The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-10 00:00:00

TO OUR REAM:RS.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

A !ate editiuu at the Express is published every
evenh.4 during tins racing season, cuutaiuuig the
rtaults of the day's races.

Tussle is no more dangerous mistake in war
than to despise the enemy ; and it is to be feared
that the Americans of the Northern States have
committed this mistake. Whatever the Paesinzsr
and the civilians may have anticipated when the
army advanced towards Manassas, it is tolerably
clear, as we suspected, that the advance was made
against the judgment of General SCOTT, and that
the Staff at headquarters were not unprepared for
the result which followed. Personal acquaintance
with the officers at the head of the Confederates,
and practical experience of their merits in the
field, had no doubt convinced the Federal Staff that
the field of battle would be selected with con-
spicuous judgment, and that the defensive
preparations would be thoroughly efficient. More-
over, an officer like General Svorr must have
been well aware that the position which the Conte-
derates occupied at Bull's Run was not to be
carried unless the attack were not only well planned
but carried into effect by disciplined troops, or at
all events by troops led by competent officers.
When it is considered that scarcely a man in the
Northern army had ever seen a shot fired in action,
that scarcely three months had elapsed since they
were called out, and that the officers were entirely
inexperienced—the wonder is, not that the attack
should have failed, but that it ever should have
been made. However, as we have observed, it
would be most unjust to lay the blame of fail-
ure at the door of the officers of the regular army.
There are necessities in politics which override
all considerations. It may be that some such
disaster as that which occurred at Bull's Run was
required in order to show the civilians in the North
the difficulties of the task which they have under-
taken, and the absolute necessity, if they intend to
succeed, of deferring to the judgment of those who
have studied the means of overcoming such diffi-
culties.

There can be no doubt whatever that the mate-
rial resources possessed by the Northern States are
infinitely superior to those of the South. In the
lint place the population of the North amounts
to 19,000,000 soula, all free, whilst that of the
South namely exceeds 8,600,000, of whom no
fewer than about 4,000,000 are slaves. The reel
and personal property of the North compared
with that of the South is more than four
times as great, and the actual revenue of
the Free States bears to that of the Slave
States • proportion of eighteen to eight.
If rapid means of locomotion is the question, it
seems that in 1857 there were 17,855 miles of
railway in the Free States complete ; whilst in the
Slave States, at the same period, there were only
8.859. Finally, the superiority of the North in
ships and food is too notorious to need illustration.
A contrast more striking than these facts exhibit
it would be difficult to produce. It has been
dwelt upon by all Northern writers, and by none
more effectually than by Mr. OLsierso, in order
to show that in case of struggle the result would
certainly be in favour of the North. But it is
possible that the argument may have been some-
what overstrained. There were ample supplies in the
harbour of Balaklani, at all eventaat Constantinople,
to feed and clothe twice the number of British
troops in the trenches before Sebastopol, but there
were no means of getting these supplies to the
front. Dirt is only valuable material in the
wrong place ; and the proposition is equally true
that all valuable material in the wrong place be-
comes dirt. The vast resources of the North, if
they could only be organized and properly fitted
for the use of the Military Staff at Washington,
would certainly enable them to put down the
Southern rebellion with a high hand and within
no very long period; but as yet the organization is
incomplete, and no individual will has acquired
the supremacy. Even if the Per-swingy and his
Ministers are convinced that in the military ope-
rations the ablest military officer should be left
to conduct them on his own responsibility,
popular opinion is not yet sufficiently en-
lightened to allow the PRESIDENT or even
the military officers to act upon this principle.
And the probability is that failures not less serious
than those which have already occurred must be
repeated before a high-spirited and excitable peo-
ple will learn wisdom ; and that even with all the
raw material for achieving success, they must
organise that material, and fit it for the particular
purpose which they desire to accomplish.
On the other hand, it is probable that the
Southern politicians and military men have well
considered the difficulties of their position; and,
conscious of their comparative poverty of re•
sources, have determined to husband them
to the utmost. Such men as Jima.
&qv atm and B•svaEuwßn are well aware
that these four millions of people have little chance
of controlling an equal number of slaves, end of
coping with the nineteen millions of the North in the
field, unless they are handled with the utmost skill
and discretion. Accordingly it appears that dur-
ing the last few months the military element in the
government of the South has entirely overwhelmed
all other elements, and the men placed in com-
mand of the Confederates have been conspicuous
for their military capacity. JETTERNON Davis,
the President of the Southern Confederacy, was •
distinguished graduate of West Point ; General
BILE RZGA RD was a Captain of Engineers, who earned
a great reputation iu the Mexican war ; whilst
General Jonintrox was an eminent military
profaner, and, indeed, the tutor of General
lirCutt.ax at West Point College ; whilst
General Scarf has not only to construct his
plans in accordance with military principles, but