The situation.
--When the
State of Virginia passed the Ordinance of Secession, on the 14th of April last, the
Yankees threatened to settle the rebellion, as they were pleased to term our refusal to be governed by them, in six weeks, or even a less time.
As old ‘"Fuss"’ found out, however, that he could not get the
Grand Army ready in that time, the period of final settlement was postponed until the 23d of June, the day on which the question of accepting or rejecting the Ordinance was to be put to the people.
The 23d came, and the ‘"rebellion,"’ so far from having been crushed, had increased in strength, and was daily waxing greater.
Hence old
Scott determined to take ‘"a hasty plate of soup"’ in
Richmond on the 4th of July. But, upon second thought, he changed his mind and put off the grand catastrophe until the 21st.
Then the ‘"Grand Army"’ was to move in force and bear down all before it. Accordingly, it set out upon that day, having been engaged for some days previously in marshalling its forces, crossing the river; and fighting at
Ball Run.
It left few troops behind it, either in
Washington or
Alexandria.
Old Scott, after he was whipped, fled, like the egregious old scoundrel he is, by saying that he was not ready when he under took to whip the rebels on the 21st.
The face is, that he
was ready, as far as he over could be ready.
He sent over
all his force.
Only two hundred men were left to guard the bridge over the
Potomac.
How the ‘"rebels"’ used the
Grand Army is matter of history.
There never was such a road, considering the small number of killed and wounded, since the world began.
Instead of crushing the ‘"rebels,"’ it is very generally understood that the rebels outright have effectually crushed them, that for the ex of a influence which paralyzed their arms and arrested their advance in the hour of victory.
The
Yankees were allowance to realty and recuperate, behind their defences, and there they now stand already to come out and try it again, although six months have elapsed since they tried a before.
So far from crushing the rebels, they do not seem to be closely assured the rebels do not mean them.
In Reentry they are pursuing the same policy.
They have collected two mighty armies, which stand facing two armies of ours, which they dare not attack.
They boast, , they ma their numbers; and yet they date not advance.
if they are so superior to us, numerically, why do they not come on and sweep us at once from the face of the earth?
The reason is obvious.
They are afraid to trust their men in a general engagement.
In every affair of a partial character, where we have not been outnumbered five to one, our men have invariably beaten them.
They know this, and they are unwilling to put their cause upon the issue of a battle in which our forces are likely to approach theirs in number.
In
South Carolina we observe the same timid policy.
They find, they throw up entrenchments, they sit down, and they content themselves with plundering the country.
They dare not attack our troops in a general engagement.
One of the correspondents with their army wrote, three weeks ago, to a Northern paper, that in four days they would be in
Savannah.
We have not heard of them in that place yet, and we do not expect to hear of them there, except as prisoners.
It is precisely the same thing over again with regard to
Mobile and New Orleans.
We hear any quantity of threatening, but the cities are not yet taken, or even attempted.
It has been suggested, indeed, that they do not intend to move on any of the points indicated; but that they merely intend to draw a large portion of our forces to them, and keep them there, thus paralysing them entirely, and in the meantime preparing another grand expedition, which is to march when all our men shall have been occupied in guarding the points already threatened.
It is certain, at any rate, that they have made very little progress in subjugating us thus far. In the meantime they have completely enlightened the world as to what they really are by their conduct in the
Mason and
Slidell affair.
European nations having nothing to judge from but their own lying newspapers, have hitherto believed them a powerful nation, and us a handful of insignificant rebels.
They have been taught to believe that the
Yankee Government was the best in the world, and that the large majority in the
Southern States were eager to return to its bosom, but could not, because prevented by a few factious individuals.
The
Mason and
Slidell affair has taught them what the
Yankee Government really is — that it is the basest pretence of a Government that was ever inflicted upon a people.
Bethel,
Bull Run,
Manassas,
Lexington,
Leesburg, Carnifax,
Belmont,
Alleghany, have proved to them that the
Confederate States are not a mere handful of factious citizens, but a great and powerful nation, with a mighty army in the field, and ample resources to sustain it. Assuredly the ‘"rebellion"’ is not likely to be crushed out in our time.
