Year: 1861

! . I D..


The Richmond Examiner of the 2sth, referring
| to and condemnng the defensive attitude OF the


Confederate army, thus remarks:


| 1t is uncharitably asserted that this defensive
| policy proceeds from aversion felt by portion
| of the cotton States to letting too many of the


States of the border into the Confederacy, as tend


ing to place them in minority and thus, to secure
to themselves control in the Confederate councils
Missouri, Maryland, Kentucky and fourth of Vir-
| ginia must be abandoned to the North. If such
| sentiment really actuates any set of men in the


cotton States, which we can hardly think credible,
we are sure that mighty majority of their mag
| unanimous people would repudiate the imputation
with indignation We cannot place credence in so
ungenerous surmise. We do not believe single


man in the Government is actuated by such SEN


iment; and the defensive policy that seems to rule


IN the public counses must find an explanation in


some other reason.


We have not heard, before, that there was any


portion, considerable or inconsiderable of the peo


pie OF the cotton States who supposed to be in


favor OF defensive policy for the reason stated


and the Examiner does us no more than Justice in


defending us from the charge, and expressing its


own unbelief in it. In point of fact if we accept


the declarations of the press as evidence of the
public wish in the cotton States, the people of
those States are even more urgent than those of
Virginia for an active, vigorous and offensive
policy. In this city, in Charleston, in Memphis,


and at other points, wherever the press has spoken


at all on the subject, its utteranees have all been
| for pushing forward our forces, carrying the


into the enemy IS country, and convincing the North


as well of our ability to defend ourselves as to re-
| taliate upon that section the wrongs we have
! suffered by the invasion of our own territory
But that there are some advantages to be gained
by the defensive policy which has been pursued is
r,,itp ant ind 10 raao,
| tempered and restrained the impatience of great


many Of our people. They say-and there is force


in t-that the longer the war lasts the better it


will be for the South in the end. They say that
the North must be convinced by long and bitter
experience that the subugaton of the South inl-
possible and that it is only when the North is con-
Vinced thoroughly OF this fact that secure and
lasting peace will be made. They declare more
over, that the war is costing the North, in military
expenses alone, four or five times as much as it is
costing the South-to say nothing of the prostra-
ton Of trade and the Interruptions of commerce
and that it viii be good thing to exhibit not only
TO the orth ITSELF but to the whole world the re-
sources, the military power and the endurance of
the Southern people. Finally, they assert what is
undenlably true, that this is the Norths war and not
oufs-that they are making war upon us, and we
are only to repel them-tbat it is their business
faccording to their professions) to conquer u.s.
and we must see whether they can do it. As the
acceptors Of the North's challenge, we are ready to
meet them whenever they think proper to make a
demonstration.


But for these considerations, which, while they
do not turn the scale, have great weight with
many OF our people, there would be much more
impatence than there is. Besides this, while we
recognize the proposition that the popular will
ought to control our public servants in civil mat
ters we feel that in the conduct of the war much
must be trusted to those who have control of our
armies However much the civil functionarv |
ought to heed the wishes OF the masses, the Gen
eral must necessarily be guided by his own convic |
tons and follow out his own plans.


1t would be njudicious, at this time to cultivate
any bad feeling between the Cotton States and the
states Of the border, even did any jealousy exist
which is not the case. The Cotton States have no
fear that those Of the border would use power, if
they had it, for their injury. We are as anxious |
as sis virginia to welcome into our Confederacy
Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri; and we have |
proved it by sending the best of our blood for |
ward, to deliver the people of those States from
the rule OF the oppressor and the invader. We
have no apprehension that there will be any ma
teriai clashlng of interests in our Confederacv
when it embraces every Southern State, as it Ger.
tainy will, sooner or laterand if there should be-
we can settle all such things easily when gentle
men and Statesmen have to deal with gentlemen
and statesmen, which was not the case when we
we're in the old Union.