Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-10-04

Which cannot fade Y "
9s.' Or to mankind allied.
Tolling with wo, and passions fiery sting z aa I,
Like their own home, whore storms or peace preside
AS the winds brngs
Alas! for human thought
How does II flee existence, worn and old, i{iASs.
or tho finer mould
IT'S vain the reckless waves
Join with lond reyel the dim ages flown, ~ lsi'
| But keep each secret of their hidden, caves 4
Dark and unknown.
3as3ali From Bizarre. iiii tl5s.6
| Al Ney and Macdonald.
All readers Of history know that NapoleonIs
Marshas were body Of men, who, as whole,
differed from and lowered above the majority oi
other men, in very much the same 'manner, il not
to the same extent, as did Napoleon himself
in fact, Ihave always esteemed il one of tile
most demonstrativc proofs of the Emperor pee
less genius that he was able to select, ont OF tht
jumbled, semichaotc aggregate, precisely those I'M
dividuals who could bestsubserve the special puiS
poses for which he required them
To the kindlier, softer feelings, Napoleon rarely
gave expression in words, though their access was
plainly enough visible in'his face, But to his ap
probation OF heroic Deeds or his admirinr sympa.
thy with high qualities, he did give verbal, though
briefexpression, followed usually by some more
tangible and enduring token Of his good will Al
advance in military rank or the cross Of the lie.
gion OF Honor, or, may be, both, often were bel
slowed, on the very battlefield, upon the sub-oH
ticer, or even the private soldier, who had achiey
ed some especially daring or distinguished act nn.
der his eye. No wonder that armies were inyincil
BILE and Irresistible, who were moved by such in
stigations as these. No wonder that such soldiers
were enabled TO make one moderate-sized country,
Tor many successive years that arbitress and die
tatress OF the European continent, with its vastly
out-numbering millions.
Among all bis chiefains think Ney and Mac.
donald were held by the Emperor in profoundest
respect. How it might have been had not Kleber
and Desaix been unlimely cut or of course can
not tel. know that Napoleon put very bigl,
estimate upon the sodiefly abilities OF both these
chiefs; that lie felt for both strong p.rsonal re
gard, and that he deeply lamcnted thc.r loss 4
\ But as the case stood, Ney and Macdonald were
the two leaders most respected By their mas
ter; and think moreover, that Ncy would have
stood "primus enter parcs,n even had the two de-
ceased generals survived. ~. NJ.
In many other points dissimilar, Ney and Mac.
donald had one quality in common, and that m an
extraordinary degree. Speaking fguratiyely. ID
the hinder head Of each was deposited a lump Of
iron, even bigger than In that OF Napoleon him.
self which being Interpreted, means that they
possessed a resolutenesS determination a te-
nacity OF purpose, stubbornness Of endurance.
or quality conbiping all these, if there is any
difference between them, which made backing
OUT from what they had undertaken, or even hes.
itating 70 20 forward in path they had entered
upon, a thing to be submitted TO On inexorable
necessity alone. "a fN ffl, "a ss.li 10 hHeE
This quality in them was not merely passive
principle, but an active one also, and they could
communicate the same, by a species OF magnetic.
ing pfocess, TO the inen under their command.
Whether II was 70 move slowly ahead, With bayor,.
ets Fixed and without returning shot, in the face
Of artillery and muskctry, yomting necessarily q
| tempest Of death-dealng balls upon their serried
masses or whether II was to stand motioniess
and be deiugingiy stored on by the saline missiles
or dashed against by successive furious whirlwinds
Of calvary charges, the troops under the command
OF these chiefs were, in the one case, rock NOV.
ing, and in the other, rock etationary-in either
case impenctrable and imperyious 10 allinnuences,
save the single one that badc them move or stand
sin Or, In the ordinary phrase, "no leaders could
hold men under fire 70 long and 80 firmly, as Ney
and Macdonald.r 4 te ffa f
A most thrilling, and, may add, awful example
OF this was presented in one Of the great cont.
mental battles
Macdonald was ordered, with strong body Of
infantry, to assault and attempt 70 break the Aus.
tran centre. (This, all readers Of history know,
was one Of Napoleon's fayorits manouyres, which,
in fact rarely failed Of being successfully
Macdonald at once marsballed bis men, com
manded them 70 fix bayouets, and moved forward
with them. This was apcrifous undertaking, for
the Austrian forces were arranged IN halEmoon
shape the two horns Of the crescent being pointed
towards our army. 0f course tie centre was the
most distant portion OF the Austrian army, and
our force HI order TO reach ID, were obliged, for
great part OF the way, 10 sustain front FIRE and
cross fire from the two wings. II wF case sim.
liar to the recent charge of the siK hundred
before Sebastopol.
On passing between the two wings, the carnage
became horrible lncessant cannon boomings and
musket ratings from the front and from either
side; men dropping by scores every instant, and
our ranks closing coolly up and moving stcadily
onward, without firing a return or tttering a
Bound---it was a spectacle that made the behold
ere heart beat fast, and bis breath come thlckl
The leaders voice Of command or cheer was occa.
sionaly heard clear, sonorous, and untremulons as
ever, and each successive sound Of IL was Ike mn
additional blow stricken upon red-hot iron--fna-
king them 6rmer, more impervious and impregna
BILE Of mood.
While yet some distance short Of the point
aimed at the Marshal paused an instant and look.
ed back. A shocking spectacle met his view. A
long line Of PROSTATE mcn--the dead, the diving,
and the wriihing, groaning wounded was seen
strewing thickly the ground, from the spot where
be stood TO that from which he had started. II
looked absolusely like road paved with mangled,
bloody human bodies. lie looked at his ranks and
noted that they were giievously thinned--scarce
half the original number remained. Tor once his
steel heart wen nigh gave way, and he was about
70 order hurrying retreat Bus, n moment later,
his native mood returned he accelerated the ad-
vance; In few moments the point aimed at was
reacheds the troops poured in one crashing vol
ley, and with loud cheers rushed on with the bay.
onet; in less than twenty minutes the eneiny's
cintre was broksn, and his whole army was IN
hasty and disordeflg retreat fd
Itwus superb and rarely equslled charge; and
/ doubt whether another general in the army with
the sole exception Of Ney, could go long have held
his'men amid fire 30 deadly, and under such DIFF
Hcult