The New York herald., 1865-03-29
The Importance Of Richmond.
SHERMAN CHECKED, GRANTS COMBINATIONS SPOILED


From tho Richmond whig March 2s
The check administered by Johnston 10 Sherman at
Bcntonsve nterferes essentially with the campaign Of
that cockawhoop leader and the combnat IL Grant
The part asst ned 10 sherman the destruction Of the
railroad communications through Central North Carol na
the crowding back towards Richmond of our forces IN
that State and the narrowing by this means OF the
OF supply 10 General Ice to such degree that the with
drswal OF hs foes from s city would be inevitable
II Is time the attempt TO take this ctv by
direct assault has been abandoned and the grand scheme
undertaken Of bringing bear upon il force from Tic
South strong enough to overcome all opposition, oil
all communication and by gradual corstilction
compress IL into surrender The march OF sher
man into Georgia, into South Carolina, and into
North Carolina, not for the purpose or with
the expectation Of conquerng those States, else he
would not have gone straight through as be has done
with the two former and IA attempting with the latter
but would have spread occupied subiued aud held
them For all that he has done towards the conquest
those States. he night we'll Detter have en-.
tcrd them True, he has backencd his way with nro
and rapine and carried desoaon happy
households; but he has made converts TO Uniontsm
and has LEFT the people ,mpacabiy hostile and more
inncxibly resolue than he found them. Georgia aud
South Carolina now frce from Yankees than they have
been for two years and are less conquered and
conqucrabe than they have been since that date The
would have been the condition OF North rar0lns "
Sherman had found II practicable 10 pass through her
borders with ms little opposition he encountered from
Atlanta to Savannah But nj last he has found lion
his path" that he must dsodgc and on. aIl he
has done Is labor lost. When he moved from Dalton last
MAY for the purpose Of capturing Atlanta and
Savannah and Charleston, and Win ngton. All these
to be but incidents The great object, 10 which
Leo from the South 10 vt between him and his sources
OF ripply, TO compel tho captulaon OF his army pos
sibly, and 70 secure, certainly the downfall Of this
capital He has only OF late approached a point
where TO foil cnectualy the object of all his move.
mcnts and the consummation OF tho plan, II was
necessary that he should be arrested. II now Gem.
raj Johnston can rout him. drive him OF his
course, or can hold him checked and unable 10
advance, he is defeated, and the huge combinations
OF Grant OF which Yankee newspapers have been dis
coursng grandiloquentiy, nuned and destroyed
Tho Importance therefore, OF the late battle at Bentons
VILE win be apprccis,ed The blow struck there was as
much blow or tho sActy Of this city az that delivered
at Coal Harbor last year. General Johnston, and
General Ice, under whom he acts, can be in
no uncertainty 10 the vital necessity Of
continu nr TO oppose an immoyabe front TO Shcr
mans advance. If he cannot be destroyed, we
devouty trust he may be, he mus, df any ca, w kpt
forr coming fo7odrd-not that Richmond, az Richmond,
Ia much value but that for which need not
be explained, us nvrendv 70 he enemy Is thing nj 70
b. hoagh OF Whiie Us dfnce IL poHiJle Ia this view
We cannot award too much credit render too much
gratitude to the gallant leader and devoted who
have said TO Sherman, thus far, and no farther"