Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-01-16

fthRt it i9 not betooled. Goo ~knoW5 tut
4 people of Virginia have shrunk from nc
peril, or sacrifice or hardship; neither will
ithey shrink; but they need to be assured
4 in their own hearts that, when they marcn
/ they are going some whittier that when
they suffer they can see their way to the
reward that when they make
sacrifices there is not somebody max
ing sacrifice of them. It has been with
an anxioue wish to see the best side oi
everything, and put the best face on every
thing. that our people have watched the
progress of events thus far; but they have
met with some rude shocks. Perhaps the
last performance, relieving Gen. johnson,
putting Hood in his place, and then an
nounciug in public speech that Hood
and his army were going to make a tour,
and that Sherman had carte blanche in
georgia, aud now 66ns 10 hold Hocd
in his place, aud continuing 10 keep john
sou out OF his place, in the teeth of reason
aud experience, was the rudest shock of
all. They had not believed Mr. Davis, with
all his errors, 80 utterly weak and nerrow
as this.
It was a misfortune to the Confederacy,
as is long siace evident, that its first Pre-.
itsry man. If he had been some worthy
Point or Mexico, and had no special quail
i6cstion save a manly, straightforward
Southern spirit, then he would never have
thought himself competent to plan distant
campaigns and interfere with generals in
the field; he would then have been well
pleased to repose the entire military con-
troll in the hands of some one great cap
tain, whom the unanimous voice of the
army and the country would soon have
designated to him. But Mr.. Davis un-
luckily studied at West Point; still more
unfortunately, in Mexico, he one day form
ed his regiment of two hundred and fifty
Mississippi Volunteers in the shape of
v, and received charge of Mexicans la
fourchene. ALL the learned newspaper
chroniclers of the Mexican business extolled
beyond the skies that fatal toUrchcttei by
reason of that tiresome fourchette the Col
onel conceived himself indeed mil
itary genius. We feel its evil effects
to This day, aud if we are to
perish the verdict of posterity will be.
''Died of a ''V." For the horns of this V
are not like the horns of dilemma. one of
which you can always choose to be impaled
upon; but he cores US with both horns,
like bull.
However this may be, there ia real
danger, not 80 much that the military
resources of the country, but what is more
important, the military spirit of the coun-
try may be wasted, the proud resolve to
go all lengths in resistance to an Infamous
irvasion-that spirit which would have
borne US and our cause triumphautthrough
to glorious end, with the ordinary saga
city and energy in the conduct of affairs,
may grow weary, weary,-only stupidity
or sycophancy would deny it-and in or
dor that the evil may be remedied it needs
that soma one boldly point it out, and iu-
dicate the cause of it and the remedy
In one word then we are not afraid of be.
ing conquered by the enemy, so much as
of being defeated by Mr.. Davis. he des-
pises all warnings and constitutionally
snubs Congress-. The press of the country
and we have good reason to know that
the army backs the press-calls upon him
with an almost unanimous voice to take
his hands off, aud let General Leesbe gen.
eralissimo of the forces;-he is tOholly deaf
to such an outcry; calls ii ''cIamor." At last,
then, let US try what convention will do.