not often when the
truth would answer their purposes better, for
they understand the, character of their rea-
ders who are more easily gulled and hood
winked than the people of the North. I'VE do
not include in this category all their readers,
for the more intelligent classes-the slave
| holding aristocracy--know their editors "cal
on their imaginations for their facts and on
their memories for their WITT And they are
willing and expect them to pursue such
curse. They are birds Of one feather, bnt
whittier they will fly or where they will build
their nests remains to be seen.
The atmosphere in Dixie begins to be too
close for easy breathing, and if we mistake
not. such traitors will find no place in this
world where respiration will not be attended
with some difficulties. This rebellion has
= T. r
1 produced great changes on other continents be-
sides this, and The shock has been felt in the re-
hottest corners ofthe earth. Weknow not what
4 "death-bed repentance may do Tor item
/ and therefore do not feel authorized to speak
of their lives beyond the grave, or how they
will be able to breathe in such an atmosphere
1t was hard indeed for the Richmond editors
to inform their readers that Sherman had
marched his army through Georgia and cap.
tured Savannah And they would not haye
done so, if such glazing facts had not stared
the people in the face. They knew it was inn
possible to keep the masses in ignorance Of
those demonstrations and they confessed them
but with such qualifications as they believed
might render them as little obnoxious and
frightful as possible. ,TaHV.Il8es
Its true that since this triumphant march
of the Federal forces and the fall of Savannah,
from letting the cat out of the bag, and they
have said many evil things of the GeorgiaIs
and characterised them as rebels. oEw
The world must laugh at such consummate
absurdityl Call the Georgians traitors BE-
/ cause their love of the old union Flag has not
entirely died out in their hearts Yes, they
still love this em0lem of our country's glory
which has won the respect of all nations.
| Shame on those who stigmatise as traitors
such as still love the "Stars and Stripes" I'M
der whose folds they have prospered so many
years i. q .A2 a--g
j No wonder these Richmond editors are
alarmed at the Savannah demonstrations, for
the capture of that city has established bas Q
| for the civil restoration of the South. These
writers may fret and foam, but they cannot
extingnish The light that is now burning in
Savannah and casting its beams over all the
cotton States. They cannot, acroit and cum
ming as they are, suppress the union sentiment
that is beginning to show ITSELF .Aswell might
| they attempt to bail out the ocean or extin-
guish earth's central fires. 81 e hss I'D ..o
We consider the capture of Savannah more
than military victory. II has Significance
above and beyond that. 1t has moral force
that may yet produce effects which we hardly
dare dream of, and all this in spite of these as
tute editors at the opposite poles of the Con-
federacy. One of their cities before capture
by the Federal forces is esteemed of much val
ue to the Confederacy, but the moment it falls
into our possession it is considered of no con-
sequence. Should Richmond be evacuated or
taken, and these editors compelled to remove
their printing offices TO some other locality
they would say: Richmond was not of much
use to us, neither will it be to the Yankees
Itnever has been one Of the pillars Of our Con-
federacy."
Such is their pretended philosophical cool
ness under all their defeats and bad luck
They possess remarkable versatility of pow
ers. Their philosophy is really stoical. But
after all their boasting, lying, misrepresenta-
ton and assumed GOODNESS, there are running
= ia II. a. r. \ ~