The army of seven hundred thousand.
We believe religiously that the army of seven hundred thousand Yankees is a myth, a humbug, a wooden-nutmeg and brown-paper-sole deception and falsehood.
It is gotten up by the inventors to experiment upon the firmness of men who cannot be overcome but by immense odds, and whom they would fain impress with the conviction that their struggle is hopeless.
We do not underrate the resources nor the numbers of our enemy.
It is possible that they have an army of three hundred and fifty thousand, and that, well disciplined and equipped, is enough to demand all our energies.
But we are able to meet that and more with equal numbers and with superior determination.
Their great advantage is their navy, and as we have none, we must of course expect to suffer in all parts of our coast exposed to their depredations.
Wherever the water is deep enough for gun boats, there they will harass and injure us, unless we have properly- constructed land batteries.
They have achieved but one victory in this war unsided by their ships, and those that the ships have gained would have been defeats if our fortifications had been properly built and provided with bomb-proof shelters.
As to their land operations, they know better than to attempt it when we have anything like equal numbers.
If the
United States have an army of seven hundred thousand, where are they stationed?
The Potomac and
Kentucky are their great points of concentration.
At other points we do not believe they have a hundred thousand all told.
Who believes that there are three hundred thousand men on the
Potomac, and three hundred thousand in
Kentucky?
If there are, why did they not advance during the good weather and fine roads?
It is as unwise to exaggerate as it is to depreciate the strength of the enemy.
They are strong enough, as we said before, to require our whole energies; but not enough to discourage us or to render this a hopeless contest.
