Year: 1862

This story lacks confirmation, but it comes
from so many quarters that we fear il con-
4 Tains but too much truth We know from the
4 Northern Press that it was the intention oil
I their Generals, if defeated on the Rappahan
| mock, to retire to Arlington Hights, there io


KNEW the war of the spade, and reform their


broken legious and new lines during the win


Ger. Bat it was the hope and belief of the
country that the arrangements of the Cunfed-
crate leaders had been such as would have
completely foiled that plan. If the news Of
4 their successful retreat 10 Arlington Highs is
confirmed, it will be another of those many
sisappointments which we have to support.
much resembling ard nearly as great as the
escape Of Mcclellan after the battle Qf Gold
Harbor and Malvern Hill


/ But if this is indeed true, we hope that our
/ foes themselves viii be disappointed in their
4 expectations of a seige at Washington. The
chief prize of the late victories, is not tbs
possession of that city, bat the opportunity
which they would seem to afford for the com
meneement Of an offensive campaign in the
enemy's country. The capture Of Washing
toa would produce an immense sensation, but
II unattended By an immediate advance into
Pennsylvania, ard menace of the Northern
capitals, it 10 impossible TO say that the said
sensation would be altogether and necessarily
to our advantage. 1t would be prodigious
Modification to the North, but would not
cost il fatal, or even serious loss of strength
The moral shock might possibly occasion ne
gotiations for peace; but, if the Northern
people possess any real courage, it would
more probably result in a general rush ta
arms. Possession of Washington is only de-
sirabe as the open door to invasion and if it
Is eiftetually closed against US by the occupa-
ton ol Arlington, we hope that this precious
season will not be consumed IN picking the
lock or batterieg it down, while the wall is
full Of breaches through which we may pass
as we'll.


Reason indicates that the aim and object of
the Coniederacy at this stage of the war is, OF
should be, transfer of hostiIitics to the enc
lny's soil. 1t is in fact matter of necessity
that we should do so. Il is difficult TO sec how
an enormous army can be subsisted in North
ern Virginia during the coming winter. Ev-
erything that it consumes will have to be
transported there from great distances, for it
IS now literally an army in the desert. Few
who have not visited it know the extent to
which this unfortunate portion of the State
has been desolated At the end of eighteen
months II has been reduced to a condition near
" resembling That Of Middle Germany, after
the thirty years war The drums and tramp
5ings 0f three eoaqpe8ts have not produced
elsewhere the ravages and waste which the
struggles Of the Southern and the Northern
hosts have caused in Piedmont Virginia, dur
ing the past aud present Summers. 1t will
take one hundred full years to restore tlat
country to the condition in WHICH tho war
found ii. Deserted as il is by the majority of
lis inhabitants, il is not easily perceived how
the scattered remainder OF its population hope
TO escape starvation during the coming win
ter and the maintenance of an army of one
hundred and fifty thousand men there. depend
ent on single track railroad, when the win
Ter has rendered the other highways impassa-
bic, will be an experiment rot less dangerous
than costly.


Even if that difficulty could be overcome,
it is evident that Opr army cannot waste its
Time ii protracted operations for the posses.
sion Of frontier city, unless it desires to lose
the only opportunity to make a real approach
to lhe end of the war that we have had since
the beginning Ct it. Such a delay would be
all that the enemy could now desire for it
would give him just the time necessary to or
ganize and bring mp his new army of six hun
dred thousand men and while Washington
should lie neither clearly lost or won, but Il
prize sill at stake between the two countries.
;he difficulties of raising that new army would
be greatly alleviated.


If we cannot take Washington by coup de
main. it must be lett to take care Of ITSELF
The true goals of our course are the deliver
ance Of Maryland and the invasion of Iienn-
-vIvania And if we ever have an honorable
treaty of peace with the United States. it
will be signed on the encmys territory, and
not on our soil.


War is Il game of chance, and in all games
Of chance there are unaccountaFe runs Of
good and bad luck In tie latter part Of last
winter and in the beginning OF the spring, we
had our season of evil fortune. Mishap sue
ceedeG pishap. loss followed loss, and disaster
pursued disaster in melancholy series, so
long and unbrokeu, tkat the Gonfederacy
could realize the sensations of Macbeth, when
he asked, Shall thy line stretch opt to crack
Of doom !? F." The tables are nov tuUEQd the
cards run the olheg Way Tbe North has now
its dismal season while the winter of our
discomfort is turned to glorious sumner
Splenddly victorious in Virginia, orr first or
gauized advance into Kentucky is also marked
1 by a suceess ever more brilliant, though Of less
magnitude. The battle near Richmond, Ky,
4 although ten thousand only Of the enemy were
/ engaged, is one Of the most encouraging iuei-
dents of the war, if the report which the tele-
] graph brings is indeed true, that the Kentucky
regiments which the enemy haG raised by COM
pulsory enrolment, marched over to the side
Of their compatriots to deliver up the arms
which their tyrants had forced into their hands.


A large portion OF the new leyies of the North
are to be drafted from the oppressed popula-


tions Of conquered Southern Subsidiary


land, kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee. We


now know what these troops will be worth to
! them and to u.s. and can indulge the hope that
they will organize, arm and eqnip as many
! more regimeQtg from those States as the arm
bearing population will aillrd. The Ken
tuclly victory appears by the dispatch to have


been so complete, that we fear the details may


weaken the impression that it leaves. But ii


is at least certain that we are yictoriogs il


Kentucky, and thai opr trooEs are upon their


way TO Lexington. In tie West, as in thu


East, the smile C. fortune is manifest ; ant


the masters of the art of war agree with Qthe


gamblers, that luck should be pushed.


BEAr THIS WHO Christopher Becl1with