Year: 1862

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To the Editor of the Times:


SIR: The fall of New Orleans cannot but
surprise those who have received recent as
surances of the ample strength of its defences
and the ability Of its gunboats and floating bat
teries to repel any attack. This very conf.
dence seems to have been fatal; for the South
ern fleet, or so much Of it as rendered the rest
poweress, appears to have ascended the river
to For Wright, and was therefore 800 miles
away when SO greatly needed at home I'm
questionably this is the most injurious slow
the South has received, and in the present
state of affairs it is of interest to ascertain its
real proportions and the actual effect it will
produce. Prestige is, indeed, of little concern
to men who are sacrificing their lives and pro-
2erty to prevent the subjugation of their coun-
try, but the material loss is important, the
workshops of that city can i'll be spared, and
this success will reinforce those Northern de-
lusions on which reason had begun to break,
and thus will greatly tend to prolorg the war.


serious result, not unlikely to follow in
the end, will be the forcing of the entire
length of the Mississippi. The supporters of
North appear to hold that some very dire re-
suit would flow from this. They describe that
river as an artery to open which would be fatal
10 the existence of the Southern cause, or as
great highway for the enemy into the heart of
the country. In reality the Southern States
consists of two regons-onc, lying west of that
river, Texas, Arkansas and part of Louisiana,
altogether apart from the serious operatsons of
the war. The States which form the actual
field of the contest occupy an enormous COM
pact space, rude square, bounded on two of
its sides b. the Atlantic and the Gulf on the
other two by the Ohio and the Mississippi
Hence, the latter, so far from being an arterial
stream in the centre of the system, is, as re-
CARDS this contest, a boundary line, and will
simply place the States that lie upon it in the
position which those of the east occupy on the
ocean. All the large rivers that intersect the
country below Cairo run from the west into the
Mississippi, and instead of bringing an enemy
into the heart Of the country, would carry
him away from it.


1t is true that if a series of years could be
devoted to the conquest OF the South this river
would become invaluable as road to the va
rious points of departure for the interior In
that view Of the case, too, each town occupied
would represent further step in the long reck-
oning. But in forming judgment of this war
the condition must be kept constantly ia view
time and cost. Unless made quickly the
conquest can never be made. The patience of
Europe, shut out from two-thirds of the Amei-
can coast, and deprived of materials absolutely
esential to its Industry, is now becoming ex-
hausted. Whatever the meek resignation we
are expected to exhibit, for the fortitude with
which our workmen are to smile upon diet
of bread and water, it is very certain this will
not long suit the French temperament. In
that country hunger is politiaal question.
1t is one that was never yet safely trifed with
The politicians Of Washington could hardly
assume that the Governments of Europe wonld
permit hundreds Of thousands of their people
to exist in compulsory idleness and want for
just SO many years as their convenience might
dictate. 1t has been their plea in reply to
this, that the time would be short-a few
months, 80 days. This is their engagement