Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-25
TIE coNsrrTuTloN-srArE RIGHTS.
RICHMOND WING.
Saturday MOrRing. March SS, 1865

yT1HE check administered by Johnston to Sher-
l. mau at Bentonville interferes essentially with
the campaign Of that cOckawhoOp leader aud the
combinations Of Grant The part assigned to
Sherman va the destruction Of the railroad COM
munications through central North Carolina, the
crowdiar back towards Richmond OF our forces in
that State ana the narrowing By this means Of the
area Of supply to &c neral Lee to such a, degree
tina. the withdrawal OF his forces from this city
would b. inevitable 1t is some time since the at
tempt to take this city by direct assault has been
abandoned, aSd the grand scheme undertaken OF
bringing 60 hear upon 1t force from the South
strong enough 10 overcome all opposition, cut OF
all communication, and by gradual construction
compress 1t into surrender. The march OF Sher-
man into Georgia, into South Carolina, and into
North Carolina, was not Tor the purpose or with
the expectation Of conquerng those States else he
would not have gone straight through as he has
done with the two former and is attempting with
the latter hut would have spread over, occupied
subdueS and held them. For all that he has done
towards the conquest Of those States, he might as
well. or better, never have entered them. True,
he has blackened his way with.hre and rapine, and
carried desoation TO thousands OF happy house
holds but he has made no converts to Unionisn,
and has Left the people more imphcably hostile
and more iuaeNibly resolute than he found them.
Georgia and South Carolina are now freer from
Yankees than they hare been for two years, and
are less conquered and more unconQuerable than
they have been since that date. The same would
have been the condit ion Of North Carolina il Sher.
man had found it practicable TO pass through her
borders with as little opposition lie encountered
from Atlanta to Savannah. But al last he has found
lion in his path, that he must disodge and move on
OF all he has done is labor lost When he moved from
Dalton last Nay it was not for the purpose of cap
turing Atlanta, and Savannah, and Charleston, and
Wilmington. All these were to be but incidents -
The great object, 70 which everything else was
merely subsidiary, was to blockade Lee from the
South. 10 gyt between him and his sources Of sup
ply 20 compel the eapitUlation of his army posi-.
bly,, and "a secure, certainly, the downfall of this
Capital. Tie has only of latc approached point
whore % foil efectualI the object Of all his move
fnents and the contamination OF the plan, it was
necessary that he should be arrested. II now Gen
Johnston clu rout him, can drive him oil his
course ~ can hold him checked and unable to al.
vance, be il defeated and the huge combinations
Of Grant, Of which Yankee newspapers have been
Giscoursing so grlndil0quenty, are nullifed aud
dess.oyod. The importance, therefore, of the late
battle u Bentonyile will be appreciated. The blow
struck there WAS Is much a blow for the safety .
tais city as that delivered at Cold Harbor, last
year. Gen. Johnston, and Gen. Lee, under whom
he acts, can be in no uncertainty as to the vital
Necessity OF continuing to oppose al immovablc
front 20 Shsrnans advance. Ii he cannot be des
troyed, as We deyoutly trust be may be, he must
at any cost, be kept from coming forward-no.
that Richmond, As Richmond, is Of so much value
but that Tor reasons which need not be explained
its surrender 70 tbs enemy IS thing not TO be,
thought Of while its defence is possible In TIN,
view, We clnno, award too much credit or render
too much gratitude % the gallant leader and deyo.
Ted men who have SAID 70 Sherman, thus far, and
no farther.