Alexandria gazette. [volume], March 14, 1864, Image 1

About Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
PUBLISHER (DAILY) BY
K !> 0 A R S-N 0 WI) E N, Jr.
OFFICE?ISTo. 104 King street, aver
Stone's, (formerly Frenches) Book Store.
The New Fork World of Saturday contains
.
n lengthy editorial article on the result of 4The
three years fighting,'' in which it says that
three or four months have elapsed and the
4Emancipation proclamation'5 of President
Lincoln "has produced no effect whatever out
ride ot our iniiirar; lines, beyond adding to
the exasperation of the rebels and stimulating
their efforts." The Florida expedition and
Sherman's, prove "that the reviving Union
sentiment in the South, of which we have
*
bsen told so mac.:, is-imaginary, and that the i
- > - i
starvation theory, on wb'ch over-sanguine j
people hate relied so uracil in predicting an j
ear'v el^so or the- war, has as little foundation !
in laCT.
d!tion was based upon th^ idea that there was
a very considerable Union population in that
state, vhich required only the presence and
protection of our troops to declare itself open
ly. So strong a hold had this idea taken of the
Washington authorities that the military ex
pedition into Florida was designed to be merely
ncidental to the civil reorganization of the
state, which was the main object of the move
ment. But what was the state of ieiccs dis
closed by the expedition? Gen. Seymour,
in his advance into the Stah, acted on the
theory of his official superiors, and treated
the people with the lenity and confidence
which would naturally be practised by a Uniun
general toward a repentant, population which
he wished t.o conciliate. Bat the result show*
ea that every pretended loyalist who came
into his camp tendering assistance or offering
information was a rebel spy. A leading Re
publican newspaper had, last evening, a long
article severely censuring General Seymour for
placing confidence in any or the white inhabi
tants of Florida, and attributing hi.^ disaster
to his neglect to use negro guides. Such a
censure is a confession that there is no loyally
among the white population of that sta/,e,
''There is every reason to believe that the
public sentiment of Florida is that of every
part of the Southern States not included with
in our military lines,
' If the Florida expedition disproved the
existence of returning loyalty, that of Sher
Tiian dispels, in a manner quite as conspicuous,
the idea that the rebellion is , likely to
sae soon starved out The reports brought to
headquarters by Sherman's scouts proved that
iie was advancing into a land of abundance.?
The vast quantities of grain, fiour. and pro
visions which he and Smith's cavalry are said
10 have destroyed, and the great number of
beef cattle which Sherman is reported to have
driven away, show how preposterous is the ex
pectation that the rebels can be starved out.?
With the modern implements of husbandry
one man can raise enough of the prime ne
cessaries of life to support at least a dozen.?
The only rational question that could at any
Time have arisen, in this regard, was whether
tie greet body of the southern people would
consent to live on mere necessaries for the sake
of independence, in England, France, or any
country where the &cale of living is pretty
high, tne limit of taxation is soon reached, be
cause the people will not consent to much
abridgment ot their customary comforts.?
Hence Louis Napoleon, absolute monarch as
I
| he is, finds an awmui! deficit which -ill the skill
| ot }]. Kmld, his ve?y abie finance minister.
I cannot contrive ro make up. But in the
1 South there are two powerful reasons why tho
taste for comforts or luxury does not. gain ihe
| mastery over military efficiency. In the first
,hl?hice, the blockade both shuts out such articles
and shuts in the staples by which they were
want to be purchased. Jn the next plaee, die
confiscation policy and the exasperation natur
ally caused by invading armies b.ive kept the
political and national passions of the people
iuilamed to such a pitch, that they are ready
to sacrifice luxuries, comforts, and Hie itself,
rai her than fail.
4\LF the rebels can be starved, they o*).ght to
have been starved the first year of the war,
when they were raising cotton instead of!
cereals. . The second year of the v/ar, they 1
grew less cotton and more grain. Last yeai. I
*? % . ? ' t
there was such an accumulation of cotton with- l
out a market, that cotton culture was pretty j
much abandoned, and the cotton lands planted |
with corn. It stands to common sense that if j
the South could feed its population and also;
raise a cotton crop, it can have no difficulty in j
feeding its population when all its agricultural j
industry is expended in the production of food, j
4'Let us have done with senseless delusions, j
The South, at the end of three years, is in a !
better condition to fight than it has been at any
preceding period. It has no longer the ma
chinery to create by which arms and military j
supplies are manufactured and its population j
furnished with clrthing. It has on hand such j
a supply of arms- that hereafter only ifioderate j
additions will be necessary. Its soldiers are j
veterans and its military discipline at the j
height. Three.years1 entire seperation from j
the federal government has weaned the south- j
ern people from any lingering affection tor the
Union. During these three years, they have
known it not as a protector bui as a, relentless
avenger. There has never been an hour since
the beginning of the war when their resolution
was more obstinate and indomitable than it is
now. Such is the result of a three years'
war waged on mistaken principles. We have j
only hardened the rebels and made them more !
stout-hearted. It is time we had the moral j
courage to face the truth."
The Chesapeake and Ohio Cana! repairs
having been complet3d, and the water again
admitted, there is an active trade at present.?
Over forty boats have arrived at Georgetown
since the first of the month. most of the>rs
however, being those which have been for
some time delayed at different point?. Of
flour, 71,000 barrels havebeein received in three
or four days; besides wheat, corn, and other
produce, coai, &c. The cargoes of coal do not
at present include any of the spring loading at
Cumberland. The coal companies anticipate
a larger trade from this season than ever be
fore> and their wharves and transhipment ap
pliances along the canal banks in Georgetown
are extended and improved accordingly.
According to the New York Tribune, Gen.
Grant advocates, tor the approaching cam
paign, the concentration, upon one or two
points, of all the Federal troops that are row
scattered from Minnesota to Texas; his object
being, we are told, uto make them available
for smashing blows this Spring."
It is reported that Gen, Meade is about to
retire from the Army of ih^ Potomac on ac
count of ill health. 1
The recent skirmish u&n' Suffolk. Ya , ap
pears to have ranked qaite pwavorahly to the
negro troops engaged in it fbe coire.-pon?
dc.'iit of *he New York Herald states that, they
retreated some eight miles ; tVi* at son it- points
nlti\ fHUOti their ii t>{ilii? i 1 ii<? mIu?i\ ? ''lit t?.? c h'
ers they became panic\stricken and made the
liveliest retreat po.-iUe, The loss originally
set down at twenty-five killed, it is now paid,
is about one hundred An as
sociated Press dispatch from l^otrsss Monroe,
notwithstanding, assert thu 4'the negro
troops behaved most courageously; cutting
their way through the Confederates with the
loss of only twenty men in killed, wounded and
missing."'
The New York Independent, gives the
''Louisiana election" aud General Bank's re
eon.strucnon exoerimenta orettv roueh over
K JL tf t >
hauling. Instead of regarding it as "grandly
successful," the Independent regards it as of
evil portent, and as demonstrating the ;;dis
lovaltv'" rather than the "loyahy" of those
a' c, " %j
who voted lor the successful candidate. It
repeals the Tribune's charge than Hahn, the
governor elect, is an old rebel who has per
jured himself, and it considers the votes given
him "as a measure of the rebei strength among
the vot i ng po pula t i om
General Polk has issued, from his headquar
ters at Demopolis, an address to his army, con
gratulating the latter on the successful termi
nation of the campaign against Sherman, Gen.
Polk claims that the defeat of Smith's and
Grierson's cavalry caused the failure of Sher
mans expedition by breaking down, through
the absence of cavalry, the only means of sub
sisting his infantry. It compelled, him to make
a hasty retreat, closely pursued by squadrons o'f
Confederate cavalry.
General Sutler hiis sought to avengc ti;:
death of Colonel Dahlgren by sending a heavy
cavalry force to King and Queen county to
dea! with the citizens of the county, who,
"though claiming to be non-combatants, au -
bushed Colonel Dahlgren." A camp near
Carroll ton's store, it is said, was captured by
the Federal troops, a number of the Confede
rates killed and some twenty taken prisoners.
A large amount of grain in mills and store
houses was al.so destroyed.
Gen. Sherman, who recently went down to
New Orleans to confer with General Banks,
has been appointed to relieve General Grant
General McPherson is to take the command
vacated by General Sherman,
The latest advices from New Orleans s'catr
that transports are rapidly bringing back troom
from Texas. The Natchez Courier of the 4th
reports heavy firing heard up the iVashita Ri
ver on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Gen. Halleck's status it is said, is no longer
a matter of doubt; he has reported to General
Grant for orders, and was assigned to special
duty in Washington. Generals Meade and In
galis came to Washington with Gen. Grant
from the Army of the Potomac,