Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-30
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

XU Xuu VIM
nearly as difficult to obtain in Washing
ton as the news OF
Closing in on the great war in Eu-
rope Is at this time.
ooAAeueAoses In The Star Of Au-
gust "a, 1854, is the following sum-
mary Of the general situation:
LAS close readers for the past three or
four days will have perceived, the good
cause Of the Union is rapidly closing and
tightening its grasp upon the two strong
holds of the rebellion. Richmond and At
lanta- The events Of the past ten days
in the vicinity Of Richmond and Peters
burg have demonstrated the inability of
the rebels to check the successive move
ments Of Grant in that quarter He now
holds position about Dutch Run gap
and Deep Bottom, from which he threat
ems at any moment to make successful
dash at Richmond, and in front Of which,
to prevent him from so doing, they must
keep considerable portion of Lees army
"a portion SO large that the balance has
not proved large enough to dislodge our
9th Corps from the command of the We'll
IL,
II not speedily dislodged their command
OF that work must necessitate, sooner or
later. the abandonment of Virginia by
the rebels
Sheridan and his force are now play
ing an important part in this spirited
campaign. We feel very sure that his
movements, one and all, are not the re-
suit of belief in his inability to hold
his own against Early (as heavily REIN
forced as the latter has been), but are q
OF nh nf
campaign. Lynchburg is as vital to the
rebel occupancy Of Richmond as Peters,
burg. Sheridan's presence anywhere in
the valley or on the line of the upper Po-
tomac so seriously threatens it that Lee
must confront him with large force or
evacuate Richmond. In dividing his
army, as Grant has compelled him to do,
he has failed in his assaults on US, first
at Deep Run Bottom. next near Win
chester, and again on the Weldon rail-
road, with heavy loss on all three oc-
casions. loss far greater than ours in
killed and wounded at each point. He
must continue to risk such assaults. the
penalty being the eventual fall of Lynch
burg, the fall of Richmond by coup
de main from the vicinity of Deep Run
Bottom, or the speedy erection of works
by our troops across the Weldon rail-
road that will bid defiance to assaults
from a force thrice as strong as his
whole army"
~
The United States government held
military possession Of Alexandria
throughout the great
Administration er part Of the civil
., war and eventually
VI 1AIeA"nuAA"' the question of its
administration became a matter Of some
difficulty. In The Star of August %,
1854. is news article on the subject:
Petitions are circulating in Alexan-
dria and beyond the limits for sigma
lures. addressed to Military Gov. Slough.
asking for the substitution of the mill
tary for the civil power, as at Norfolk.
Should the prayer be granted, Gov. Pier
pont will, as a consequence, be super
seeded in his functions and the state gov
eminent in that portion of the territory
of Virginia over which he presides
abolished. The Alexandria Journal, the
official paper, says:
Upon careful examination of the
names OF these signers we find that out
Of tifty-seven six only are taxpayers.
many of them are VIGOROUSLY disloyal
and many more are mere squatters and
will leave our city and the so-called re-
stored government of Virginia to it's fate
as soon as the Army of the Potomac ar
rives in position where they can re-
locate in its vicinity
I'm conclusion. We would only say. as
part of the record, that the movement
becoming known to President Lincoln,
he addressed communication at once
to Gen. Slough. notifying him that the
military should not interfere with the
civil power. except where military neces-
sity imperatively demanded it.: that the
people were no judges where that ne
cessity should arise; that it was COM
petent for the military commander alone
to determine that, and that the sole re-
sponsibility would be upon him. As
there is not even the pretense of mill
tary necessity in this case-as the state
government is heartily cooperating with
the general government in suppressing
the rebellion-the responsibility was
little too great for any military COM
mander to take upon his shoulders. SO
the whole matter drops to the ground
While the military campaign was in
progress at this time fifty years ago, the
political campaign for
Presidential the presidency was stir
r.mno;, ring the people of the
osMpaAsA' north In The Star of
August g. 1854. is the following review
of the situation:
'The most noteworthy sign Of tho
times Is the eagerness with which the
Richmond and other rebellious states pa
pers are anticipating that the approach
ing Chicago tdemocratic) convention and
subsequent United States presidential
election. in securing the triumph OF it's
nominee, are to secure past peradven-
ture the speedy success of the rebellion.
They proclaim that the immediate result
Of the defeat Of Lincoln in November
must be the dissolution of the Union by
the assent Of the new administration.
They are making 1t plain that vote
against Lincoln is simply a vote to in
sure the success of the rebellion. The
recent development of the particulars of
the conspiracy in the northwest to If
possible aid the rebellion by, force of
arms under pretense of defending Ameri-
can rights violated in the governments
measures for the rebellion's suppression
also involve grave warnings against the
danger of placing the conduct of public
affairs in this crisis in hands elevated to
power by these conspirators and their
allies. The elimination of Developments
in question is to be found In the letter Of
Gen. Darlington to Voorhees, of Indiana.
|