The position of affairs.
The Missouri
Army Argus has an able article on the present position of affairs, commencing with an allusion to the change in the war programme rendered necessary by the events of the last six months, and the errors committed at the outset by underrating the enemy and extending our lines too much.
The writer then proceeds:
It is evident that unless there was a change in the spirit of our people as well as in the mode of conducting the war, our subjugation was as certain as the problems of mathematics.
Happy for us that the change has taken place.
Under the pressure of disaster, patriotism rose to the highest point, and our brave men reenlisted for the war; and thousands who had never thought of entering the army, rushed, without delay, to the standards of our
Generals.
Our lines, which extended along the border and the seacoast to nearly four thousand miles, have been drawn into less than one-third of that distance, and great battles will be fought near
Richmond, near
Corinth, and at
Fort Pillow, on the
Mississippi river, that may perhaps decide the war, and confer independence on the
South.
The Federal are concentrating their forces on the
Tennessee and
Mississippi rivers, to achieve the same results they secured by overwhelming numbers on the
Cumberland; and should they beat us in these battles our further struggle for liberty and independence would be simply a question of time, and a very short time at that.
These movements of the enemy compel us to make similar movements.
We must concentrate, too. Not one with even half an eye can fail to see that the order to move our troops from the west to the east of the
Mississippi, was dictated by the highest wisdom.--The recent battle fought near
Corinth by troops, many of whom had been brought from
Virginia, from
Pensacola, from
Mobile, New Orleans, and
Texas, wherein we have compensated our losses at
Henry and
Donelson, shows this most conclusively.
In moving our troops from
Arkansas and
Missouri, the enemy will also move his troops from the same States.
In fact, it will free
Missouri and
Arkansas from Federal troops, and enable the farmers to plant their crops.
Why should the
Federal wish to invade
Missouri or
Arkansas, if we had no army in either?
He knows that if we beat him in
Tennessee, we will march into
Louisville,
Paducah,
Cairo and
St. Louis, and he will send every soldier to prevent us from whipping him there.
It is plain, then, that by going into
Tennessee we are going to
Missouri by another and a surer road.
Instead of entering
Missouri by the southwest, we shall enter it on the east.
By the one route our brave army under
Van-
Dorn and
Price would enter
Missouri, without chances of reinforcement, at points where the enemy could, by means of the railroads leading from
St. Louis, send immense numbers to impede our advance; while, by the other route through
Tennessee, our army will march along with the splendid armies under
Polk,
Hardee,
Bragg, and
Beauregard, which are now flushed with a splendid victory just obtained over our enemies.
Who does not know that a victory obtained by us in
Tennessee is just as valuable to
Missouri as if obtained on our soil?
Missouri is one of the
Confederate States, and Congress and the
President have declared that no peace will be made with the
United States that does not include her. It is nothing that she is for the time overrun.
The Federal have a foothold in every Southern State.
The same thing existed during the Revolution that exists now. For several years whole States were completely overrun.
New York city remained in possession of the
British throughout the war. They held for a time
Philadelphia,
Richmond,
Norfolk and
Charleston, and yet we conquered at last.
We are stronger to-day than we have ever been before.
Our patriotism is more unselfish.
We are devoting our lives and our fortunes to the good cause in a manner we have never done before.
