Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-08
Erom yesterdays EOs,,bq Eii,ion.
THE ASHES OF CHARLksTON.


ltsou. the New York Daily News oi the 22d Feb, is66
Wan the fail Of Charleston commences tie tug OF
war. The condic. is about % assume 10 uereest,
blOCtest, deailicst phase. There - no lotgeF any
doUs5 a. q the temper of the South IN The ashes
Of the doomed city, the retiring footsteps % IT.
,roud defenders traced their determination 90 con
guer independence, whatever might be the sderhee
of comfort property or life. Charleston As to the
Carolinians what Moscow g. the RusslSBs. lar
beyond it, material value they reVerenced for the
SAKE OF associations that linked u With their emo
tons of pride aud affection 81 they bad obeyet
their lnclinaions they would have stood bY the city
70 the last spillng their life blood drO bN drop, IN
lis defence But the hour hat come tor them 10
sacrifice an local preiudcGs, III pride al passion,
all Seutinentatv all personal CuusiteratlOHS 10 the
cause in which they had embarked. ThGy dld not
hesitate. The appeal was made q their moral cour
age and it Was answered by deviation like that
which fred the sacred city Of the Ausco'lte, and
gave 70 the invader hlackened rIin Tor bis prie,
and desert Tor his land of promise
Que journal ia this city, the moss hnatiAl OF itS.
KIND has asserted thai Il coWardicc which IN
duced the abandOament OF Charleston. All men Oi
iptsIlgcuee Know this 10 be false an Just men Will
ackuowl dge n a SANDER. and an Nho appreciate
true courage will blush for shame that IT vas ever
uttered IL was that kind OF coTardicc that ltn-
pellel the Black Douglas % ming the heart ~ Bruce
iu the centre oi the Saracen host, that iof us re-
dcmptiut his atm might Ice nerNed 20 victory. III
was the kiid Of cCNdriyc thar caused Tel o. aim
hi, shaft al the head OF his loved best, that caused
the hrst Rrufus - pronounce the doom Of death
upon his son, and~the second BrutuS 20 STAY has
nearest friend. Some such cowardly instinct M.
duced Fabiu< 10 shUu the enemy, and " aSilingtnn
20 FOLLOW his example even when The failing spirits
OF his cOuntryIgen seemed 20 Upbraid his cautious
policy. Il is, in fact, the cowaIdlce that iears 10
isopardize a cause by gratifying vanity or ambl-
t.oc. il Is moral courage the ioiuest and purcS
Jbaa God has given e. his creatures
VIVA; man is there, who is uct ianatleel SIN
"a hl hsI Iev
burn aud destroy then property 10 assist IN Sublu
eating the South. lheE would make every needIui
,l,rihce t6resist invasion bat Tor conquest, Only
such a, are forced UPON them by the military pow
az that conducts the wal. But at last the North
begins 20 cofbreueud the stern, uulal ernis aud
'uyncibte purpose OF the Toe. They understand at
last the true character OF the WaI, aud they know
tust IL means southern lndeP@ndeuce or eXtermna-
non.
Three wear, 40 OF tUu. or even a wear ago, the
capture Ci Charleston would have set the Notthern
pulse in a fever OF excitement aut eNulAIiou- t.
cav although the nag, are lying aud cities ahd val
IsEes wear a holiday aspect there is dlScefhihle IA
tEc midst OF strained enthusiasm aud Superficial
rejoicing. more reflective mood than has been al'-
parent since tLe ucement al hustillticS. Odr
people have not lost all theH Sagactty u the Whrl
- eStflemeut. They know that the S'uthernerS
10 not burn their cities and destroy their property
because OF despair phrenlyi or u u 6e madness
there 4. method iu 10 that O. dangerous 10 othcrN
than themselves. The south has accepted great
Humiliation as d prelude 10 a great triumph. The
y.lud .rfUi intellect that hoW CoUtrulS thr military
action Oh the UORiederaCy lac pTuapted the s1crl-
nee thar even the North behOdS with wonder. Let
- confess that beneath the outward seeming al re
lieing. there Is he NiligTmeut aud Iebodlng AMI
a consciousness thai the trult We have
80 long reached Ior, uad that, AT last,
IA. fallen Of its own accord iht" our
hands may tara q. asbe, Cd oar np,. When Ahieri-
can itcernen 20 forth 10 BATTLE With The hal'S "l
th,r iomc stead, lighting tneir way 9" victory "f
death ieiic1tuy their L0u~cholt gods To- jelruc-
t.1u..-Bi gl,ug al their worldly treasures As
triJute-tOa political sentiment the word Iebelhon,
as applied 2. then, losses It's >ignincanoe, ana ms
cry records then as ldiuots Nhelhef they 'Ai' q,
win. Against JEIs iud0mna6le ~lil thi' d'Ss'u
perseverance,, tits Subllue Devotion ~ l. "a Nalh
H., fleets aud lsmics 10 contend. The fcderh Adj
rIluistrat,lh may dnd IN the runs OF tltrhStou
tGe beginning vi the sequel IL the late Peace t~on-
ference They imposed coalition, that no Tree,
lyaye people could accept and now a. brave
free people the Soutreruers are concenIi thS lhri
energies Tor 20 the uttermost. IL has been Sau
that the rebellion was she'll. the shell h ours, and,
wIilv ae Hold the worthless fragments, it, inynl.
rerabs core, the great s,toug heart, deue' ana oal
mes rs.
70 one who tIuIy conceives tue meaning OF the
change OF policy that has been Iuaugurated 10y the
abandonment aut destru ctI0n of Charleston, the
shadow OF coming battles looks aarher ana mort
vast than ever before. To one brain, We Know now
fertile the. resourcsS--to one heart, We knoH how
firm aud true--to one intellect, re KNOW boA
gitted with martial aitriLutes-s0 one man, We
know how capable 10 plan 10 stgiE', 10 lhHMi' I"
retrieve ~ take advantage cd A. inc miii-
tary fortunes of ple south have Uecn conndtd.-
Free TO act az his yoh;iou, uutrammeieh 10y al
rniaistIatire Interference, trusted, beloved snd
heaorea By soldier and civilian, be has losI no time
ID usug his'dctatorial power 60 remodel the Nhose
system of this warfare. The sa9 Of ChsTestop l.
consequence less oC SkeTman's proves than OF
Lees strstegy. Who gives castle looks 10 gain .
queen,