Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-04-06

sed Tie G5GsdSAzseat Of ne teiEEsS Of an IS
dsPaGest S0aLtkern CoAfsSzs;iS TIE war
Uo1id. Hfter tnaI, spec JIiy degenerate irto
go irregular contest II Ehi=t passion viii
have more 20 do than ParPcsei which
would have 20 other effect tkAn the mere
ssfenes or preset safety Of ihese innedi-
atsiy psrsiatiuR IN ii. TIE kgps Of sffs5
Eiliag Csffs3vsey zH3 tfrzyIag iiI rstog
nIfI0a zra5Ey Hsiioss sCssid 3, ysas fsFSrsr.
Tie eouD0s sense Of i5s couairy, TIE ~
suust Of every nAn snd WOMAN IN the iAad,
eoBtrsdiets TIE idsa that a1y possibility OF
az irdependeo; South would remAiNS afler
iits capital was abandoned, its GgTsEdmenI
| cent sdrift, and its army withdraw ioto
the soIl1des of the interior.
T Il IL idle 70 pretend that Richmond Is
of 10 more imFortaace than Savannah, At
suts, Mobile or Norfolk, snd that its fall
would rot be fatal TO the Coufederacy. II
It had rot been 8 vital point, Why has so
much effort been expended for its redue
ton and in its defence? Il has been the
great objective point Of the enemy through
tour successive campaigns. The CoBfed
Ierscy has spared no pains or eIeriions, no
cost of blood or treasure, TO make good its
defence. Il Is the capital of the last of
the bsrdeE States, commanding the entire
| portion of Virginia east of the Allsgheeies,
|
| Carolina. II is situated 40 miles from
the sea, yet large ships CAT unload from its
WhaTVes. The occupation of Richmond 10
strong force by the enemy would neces-
| Earily drive the Confederate armies out of
Virginia, and r-nder all Eastern North
Carolina uuteDablej and, once gained by q
power having command Of the water, il
could never, under any contingency, be
recovered by the ConfedeTacy.
Each CONTESTANT 10 the war has made
Richmond the central object of all it's plans
and all its exertions. II has become the
symbol Of the Contederscy. lie loss would
be material ruin TO the cause, and in a NOR.
al point of view, absolutely destructive,
crushing the heart and extinpuishinpo the
last hope of the country. Dor armies
would lose the incentive inspired by great
and worthy objec, of defence. Our mill
tary policy would be totally at sea; we
should be without a hope or an object;
without civil or military organic AIiou;
without q treasury or a commissarfat; with
out the means Of keeping alive whole.
some and active public sentiment; without
any OF the appliances for supporting u
cause depending upon the popular faith and
enthusiasm; without the emblems Of the
semblance of authority.
mond into the interior would 80 narrow the
area of CONSUMPTION as greatly to reduce
our military strength. AB The army would
dWindle 10 numbers, it would move more
and more rapidly westward, aud before
| reaching the banks of the Mississippi would
have degenerated into mere body guard
for few officers. From the hour of Civ
ing up the seat of government, our cause
would sink into mere rebellion in the
estimation of foreign Powers, who would
cease to accord to US the rights of beliger.
entsi while the enemy would be free tc
treat our officers and soldiers as traitors
and criminals; SO that every "rebel" woulr
fight thencetorth with halter round hi
4 neck.
= Virginia, though slow to come into III
n coniederacy, has been throughout the con
:, test its main stay and support. 1t ha
borne the brunt of every campaign.
It has suffered the ravages of war more az
: Vereiy than all the States together. Ever
i, county in the State has felt the hand G
the enemy. lLs richest and best distric,
} been utterly desOlated. Its sufFeripgs hav
: not only been severe beyond description
II but continuous aud uuceasiup. For fou
II years 1t has been the common campaio
and battle ground for the largest armie
and blqodIest conflicts of modern times.-
No country in the world ever sustained a
heavy losses or endured as hard a fate, wit
= more hcroIsm or fortitude. The evacua
d ton of Richmond would be the abandon
Il ment OF acknowledgements witbou
o any rational hope of return. Its posi-
Die that such desertion could be contem
3 plated after the events Of this war? Eve
y II the act were not suicidal in policy, couI
d the confederacy now consent to cast sua
Cd
fol Commonwealth, as an old shoe tbs
Z could be put to no future use?
70 Aside from the disgrace that Would a,
: 1acn to such iogratitude, the Coufederac
could not afford to put Gen. Grant in NOS
session OF Richmond, a depot and base
Q hundred and forty miles from the sea. AM
: IN the midst Of Southern Virginia. We
q with water carriage to the door, and tim
relinquish its last hold upon the last q
& the border States. 1t could no, exppct +,
{ continue the struggle With any hone n
! success, after abandoning States wbe,c
q IT'S most numerous recruits are obtained
soil on which it's arms have bsen mi
tormIy victorious, and tpithITaloiuot 10 Stat
gheFe defeat has eORStaAtLy attended tb.,n
The abandonment OF Virginia would h
equivalent to executing quit claim dee,
$ All 'he Border States, together will
y II oAu NOINu OhFOn00,H Two liNel
/ OF railway radiate from here into the mn
populous and iuHuential districts of mi
latter 5 ate sn6jsc,iuS its best portions :,
e the control of any considerable militia,
s power having It's base at Richmond. i,
5 tne ContedeFacy's wealth 10 pOpuIa'ion anC
territory now so great that il can aff5rri ~
make q voluntary donation at all tbis Esr
[i'oEy, restricting its Jurisdiction tn N ~,
r Salt states and South Carolina, alresd,
II Richmond be held but another Al,
: non'ns' the late of the eOufederacy. viii
! nave been faVosably decided. T6S bso.
pie will cling to the cause as lonq a. p ~.
seat OF government is secure. R Cent mi.,
fortunes will have awakened foreign nov
eEs to the dangers which would Pesait n
themselves from the restoration Of ,bS
UOton and pAci6eaiiou of this cont;rs1 ~
now possessing a trained soldierv No. ~
merous aud formidable than any in P;cS
mond. So long as Richmond aud yi,U;I