The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-01-12
THE NATIONAL CAUSE IN 1854
ny HORACE GREELEY.


The last sands Of 1864 are running
out, and We may now fairly measure the
progress, for good or evil, that has
been. made in the great struggle which
still convulses our conntry. Let usra
p,dly survey the whole field, and judge
whether the results ofits various opera
tions and developments angur TRIUMPH
or defeat for the cause Of our Ns;iona
integrity.
The earlier movements Of the cam
paign ended isauspiciously. Gen
Banks's attempt on Texas by way o.
the coast and the Rio Grande died oul
inglorionsly while his subsequent ad
vance through upper Louisiana or
Shreveport eyentuated in positive and
apparently needless disaster Gen
Steele's co operating movement from
Arkansas was Of course failure and
his subsequent torpor At Little Rock
10 view of Rebel advances and effective
demonstrations on every part OF the
State not commanded by the guns Of
his central stronghold, is inexelicable
on any hypothesis which comedies ,o
HIM hearty loyalty and average capa
city. His recent deposition is the tardy
execution Of a verdic, which the public
h,d long since rendered. 1t should
should have been made months ago.
The struggle in Eastern Virginia has
been arduous protracted, bloody, and
Ito superficial glance) indecisive,
Gen. Grant had but fairly crossed the
Rappahannock, when he was attacked
in flank while on the march by Gen.
Ice, who precipita,ed his entire army
snccessive'y on the van, center, aud
rear of ours, expecting to cnt it up in
detail and hurl its shattered fragments
b blck on the defences Of Washington.
This expectation was doomed to disap-
pointment. Daring three days desperate
fighting he inflicted aud endured heavy
heavy on HE part that he
has since stood carefully on tie deten.
sive. In the many eangainary though
partial contests which followed, during
Gen. Grants steady advance, by sue
cess;ve flanking movements, to the
James and The Appomattox, Lee Tough!
within ,ntrcnchments and bel ind
vhich rendered his losses
much inferior TO ours, save in the single
ins,a, ce when his right wing was sur
prised aud several thousands Of his
men captured at Spot,sylvania. Since
Richmond has been heleaguered by our
main army, there have been f,elnen.
sharp encounters, with diverse results,
but in 30 instance has Lee been temp
ted to assume the offensive, nor even
70 invite battle on open and equal
ground. PrscGcally. he is still defend
ing rather than covering Richmond !;
w,h gallant army, doubtless, aud
with unbounded confidence in his OWL
ability. vet without the Numbers in his
ranks hit would justify him In risking
a decisive measuring on equal terms Of
the strength Of his command against
that of the force directed by Gen.
Grant.
Gen. Sherman, commanding large
and gallant Union army, mainly Of We.
terane, in good part Western, advanced
from Chattanooga in May, through .
difficult mountainous region. latent on
the capture Of Atlanta, the most i'm
,portant focus Of railroads and Rebel
manufactures in Secessia. He waa op.
posed By Gen. Joseph +. Johnston, =,
the head OF a less numerous but brave
and disciplined force, which Shesmau
skillfnlly and resolutely pushed back by
main strength, through successive at
taoks and hankings, to the vicinity 81
his objective point. HERE Johnston
being adjodged too cautious, was sn
perseeded by Hood, one legged Tex
an, who signalized his accession L
command by resolute and repeated At
,acks on Shcrman's lines attacks wticl
were uniformly repnlsed with terribl,
slaughter. Atlanta was thereupon hal
invested and hombarjcd for wecks |,
little purpose, when Sherman, maxim,
. fsint Or retreating. swept around Al
.lasta, severed Hoods main line 0
communications With the reserved; ant
compelled 10 evacuase the city, whi.l
was thus gained with little bleodsheS
Hardly any other a,hivemsnt % In
aportant hla beeA 80 eAaily saSpte,
dariag tho var.
Hood. ate, pauas Of bssilder1(Dsl