Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-10-03
From the London Times.
Csn the North suhiuGata the South?


Were England ct this moment to announce to the
world its intention to make the speediest possible
quest Of France, were France make the de-
caration as to England the world would laugh at the
egregous folly that had inspired the design and prompt
ed the boast. The world would grant that, euppCsing
either people to be infatuated enough and obstinate
enough, it could iDfict and rreparabe niu-
the other, but only the cost Of equal injuries
to tse. The ball started, Fortune might betriend
this side that it might give either great victories
or periods Of advantage it might even place even
tuay the head of the other ut still only at
utterly out of proportion to the Of the miserable
result Now this is the Of the two Conederacies
the Atlantic where the Surviving half OF aete
Federal Union has undertaken to reduce the other bali
| TO its Federal duties,
We say that this is the case, but before we proceed
step farther, it is necessary to observe that the
OF the North Americans is in important respects
more difficult than ours would be- They are not so un-
tied as we have always found ourselves in war. Their
| Border States feel divided allegiance They have to
protect than thousand miles Of land frontier, in
cluGing one closely beeagued position surrounded by
foes i'll affected adherents. Speaking the same Ian
guage their foe, they have no OF excluding
spies from their lines, traitors from their ranks
| they have to make standing army and feet They
have to learn the first clements OF tactics and ever mill
tary discipline. They without soldiers officers
to command and train them. Their revenue, at it's
best before the war, only just sufficient to meet the
interest Of the debt likely 10 be incurred by two wears
of the war on its present scale That revenue however
is to begin with MANNED by the loss of the secedes and
by the stOppage of traffic, that it is questionable
whether it will be possible 10 do more than repair that
| loss by the new taxes imposed.
American credit is not good as British is the
credit of Federal Union in process OF dissolution like
IL 10 be equal to tLat q united people. Lastly, var,
which changes in character according TO circumstances
establishes special rules OF probability for different local!
tiles. The rule established by all American war
fare is that the advantage the side of Defence
Our offensive operations always failed against fortified
positions against breastWOrks thrown up in a night
against forests full of invls Die foe against heat
hunger and thirst against imminent flank attack
against the certainty that every step diminished the
number, the strength and the munitions Of men, and
incrt ased those of the enemy The present. might
ior its incidents, be chapter il disastrous
wars on that soil. The Northerners have advanced
upon fortified position but day 8 march from Wash
ington. They have arrived at the point with force
already melting away, far short OF the list paper
beaten with heat, huuger thirst and long march, and
surprised on both TANKS by the sudden Oup0uring5 OF
railways While this has occurred IN Virginia. almost
within sight OF Washington, column Of 5000 FEEDER
asts, advancing against force thrice their number
has with the same tate doubt for much the same
reasons Springfield four five hundred miles to the
west-as if in order to the Northern States that
what has happened not accident result of peculiar
circumstances personal failure, but inevitable rule
There is but one en- erprise which can be compared
to this, and that is the First Nap0leOns gigantic but
infatuated attempt upon Russia That case of a
great political alliance, grand Federal Union
comprising the best, weathiest and the most popu
lOus part and the best soldiers OF the continent OF
Europe, advancing into territory the sparse and poor
population of which scarcely surpassed that of the in-
vading hoast Winter might be the immediate cause,
but also the apology of the tremendous rou that
ensued. If any will attempt to compare the means
of the Federaists with those OF Napoleon, be WI find
them tar inferior in every respect while there is no
doubt that the Southern States far able to
defend every point every position, every line in their
territory than the Russians in theirs They have
mountainous ranges instead of seppes they have
population accustomed to carry arms and only too glad
to them they have railways, and abundance o
food and other necessaries of They evidently
superior 10 generalshp aud in the social organization
best adapted for war.
The result is that thus far they have shown they
dispute every nch and keep the invader always under
the apprehension of being ouanked driven back up
on his capital Against all this it only be sale
that the Northern States have the preponderance il
white men, in money and in credit. These indeed, wouC
be important considerations if the Southern States Wer
invading the Northern and seriOu3y preparing to drv
every armed Northerner into the ST. Lawrence. The,
would be important if this were the ordinary O
Two countries at with another But it s not
The Northeners engaged 10 the reduction OF South
erners They acting on the offensive against TO
which, its land, is content to act the defer
siye excepting only that should the opportunity occur
it would advance its line of defence include the cap
e tai. Experience shows that under ordinary circum
2 stances a comparative small population, with ittl
money and means of war, is sufficient for very goo
q defence