The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-19
SIGNIFICANT SOUTHERN CONFESSIONS.
xAk WEAKNESS OF THE SOUTH EXPOSED ny ONE OF ITS

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from the Charleston Mercury Sept l01
WHAT rHs CONGRESS DONE, n HAS vAnD no DO
Whilst the other side OF the Potomac the liberty Of
the press crushed by mobs and the military arm IL ID
boast this side OF the Potomac right
and safeguard TO free preserved untouched
and untarnshed To discuss freely our public afSirs A.
though in the discussion many false views may be pre-
sened is necessary to correct understanding Of them
whilst the spirit Of liberty such discussion ELECTS abso
utey necessary to the preservation Of free institutions Of
government. All or less FESTIVE at their
opinions or policy being disputed and the stronger the
demonstrations against them the fecer the dissatisfac-
ton But liberty is restraint. 1t consists not in every
man enforcing his own opinions passions but In obedi
ence to general principles and the liberation Of differences
In their enforcement
We propose discuss briefly, what the late Congress
has done, and what it has failed to do.
In tne hrst place, Congress has voted an army
OF near half million OF men, and q fabulous
aUun' OF money 70 support them one only OBJ
bullying the other side Of the Potomac The Congress
Oh the United States voted four hundred thou sand
we Drag over them We get to near half Million and
whel we come 10 money they not circumstance to
u.s. This sounding patriotism not In the very best
taste We should have egsated without regard to the
simply voted in the field the we thought adequate to
the military exgenceso OF the Confederate States I'VE
horized oiu be raised means for their support
be required We find difficult put an army Of
eighty thousand men together in V0inid, and eighty oa-
sand men Is enough and fear than enough for anu
military use put them TO- Theirs says that there
but one man in Europe who could WELD one hundred
thousand men in the field and that man was Napoleon
We may have crop Of Napoleons coming to matur-
ty, but present they have not appeared No general
ON either side in our scar ih he United States has
TO handle thirty thousand in the field
Troops that you cannot fight elements Of
weakness They consume and complicate and euibar-
rass-help to disorganzation and may spread panics
50 we are Of opinion that we had been little moro
moderate in our army and financial demonstrations
would have been little more esteemed We admire
preentious governments, as we do unpretentous mea-
sures. Simplicity is positive virtue. Yet will not
quarrel with the fired imagination which will beat the
enemy in figures. Full numbers certainly very
desirable
Appropriations have also been made to increase our
navy. This department which has been greatly neg
lected According to the constitution appropriations
can be voted by Congress unless previously
by the Executive Little or nothing has heretofore been
recommended by the Executive for the defence of
coast. Yet il defensive to be the policy Of
the Commander Chief it clear that coast must
possession of the navy Let the Northern armies have
occupation in defending the Northern States they
must find employment on our seaboard. But, by
strange Inconsistency, uhtle army has been sloicly
left unprotected Congress, although fear, too late,
seems to be somewhat alive to this result ana has
appropriated two millions of dollars for the coast de-
fence. Our need is gunboats. But what now do
in applying this money! The Navy Yard at Pensacola
stands beteageyed and useless TO us. The Navy Yard at
Norfolk is fully employed in repairing and preparing for
sea the ships captured from the enemy when cap
tured the Navy Yard Are the nstrumenaites at hand
at Charleston, Savannah Mobile, to build the IRON
clad gunboats, OF iron clad floating batteries which
defence mperatively requiresp We fear they not.
Whore, then they be Obtainedp In Europe-where
they ought to have been ordered obtained long ago.
But will the energy of the administration be equal to the
emergency? The question will be answered according to
the confidence in the efficiency Of the government The
very appropriation Of but millions of money instead
of SIX which the exgences of defence would fully
require does not argue much confidence in the
Tie States fear, toU haze 10 defend themselves by their
own devices, and without gtnbodts or ndudl assistance