The naval expeditions.
The naval expeditions of the
Yankees have thus far had bad luck.
Providence has been against them upon the sea as upon the land.--Tried by the standard which settles all questions among commercial people, Jonathan must come to the conclusion that naval expeditions ‘"don't pay."’ The first grand enterprise of the sort, under
Bombastes Furioso Butler, was the capture of
Hatteras; but nothing came of the possession of that sandbank, and the sea has now risen up and driven off the captors.
It is no discredit to
Cape Hatteras that it encumbered to
General Butler.
Even that region of eternal storms was no match for such a windbag.
But
Neptune has risen up and vindicated the honor of his boundaries, ejecting the
Yankees is the most unceremonious manner, and sprinkling salt enough on the shore to purify it from the defilement of their occupation.
As
General Butler has conquered Hatteras, he is now trying his hand at New Orleans and
Mobile; but in that tropical region they are accustomed to more powerful wind instruments than
Butler, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, so that we doubt whether any more walls will fall at the blowing of his ram's born.
Sherman's expedition, which was so vauntingly heralded by the
Northern press, as about to strike the rebellion in its vital part, and to open a cotton port, has effected nothing beyond a large expenditure of gunpowder by
Dupont, whose brother, being in the powder trade, will be the only person benefited by that achievement.
The heart of the rebellion beats still with a healthy action in spite of the gasconading proclamations of
Sherman, and the extravagant expenditure of powder by
Dupont.
The
Burnside expedition was the last and most formidable.
The
North was on tiptoe to behold its triumph, and we were told that
McClellan only awaited its arrival at its destination to make a simultaneous advance from all quarters upon the doomed Secessionists.--But
Burnside, who was among the routed at
Manassas, has this time met a more powerful enemy than he fled from on that battle-field, and his expedition is already paralyzed by the waves and winds.
Providence has interposed once more in our behalf, and has again proved that the battle is not always to the strong.
We are now threatened with a mortar fleet, destined possibly for
Norfolk, consisting of iron-plated batteries, which is confidently expected to shell the
Confederates out of their defences, destroy
Norfolk, and be itself impervious to ball and shell.
But the same Power which has baffled their former devices will still defend us, if we are true to Him, to our country, and ourselves.
Of all expeditions, these by sea are the most costly, hazardous, and unprofitable, a lesson which our enemies are learning by bitter experience.
