Year: 1862




An erroneous opinion, respecting the resources ard
ability of the South to attain in the present co-
test is prevalous among many people. Such PERSONS
in opening discussion of this subject, usually sccf
with vehemence at the possibility of the enemys ever
possessing Richmond, Columbus the Mississippi valley
Charleston, Savannah and other threatened points
For them the invading army'S great superiority in
numerical strength has no terrors. They all cow
ards az evidenced by the battles of Bethel Manassas
Leesburg and other places where victory has perched
on the Southern standard The vaor of Confederate
soldier renders him equal to three four his enemies
as proved by the many contests in which immense
disparity of numbers in avor of the invader was no
obstacle to our success. But this course of remark
usually reaches antthesis If these assertions should
prove erroneous if Richmond, and other important
places should unhappy fall into the power of the North
ern army, then all is ost nearly so, the cause is
desperate and all further efforts in its BEHALF may be
Herculean exhibitions of vaor and determination but
must prove unavaing regards the establishment of
our independence. To some such view of affairs
may seem deserving OF encouragement as productive of
confidence in cause and incentive soldiers
to defend to the last places OF such Importance brt it
not the true view and aence the ol precept not to
seek good end by improper means, the wisdom of
which the experience of mankind has proved must De of
prime authority here. In the first place, it is not
true that former experience in this will justify
the suppOson that, in all future battles safely
allow the enemy to outnumber us by three to one.


This assertion does injustice to cur soldiers nor is
it implicit to make it. The history Of proves that
long and careful training may make good soldiers out
of very Indifferent material and that the effects OF ia-
divdual cowardice may be obViated when men act in
large masses Therefore, the vaor, zeal and determna
ton of our will undergo no dimnutien, the ability
Of the Northern armies to cope with them may be great
y increased by the careful instruction which their e
GERS have been bestOwing upon them; and future Ma
nassas may cost US trouble and be boOder battle
than the first And in the second place. the supp0sion
entertained by the class to which we have alluded that
the fortunes of the Confederacy are staked upon Rich
m0nd, Columbus kuoxN lie, is erroneous ard wereit
generally believed might be urious ii its elects, should
the uncertain chances OF deprive of any OF these
places In fact the South possessed Of no place Of vi
tai Importance; place whose possession by the enemy
would deprive Of the power OF ress ance. Were tue
enemy TO advance to Richmond were he to capture
Charleston, Wilmington and Savannah shoud be sue
ceed 10 driving US out Of Kentucky and Feansssse and
if he were able execute his plan of eilecting junction
of his armies from tke West and the seaboard; still
would be quered. Even if the enemy to cap
ture thousands of aud arms, and almost all our
| artillery, still oar success would be certain.


Our policy would be TO keep armies Ia large mas
se concentrated and militia organized everywhere
10 guerrilla bands would play havoc in the ranks the
Toe The terrible effectiveness OF this latter weapon can
be we'll appreciated when we reflect upon tie injury it
has Inflicted upon the enemy in Northern Missouri
small territory isolated and separated from the rst OF
the Confederacy. And yet with troops in every
ty, martial law everywhere, and by tic exercise Of
every crugty and outrage the enemy has not aubdued
the country. Organized bodies OF troops and regular
warfare are Of 40 more avail against thee bands CT
determined citizns than against lalan3 O. Arac5.-
Thus the power and authority Of the FGdecaSG could
only fextenl the territory comprised within The
circuit of few miles Immediately surrounding their
various bodies of troops Should they attempt to spread
over and secure the country, they would fall victims in
detail to large, concentrated arnIes Such being
the situation Of affairs Gnay success would be cGec
ed by TIVE the great extent Of our territory
rendering it impossible for the enemy to overrun all of
it and the immense exPenses which this inside OF Wag
| fare would entail upon the North.


That the great extent of our territory is the primary
and true basis for b:licl in invncbIty, Cuyso
ry examination Of the records Of history viii easily
prove No country in ancient or modern timcs COM
prisng an area OF even af the extent Of Own and
inhabited by brave, united and determined people, has
ever succunbed to invader not its superior 10 the
scale of civilization or wsrke spirit. Aexandcrs
quests extended all the then known world, but the
Macedonian warred on sCveregns, not people, and
the latter received without repuguance the change OF
masters


No nation ever withStood the arms of Cesar, but tie
Romans were far superior to all their antagonists in
warke spirit ard in civilization. Ia modern times al
most every nation of Europe fell under the dominion OF
Napoleon but several c.uses, which cannot exist in
our Confsderacy, contributed to this result. These
were the French revolutionary spirit almost as power
ful weapon in the hands of Napoleon as bis armies
and the division OF Europe into many independent
States of which fact Napoleon so tkilliuly availed
himself to it to produce it's legitimate fruit,
the destruction OF all unity concert Of action for
the common defence His plan to conquer the
nations n detail When he had selected bis victim, lie
would ally as many powers against it as possible by
means OF seductive promises, and by tie adrolt stirring
up of old euds and ealouses; Others he would awe
into neutrality. Thus, by able prosecution Of this
plan, nearly all the various countries Oi Europe were,
successvey, subjected to his sceptre.


But such plan could not operate among Us. Unity
of sentiment Of Institutions and OF interests
chief characteristics. But the great C0rscau
found the end Of his teher in the vast domains OF Rus
sa, where he fought against united and determined
people. History is fall of instances where attempts at
conquest have failed solely account OF the vast terri


tory to be subiugated. Edward, the Black Prince, and
Henry the Fifth, France but subdued it
on account Of it's great extent Of territory And yet it
is only One-fourth the size OF ContedeTbcy. Our
success in the establishment OF independence Of Eng


land is mainly attributed to thehImber OF square miles
which we Inhabited. And the same cause deprived
Spain of Mexico ana her colonies Ia South America.
The arms of nations Of Individuals only extend to a


pertain scope. Even in exceedingly small and feeble


countries the mode of warfare whicl have been
sidering has been formidable to the most powerful ma
tions The fact inconroVertibe that La Venice
subugated solely because s limited extent Of territory
enabled the French General to establish strong militia
ry Gordon its entire length which, gradually advancing
finally crushed out all its enemies. And THIS mode OF


warfare rescued the negroes OF Hayt from the do


miniOn of France. With such instances Of the vaor
and determination Of other before their eyes,


our people yield to any disaster which it is in the
power OF its foe to nflic it would be SGD proof OF


degeneracy OF spirit which would unfit its posses0s to


favorable comparison, the view Of mankind, with
the hybrid inhabitants OF Mexico Or the brutal HaytaT
negro.


ANOTHER FEDERAL BATTERY.-An attempt Of the
steamer ST. Johns to pass down Augustine Greek, yes


terday developed a new Federal battery. 1t is stuat
Il nJ md cf of lonC