Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-26

harr.. war a., .,s,ya, In; tut Tor OF dra
the relative sGy,erory wds rather on "Gr sac. ihe
American, NJ h s early tFa'h'ne ma ihV'e VI W
dyidrsI s,,rcs-au- better sdspted by his habits IL
aucour;.r IN. phv.ca, Giculiies n the rnnntrv, h:i
could concentrate, for time TT least, srpa ioE force
10 nest particular emergency, which coEil no nave
been maintained permanently IN Tue hei1. dee .ue
th. struggle by mode OF warfare IN which Inc re'H
five advauis ayes Of his couniryme Were the Creates
aud ~ AVOID an issue in which the srperloTy OF MS
enemy WAS incon,esibe, became tho great object al
| bis campaign. And what general ever pursued Ms
ends with more ability or attained thsm more con-
pIetrIyl With raw levies and inferior numbers ioI
| many years he kept in Chsc: tho main body oil an
army, which, in proportion Ia ifs size, was eqaa !"
hey IN thr world And struck ~ its detdcbmp:ts so
constantly and successfully as tn wear away us sp'f'
aud exhaust lts energies and when af>rtunato alliance
gave him temporary superiority III the hed. he
availed himself nf the occasion io crown anu Close
the contest by bow decisive as II wa6 s.or!nn'
| II tn. conception of the only plan OF csnpag,
which could have succeeded, ana ;he prosecution o.
i:s objects with cunsuinmste u5ilry, tortituds nau
success. and tia, too in rE face o Unparalleled ouu
and icu!ri-s, be evidences Of EiGh military genus
then Waah. g:on has exhibited them ai! Duf'ng tis
whoe he hej the line OF the tiucson 30 rs 10 E"ep
| open the communications between The Eastern ahi
o;uer States, and 10 close them between ths i.Hisi
army and their Northern Provinces. tae ability IL
perseverance with which this Vas ELECTED IN 'e Sce
Of many difficulties ought, ct Itself; 10 STAMP nun rs
a Muster in the art oil war From the siege OF Boston
IN that Of York ne kept the field in the face ot b.
M greatly superior in NUMBER, dlsc!piie' am :"
the appointments war; ara Whilst he iah Ii " oee
and G.. 1ur -cribed H. operations "taln hdrlo"
bounds L. never suffered it to sr' IN even oCe De
c.iye blo. H. sometimes s.ruca IL II, hut never
did he afford ii an opportunity 20 destroy hin III tie
battles of Long Island and Brandywne were the oc
casiuna beInshes Of long seres OF canpdiShs, Who
sa cay that they were not forced upon nm as neceS
sary saCrcea TO public opinion and who has ever die
puted the -igual ehity!wth which ~ retrieved hs ms
take And Yet II was 10: month alter the Dat'ie u
BraEGywre, before he fought that OF Germshlo"h
where accidents whc. he could NOT 'oresee alone pre-
veuied him from achieving victory wen in mig
;hs Cauut de Vrrgsunes esy :: rt;ersace 20 II! lhs'
nothing s,rack him 80 much es General w ash!ngtnn
attacking and giving battle 10 General Howes army
the; bring army, raised wllnin yee. 10 s!is
promised -veTytius But II er ALL tue ,nos' orii.'aa'
;,-roi OF his military lie, that ri campaign ~
New jersey. With an army i''.fed iil.cothed Ill
equipped, and greatly inferior in numbers ne not cy
sO uitely ha:red tna march CT t!is superior b:ln
:o,cu from New York - Phsi-ipnia, hut a. '!me
yhen according 70 al the rules Of wa', he Rad rgh'
20 expect snnhia;ioa by ssr!e- Q! brilliant
and actious ne swept ;7. d=tGchnsnis in rear cen'
~ ,h-. cutgpsts siii forced them 10 aoah'oa me
State Indeed it may te SAC THAI during 'hs "hoie
81; tbs wa, he 81 used ny scah.y 'nsh'S .'a 100
csss oces p. 20 hold the raain 6ocy oihe British
| a nv in q state Of siege. II did nothing worthy
o. lie prestige or i;s s:rengthi it efsoied no.h'
ing exc PIT .he occupation OF two or three c''l-s
which 1t he'd mainly by Means OF the BT''ish nava
. :
chiefly for The means of sIbsisting ITSELF in th2se
p.acsi. And W. Otter during this period the regular
! tcrcss Of Washington did moi resch un- nall the
nun5er az ia e,.sr1ies. In short he entered upon
this wag with means 50 naitqlsta rs 10 rsn1e' Tie
| chauc 8 u. success apparently hopeless. His army
consisted Of Few .eyiet, which, according to toe ear
lier ussyes cf In. var, Gisbanded against his
earnest re;uousrau:.s almost as soon as they coli
be trained snd di.cip!;ued Iii equipped sad III ap'
paiuted they were iafl-iur even IL numbers |" the
! va, u
| t7:is!. he had 10 create everything; conn;ssaria
Gusr'-cITs.tecs department sud ;he ent'rs military
! yTsaD EATON. and 10 maintain the army Tor many
years by system which was little better than ons OF
voluntary contribution. The civil organization to
which be INNS. look for support wss sii more detec'
tive for the purposes Of n long and difficult war a
! loose conederscY of States was sc"er.et % Con
grcss Of Disputes Thirn aoed upon The S.ntes th-tn'
80! veg aud whose e ga had lille more torce thar a
mere request. |; had n-he. money nor such re-
cog position il the great fsmy q! nations be 10
suatie il 10 command cre6i. abroad WIS lis means
fer collecting sIch scau:y supplies ~ !he people could
| furnish al home wers only persuasive Behind Al!
tais he had 10 look the public opinion OF tia coun.
| toy for th. only power which could sustain him
through the long and wrarsone year. OF such sstruG.
gle. Ii waa he, aud he oniy who could command II
who could animate It's fading hopes, rally ts railing
energies nerve its determinations partly lis aspire.
tion- and reason with lis hayward moods is nun,
sell CcGa!ns the pJ!Ut o! unl1n ~ his wisdom anu
jIa:ic N bic patriotism Grd :ori'ud, ell trusted to
heY look for commissioned BY his faith they meas
ureI 'Ieir hopes IL h. only who cn0,t mediate ~
! the d.ug.rn,:s disputes which sometimes arnse be.
tween suffering army and destitute government, o.
quici tie r.tatious ot c!ioDe enou'y. Inc States
RAISED, tar they could, their quotas q: men aud
money in f!'s cunhlence which VAS never dishp.
pointed, thu: the common m5ans would br justly al
nnsierst by him for the co;amon benefit
None but character constituted like WsshiBgions
could have commanded the public opinion Of such
coun'!y through 30 long course OF arv";sny and
trial. and nothing bu. the force ut such puolc
opinion could have encountered successfully tie com
b.nstiou of civil and military power which was cp-
posed io;. Such Gu achievement ls unparalleled IN
the hspry OF the world, and, Whist Is sill more re-
,usrkab.~ i was conslm!Hstei without one violation
OF law sug!5 departure from Ills rules OF virtue
OF the o1igst,ans of patriotism N"t could he have
thus continued 20 command this public opinion and
confidence by his moral qualities 6one 1t required
tbs uniru OF these wit. high military talent to con
81 ute Tie consumnat. leader p- 50 frlEhrkabla an
emery .ncy This talent he did exhibit throughout
;he T1rl6 u that war paIaiyZrr Inc main BODY OF
tue British army with Inferior iorces, he stripped
himself " men and means, al Tbs expense IL SONS Cl
his own niLle aspirations tor fame, 10 maintain the
Americau superiority in the war .! detail. upNn
which he mainly rested hs hopcs OF success. 10
hold them III check in one placs and 10 Over%he1
them ia others the great object. Of hi strategy,
from which, with Il rare and noble perseverance, he
suffered 10 temptation 10 ssdncc hun. And ye. no
man could br mIrs "i!t=rprisiug, strike mora da
r;rgiy where tts coniuEc.lre Of circumstances just
iyl ani reoIrea h!!n 20 siASr mach upon the
sv-nt. 1t is remarkable that he venared mos! wllen
s situation s-ealad GiJst Desperate. IL wH7 when
ail seemed lost ;at ms struck those blows al Prince.
,on and Trenton, which the more deadly for be
ing entirely unexpected 1t vas soon after the def Il.
a. Brendywlna that he made the attack ~ q :inan
town, 81 the :s' !nrncn that tho division OF tiIs BIZ
:sh ic:ces Afforded n prospect for success II waa
when tho public nope wa lowest Gnd the public mind
WAS most dsspDnd-1t ihE IN. trumpet Of he ieNdsr
proclaimed l0uie t, aad with no uncertain sound his
fall. in tho aid Of Providence, snd the ultimate suc
cess .! tina oil>a Then Ed!, il va. that the shpnf OF
kiEg amoDg-t them. These things be cid be-
cause he knew the chisf strength Of ns defence i.
10 tho public opinion o! the country, whose fn.cCI
whilst maintained We're .e ;fE1 resar'e on which h:s
army nigh, depeuL with aJsoiute confidence. Such
wer: m nsauJ with which he wrssei a nil htY ~,
prs frou rt5 t.s; powerful nation ss-:h. II :'I.n
~ Ssve aa'd he.l-e. military genius - 20 b. n-a
sur-G ~ wh.! II acar. ?.i, need VIC Gar The com
par.sua between WH4iugon and thr most d'siu
gnished cayta:re o. the wOr'. h.=1H:iier ma! ca
vred upon larger scs:s al cong lsred il battles
where mltudes were engsgsd snd ihurs were
gresteT numerical ODDS sgan.; him. hnt he leo peo
pie Gl ~ army t:- sn:--or IN all tins s5ts OF pence
and ygr 10 the srb!usa;ian .: Interior nations, VINO
sd 10 com bad c.c"r, ;h, fsct of ackIc"t eds
iHg ~. came master. y. struck with his mailed
and az social sys;e;i, 81 :h:y i il irIs, butt was
d-caviug structure :Ta. crIGloied into :"ag.n -nis
under tn= ;"rce o. ;hy 1o" snl yet he built u? END
contracted no nsw oc2sn1 .tion leaving II to MS
-u'So'7of5 'IsE IL
ina. Washington wrsst@d IN empire es '-ge in ~.
tent, fran greatly scp.-ior pJws:. with uIdisci
p.net troop. AMI inferior means. No did lie fail 10
co npl7t- mis- achievement. Fc: NJ wa. mainly "a.
s;runaa;.' in erecting upon the -uins CT the ot,
socia s"s:r;i which from hia time ua; che pre-
s=u: ;.ss teen dsi!y ;.vei'piGg new combinations OF
beauty an of strength. 9ud !Is. become tie study @!
staesme aad tbs hops anG .hs dsiigh. o. ths friends
OF liberty throughout the world.
Hannibal attacked an equal, ana with troops per-
eps b.: i;;e superior 20 those whom he encounter.
81. Breaking ovsr the barrier os he Alp. h. passed
through !:G'y with ssre5 OF battles and nHnru
vr.s Tar striking than anything in the war of
our Revolution. sud constituting. perhaps the most
wonderful! military arhi:vs'nens Of antiquity. But
he faied in s the objects OF tha var, ani was bsfhed
he te.a., by Srp.o al Zsma' and the eu;i.e snbiuCa
ton OF his Gounry 10 her hated rvsI. If Washing
ton could NOT have freed he Of the Alps aud
oubt he battles OF the Tfeta Ti,a-yner.e and Can