The
Atlanta Appeal, of the 2d inst., has the following encouraging view of affairs in the trans-Mississippi Department, written before the report of
Steele's surrender to
Price:
‘
If our intelligence from the
West be true, and we have no reason the doubt it,
Gens Smith and
Price are doing their work up nobly on the west side of the
Mississippi river.
The campaign of
Banks in
Louisiana has proved a complete failure, and he is represented as having been driven on the north side of
Red river, and is seeking refuge at
Natchez, on this side of the
Mississippi.
This leaves all
West Louisiana free from the enemy, and will play hob with those Yankees who have emigrated thither with the view of raising cotton and sugar.
They will be compelled to give up their farms, of course, and re-emigate to the
North.
Gen Magruder seems to have no foe to contend with in
Texas, and
Gen Smith will remain idle during the
spring and
summer, as it will be impossible for
Lincoln to supply
Banks with a new force sufficiently strong to renew the campaign.
Gen Price, too, since he has been relieved of the Incubus of
Gen Holmes, is beginning to loom up, and will again signalize himself as the deliverer of
Arkansas and
Missouri.
His victory over
Steele seems to have been a complete one, and we doubt whether
Steele will be permitted to remain long in
Little Rock, even if he should get there.--Now that the work has commenced, and
Gen. Price has his face once more set towards the
North, we may rest assured he will not remain idle.
His army will gather strength as he moves through the country, and we predict that the summer months will find him once more within the borders of his own State, rallying the people to action.
These victories will inspire the hearts and nerve the arms of our people west of the river, who, we doubt not, will rally to the support of the army in such numbers as will insure that country from further invasion.
Many of them, probably, will be enabled to cultivate the crops which the
Yankees have planted and reap the proceeds before
Lincoln will be able to send another effective force against them, even if he shall ever have the power of doing so, which we do not believe will be the case.
He now has his hands too full on this side of the river to give much attention to the
West, and
Gen. Banks will call for reinforcements in vain.
The greater probability is, that this individual will be called to
Washington to give an account of his stewardship.
These victories and triumphs in the
West will go far to teach the people of the
North the utter folly of attempting further subjugation of the
South.--They will teach them the impossibility of holding the country and turning it to advantage, even after they have once made a conquest of it. If there was any portion of our country which they considered to be firmly within their grasp, it was
West Louisiana; yet this has been wrested from them, and we believe without the hope of recovery.
So it will be with
Arkansas, so with
Missouri, so with
Tennessee, and so with
Kentucky.
The return wave is now flowing back upon the
North, and no earthly power can stay its progress.
It will roll on and on, gathering strength and volume as it progresses, until the entire
South is redeemed from the despotic tread of the
Yankee invader.
Our dastard and unprincipled foe have had their most jovial revels on Southern soil.
From this day forth they will be made to feel a more infuriating sting of Southern steel than they have hitherto felt.
Our people, long oppressed, are now thoroughly aroused, and our soldiers may be said to be just beginning to fight.
The Yankee will no longer find the
South an asylum for him. He is now required to "take up his bed and walk," and "go home where he belongs" battles thus far fought this spring have had a most powerful and persuasive effect upon him in this direction, but nowhere more so than in the
West.
The great Union slider,
Banks, would now seem to be on a big slide himself, and no doubt thinks the ghost of
Stonewall Jackson is after him. If he has not already discovered, he will find out before the summer closes, that
Massachusetts is a more healthful place of residence for him than
Louisiana.
Altogether, the Trans Mississippi Department is in a most promising condition.
If
Banks is driven on this side of the river, we know of no other Federal troops in
Southwestern Louisiana.
Magruder has little or nothing to contend with in
Texas, and we may rest assured that
Gen. Price will give
Steele no rest until he gets him out of
Arkansas.
This leaves the Western department comparatively clear of the enemy, and, as remarked above, we do not think the people there need live in any fear of their return.
Our opinion is they have started home, and will not stop until they get there.
As the
West is clear, let us now look to the
East, give our best attention to
Grant at
Richmond and
Dalton, and the war is over, at least so far as the
South is concerned.
’
