Washington telegraph., 1865-04-19

new .sa. and have weatkered dangerous coast
without diaster. Our ship remains staunci.
well rugged, and powerfully manned.
Tht Is no afectation nor fippancy. We are
willing to risk our reputation for sound sense
and calm deliberate Judgment upon the senti.
ment which we now profess. The dangers are
too great, and the people too much in earnest,
to allow any one. whose future usefulness may
depend upon tho confidence Of the people, to
indulge In disingenuous remarks even for the
laudable purpose of temporarily sustaining the
hopes. and exciting the exsrtions Of the people
If we have any confidence rsposed in cur judx.
nent or integrity we could not 80 abuse it.
There are three phases in every contest for
liberty, when a people, comparatively weak and
unprepared, undertake to throw off the yoke of
a government strong in men and arms, and pos
sessed of all the advantages Of established
power and national recognition. The 6rst
efc.. il always for ths new government 10 pre-
serve its territorial integrity. and defend all
points In Its possession. 1t Is wise to do So
Some fortuitoas circumstances may stop the
war Ia the beginning, and all might be saved.
Besides that, the burden Of concentrating large
fsrces to take particular places in detail and the
resistance there made, goes far to exhaust the
enemy, whilst the res;stants being at home,
suffer comparatively much less. If the resist.
ssce be wisely made, and tho points and por-
tions Of territory be yielded with Judgment, al
though the result may be inevitable great
point Will have been gained, and the parties
more equaliEed fer the more easnest struggle
which is to ensue But 1t has never failed in
the history of the world, that when the supe-
rios power is determined on conquest and per-
sistent In effort that the war passes into its
second phase, and the real difficulties Of subju-
gatiea ars then encountered.
This occurs whom 1t Il evident that NO foreign
power intends to interfere and no dissens,ons
amsngst the snamy bid fair to distract their
counsels and paralyEe their efforts. These fail
ing, the disparity Of physical forces must tell
in the beginning. Then must the devotees Of
liberty strip for tho conflict. Then comes the
tug Of war. 1t is a death grappls, in which the
weaker power must disencumber itself Of all
and stand ready for any sacrifices.
The "inch by inch Of ground" 10 seen to be IN
They must throw away false pride.
They must cheerfully abandon portions Of their
soil to the polluting tread of the destroyer
They must yielt their proudest cities, and con-
sent to a migratory govenment They must
whilst the enemy dissipate and
scatter At posts and garrisons In \ word.
they must concentrate, as the clouds gather
lightning. and strike the most terribls blows
upon the weakest points Of the enemy, until
they In turn become scattered and exhausted
In large country with q vast interior. the
weaker armies may be kept together, and provi-
stoned for such a war. The best use is thus
made Of all available resources: The least ex-
haustion is felt. Such a change indicates the
determination Of a people resolved upon free
dom, and IL onipous Of evil to the enemy, who
would read i, Alright The contes, Is really just
begun.
The third and las. stage occurs with the FINAL
aefea. of the insurgeni armies. Many lsng
yesrs are necessary to accomplish thAt when
the war passes into its third and last stage Of
guerrilla warfare. aud lasts perhaps forever
Always prssuming the people are determined
10 te free. subjrgation is impossible.
Fer four years-a period which the most san
Euine amongst as could not have anticipated,
could the determination Of the enemy, and the
cold indifference Of natisns been forseen-we
have maintained the war in It's FIRST phase. We
have defended our strongholds one by one, and
have sold them at a terrible cost. Already the
enemy II crippled weakened and embarrassed.
in accomplishing the FIRST and easiest portion Of
the task. They have a debt Of nearly three
thousand millions Of dollars. Their commerce
is. for the most part, driven from the seas They
have been compelled to enlist more than two
millions Of men. Already their fighting mate
nal at home 10 exhausted. They are resortiag
to foreign mercenaries. Drafts even are fruit
less. Having passed the s1trsme tsnsisn Of
their military strength. (for they can never raise
such armies again they enter now upon the
second phase Of the war with weakening ply
sical powers. and tottsring on the verge of
bankruptcy. The temporary strength which
their seeming conquest seems to infuss, is bat
the drunkenness Of thoughtless enthusiasm
They are just graspiag the tempting fruit Of
Charleston, WILMINGTON and Richmond, and
have net discovered the ashes. They have just
attained the heights to which they labered. and
amidst their cries of rsjoic:ng. have net raised
their ayes to the Alps which still rise before
them. With their sober awakening they win
gee them and shudder.
The time had come at last for a change Of eur
policy. 1t became patent to every enc that we
we're suffering from our pride in our cities, and
attached to them too great a consequence ,
Evident too that with their fleets and unlimi-
ed base Of the whole universe behind thsn,
he enemy could take them in detail, Grant
ruly "held Lee by the thr oat" and kept the
lower &c eur army idle at Richmond. Defend
ng emily 30 many acres of ground covered with
,euses, upon which our civil ofacers resided.
vhs might reside or sit on any other just as
Yell Charleston had long enough cost the
nemy fleets and ordnance and kept much Of
,ur force dormant 80 far as active movements
re concerned the enemy chose their own time
md place, and concentrated at pleasure.
The danger was in the transition. The effect