The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-08-29
Startling News from W a-hingIon-A Prom
Using Victory Turned INFO "a Disastrous

Defrnt-
Our rejoicing over the promising victory At Bulls
Run was premature. That promising victory vas
turned into a disastrous defeat. The details, ~ far
As received. are before our readers, and w. 10 not
ear" 60 dwell upon them. We have uu explanation
10 make 81 tine panic which seized upon our retreat
ing troops, except this. that, expecting nothing but
victory, they were wholly unpreparei, morally, STRAIT
e,icIly and from experience, Tor the duties Of 4 re-
treat The best disciplined armies, under a great
reverse, however. have frequently fallen q prey 10
such pIuics. In this case our soldiers have been
taught = useful lesson, but ~ AN expense Of life and
in the materials Of war which = very heavy. Now
the first duty Is instant action in all the loyal States
for the rescue Of Washington.
This damaging reverse may be readily accounted
for. First, our Administration appears 70 have been
strangely Ignorant or ILcTedulous concerning the
forces, positions and ie.eEs-s Ct the enemy at Man
i-sis junction; secondly, General Patterson could
aud should have detained and ct up the rebel John
stou with bis 10000 men il the valley % Virginia,
instead Of permitting him TO slip Of and join the
army Of BeIuregard. In failing to push forward
ana BRING the retreatlug Johnston 10 4 battle, batter-
son turned over 10 Beaureglrd 2p,ODs men. and
Mcdowell! practically lost the services OF 25.ODO.
with regard 20 the ignorance II the Administration
Of the strength Of the enemy, II would appear from
numerous reports To be largely attributable 70 the
confidence OF General Scott in the superior strength
Of MS own forces. Our own opinion j. that our
NOISY 0Hd f~aHaticGI and Foolish politicians fOrcet
Gen, ScOn into this thing against has superior yufg-
msHL. UhIfsrsr mGy be the truth IL THIS respect, Il
Is HOtr zHaaifCsf that the Secretary " UGT and the
lrhOIe Cgbinet hare beeu unequal 10 The e~rigeucieS Of
me crisis, and far behind the spirit and liberal pat
riotism OF the loyal States.
We now perceive what the Cabinet should have
known IN a vance, that in making this late march
upon Manassas junction we should have had reserves
distributed in strong position along the route from
Centreyille TO the TedOubts on the Potomac river OF
10000 10 $4,000 men, Instead OF a reserved force OF
10000 stretched along q line Of 10 miles from Airing
ton Heights to Alexandria We know, too, that even
a month ago We might have had in front OF Washing
ton 10000 men instead Of 10000. But the Secre-
tlry Of War has refused the services Of infantry, cav
airy and artillery regiments and companies, exceed
ing, perhaps, 100 900 men, i~mPlorlng 10 be accepted
into the armies OF the Union.
The irhOie responsibility, IN the emf, falls upon
the President Of The United Sfafcs. He cannot tail
now to comprehend the dangers and duties Ct his
critical position. Washington i in great peril. If
occupied by the enemy, it will require u vast outlay
Of money, means and men to recover It; but II held
by our forces for only "a few days it may he saved
from the Dissertation Of a revolutionary cOup Getat.
The salvation Of Washington now becomes the para
mount duty ufthe Administration. the loyal States and
the loyal cities and people of the Union. Let US nope
that those foruicatiOns on the south bank OF the
Potomac. wisely constructed under the direction OF
Genera! Scott, against the possible contingencies OF IL
reverse, may prove sufficient TO hold the enemy ia
check until the overwhelming Union forces can be
thrown into Washington. Let Us hope that Gen
Dix will be able 10 keep Baltimore and Maryland
quiet meantime, and that the column Of Gen. Patter-
son, under Gen. Banks, will be competent to guard
the upper Potomac until Gen. Mcclellan can Gene 10
his support.
The danger which now menacCs Washington Is pos
tive and formidable, and all the troops from all
quarters that can he spared for the Capital OF our
country should be sent forward at once. The army,
too, should be instantly supplied with educated oti-
GERS 10 the fullest possible extent, and Mr.. Lincoln
should use no more time in strengthening the weak
places of his Cabinet. We had hoped that the war
would be finished in a short t%riumphal Union cam
paign. We were mistaken. But We have been mis!ed
by the misplaced confidence of our Government IN
the strength of It's army and by the fatal delusion OF
the army itself in regard to the retreating strata
gems of the enemy.
The war ceases to be an uninterrupted onward
march Of our forces southwark. the Government, III
Il single day, and at the Capital OF the nation, IL
thrown upon the defensive, under circumstances tie
handing the most prompt and generous efforts TO
strengthen our forces mt that point. Every other
question, all other issues, and all business, among All
parties and all classes of our loyal people, should
be now subordinate TO the paramount object OF secur-
ing Washington. The loyal States, within three
days, may dispatch u, 1000 men to that point; and If
they succeed in holding the Capital for 20 days, we
may have 10y that time an army OF 300 .OOO entrenched
around it. Action, action, action Let our Governor
and State and city authorities, and the State and city
authorities of every loyal State, come ut once to the
rescue, and move forward their reiniorcements, with
out waiting for instructions from Washington.