Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-03-14
FROM R1CHmOND.

| G1b AtteWpC 20 1FGpuTS "e heOeE MLnQ for
Impending Disastsrs by Citation, from
HiStory-Mr. Hunter Votes for Arming
the Slaves 6u! Makes a Speech Against it.
We received yesterday batch Of late
Richmond papers from our friend General
Harris, of the Army of the James. From
the Sentinel of the 9th we cut the following
article, containing under an outward seem.
ing of confidence an inward betrayal of
weakness, and an. Ominous feeling that
night is fast closing around the prospects
of the cOnfederacy:
"No territory is so exposed 10 superficial
and slight wounds as ours, and none bet
ter defended by nature from deep and NOR
tai wounds. Much lof our vast interior is
almost inaccessible and impregnable Our
ocean and gulf coasts, and the margins of
territory along our many navigable rivers,
are open to invasion and occupation by
spy enemy possessed of large navy and
mercantile marine. Especially was this
the case when we began the present war.
We had no navy, few forts aud but little
artillery or ammunition, whilst our enemy
possessed the best navy and mercantile
marine in the world. For the purpose of
invading US they had, tits trne, fewer ships
of war than France or England, but DOS.
sessed more river steamers than both of
those nations combined. Taking proximi.
~ into account, theylWer as we'll prepared
| as either of those nations to capture cities
/ on the sea and gulfs coasts, far better pre-
pared than either to ascend or descend our
hundreds OF navigabls rivers to capture
The cities on their ,ba9ks, and to occupy
| ha o1a
New Orleans, NashFuIe Gnd Memphis soon
fel io consequences into their hands. Most
of US then were prepared to see all rivers
and sta coast towns share the same fate
| within the first eighteen months of the war.
| We had made up our minds, that this
would be the case, aud had nerved our.
selves to the necessity to fight the war out
10 the interior, where we would be strong
and difficult Of access, and the enemy com
paratively weak; where the advantage
would all be on our side, and the disad-
vantage all on their side. Our brilliant sue
cess for most of the past four years delayed
the necessity of those sacrifices, which we
have lately made. We would congratulate
ourselves that the! evil was thus postponed
until we have establish ed our resources and
means of supply, aud acquireda sufficiency
of army ammunition, and other stores, to
carry on the war on more equal :erms, un-
til our enemy is staggering to his fall under
mcuntnin of debt, and the difficulty of
'O;ruiting his exhausted army. We are
now delivered from all the disadvantages
of our locality, and exhausted aud gotten
rid of what was then unpropitious and vul-
nerable. 10 our territorial position we
have exchanged weakness of position for
strength of position /; the vulnerable for the
invulnerable, the accessible and exposed
for the inaccessible and impreguable, and
| yet it is because of this improvement of the
military attitude that few inconsiderate
and whipped persons are trembling in the
back and knees. That our. vast interior is
unconquered few will deny, but there are
no theatres, no gorgeous churches, no
| magnificent streets, no palatial dwellings
to receive us in the Interior. We may have
TO live in shanties, and to labor that we
may live. We may be subjected for time
to lead the life that nine. tenths of mankind
have ever led and must ever lead. Instead
of repining, we should be thankful to God
for the past, bear patiently the present
md look hopefully to the future
Such hn ordeal will make men and
| women of many who are now but
we'll fed apimals. Instances aud examples
without number in ancient times, in mod
ern times and in cotemporary transactions,
teach us th6t the transfer of the sceue OF
war to the interior has added to our
strength and secured inVlncibiIity, if the
! white race are asf fbravesas the annals of
PeVery country, ancient or modern, will,
carefully examined, ,dtulty attest. Courage
and pugnacity are the attributes of all male
animals. 1t is the advantage of situation
that renders some countries almost irwin.
oihle, and that disadvantage of situation
that makes others easy Of conquest, French.
men aRd lris1men are among the very best
soldiers, yet 1t has .alWay9s been an easy
matter to conquer France and Ireland, be.
cause they are level, open countries, with
no natural strength Of locality to resist in
vasion. The single exceptiou to this ia
Lsvendee, in France, a marshy country
and rendered almost invincibls by it's dy kea
aud marshes. The dykes Of Holland are
memorable in history, and to them she
owes her existence as q, nation. Greece
and Rome we're protected from foreig7 in.
vasion and from conG1estr by their noun
tain ranges and surrounding seas. Tue
fiery lands and desert hills end mountains
of Arabia, have made her q liberty
that has known no Interruption. The
deserts and deadly malaria Of Southern
Il Africa, have rendered inVuInerable a pop,
i ulation that exhibits ian in his very loves
type, whilst Northern Africaehos seen the
host of the great CamI,yses ss9sllowed ny
in Der Lybian sands. To invade Euglsnt
has ever been to conquer her, because shl
is plain, level, open country, whilst puny
poverty stricken IScotland and liliputiar
Wales have never been conquered. Th'
; Circsssians, in their mountain recesse
successfully resisting all the force of Rus
: sia, and Juarez, with his little band o
republicans, standing upon Mexico agains
the combined power of France and Maxi