New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-01
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will be anxious, aogry, or fevered-and through
out the North in the faces of men this feeling IS
reflected. Tomorrow Washington becomes
iranouil--and tho cloud rolls from the spirits OF
the people hundreds of miles away. Through
what medium comes this influence it is not easy
ia say. We only feel its presence, and accept it
as we receive the wind blowing as it lisieth.
But ten days ago the confusion and apparent
Generalization of the National troops in aud
around Washington, by reason OF the disaster
which befell them at the close of the well
fought battle of Bull Run, caused a pail of gloom
TO settle over the capital city; here and else
where the dull leaden feeling which follows a
bitter reverse oppressed all men, and very few
thought of the future with springing hope now
on this dav, all is changed the elasticity OF tho
Northern physical and moral nature has restored
the spirits of the people to their healthy tone
and the lesson Of the disastrous battlefield mas
I been cheerfully accepted.
The cl:ef cause of this changed atmosphere is
| tho confidence now felt at Washingtcn-a conf
drnce produced by the rapidly.arriyins troops
! the zeal OF the Government in all lis Depart
I ments, aud especially BY the advent OF the young
General who is called to the command of the
army OF the Potomac, and By the aannfao'e
system Of discipline he has put in force.
OF ibe movements rado by Gen. Mcclellan to
add 70 the efficiency of his troops, sOme are
worthy OF more than simple mention Promi-
ne.it among these stands his project oil imne-
diately brigading the regiments, and encamping
each brigade by itself The Importance OF this
! can hardly be overrated. We learn that in the
/ 6abt at Bull Run, the regiments who had been
put into brlgados bnt q short time before the
advance from Washington were unfamiliar with
even the faces Of their Brigadier Generals, and
were quite unacqueinted with their pectliari.
ties. 1t requires 10 heightened demonstration
TO show what would be the actual and unayoid-
| bic effect OF this upon the spirits of the men,
! The magnetic current Of mutual confidence is as
necessary between soldiers AID the General they
arc 10 follow az are muskets and ammunition.
Tie discipline of the camp 10, under Gen. Me-
| Clellan. TO be improved in many reaPects' one
reform consists in stopping with firm hand Tho
indiscrminate sale of spirituous liquors to the col.
diers. Parallel with this is another improvement
which will do much for the army: the freedom
with which the soldiers could heretofore 90 from
their camp to the city, aud the liberty allowed
to visitors of every degree, has done much harm,
and an end is now to be put to it. 1t is not
necessary to preach from very high moral ele-
walton ia order TO convince the reasoning multi.
tude that temperance and cleanliness and sobriety
of all kinds add strength to the ann, accuracy
| 4, flo t,,tr ;tv 10
the spirit. The spartans who ccmbed their locks
before the battle, thus expressed their innate
sense Of the truth that yslor shines most brightly
| from a wel.Ordered body. The regulation, too,
1 which confines both officers and men more closely
| TO the camp is wholesome. 1t may DO that the
| Thought of tue situation has not come home with
proper force to our soldiers; that the terrible
struggle on which We have entered ard which has
been baptized with the blood OF many brave fol.
/ lows, has not assumed the stern aspect which
rightly clothes il; we may have been deudcd by
! the pride ard Vomp of its surroundings, looking
/ not soberly enough upon the grim yisase Of tie
war. Therefore il is exell to remove from the
camp its holiday aspects and make il in reality
what it purpOrt, in metaphor to be, tho real
school Of the soldier.
Washington, too, for so long the home, we
may say the asylum, Of the Secessionist, and the
trap for the soldier is to be purified, IFS power
for evil curtailed. With the appointment OF a
Provost Marshal, the TigOrs Of martial law arc
in fact to be imposed. The warmly gushing sym
patty which has flowed southwark from the
capital will no longer comfort the rebel Beaure.
gard and the arch traitor Davis; the cunniDgly.
contriyed mail, carried by women fond of the
intrigues of diplomacy, will no longer so regu-
larly make its trips across the Potomac; and we
may hope that loss accurate information Of in
tended movements and carefully -matured plans
may be sent to the hostile camp than has here
toiore reached them. A military police, composed
OF several companies of United States soldiers,
viii replace the imbecile and repulsye local con.
stabulary force which in times past has made the
capital unsafe for the yirtuoue.
But the pcrsonsl qualities Of Gen. Mcclellan,
and the characteristics Of his mind, perhaps do
more to inspire confidence in him 80 a leader
than any positive reforms he proposes TO effect.
lie looks at his army as an army Of men. and
of men who have brains and hearts and ORGANS
of digestion. He has an idea that upon the
bodily comfort and mental cheeTiulness of the
individuals depends the trustworthness Of the
consolidated force. Acknowledging the truth of
the saying that what one does for himself ia well
done, he attends personally to such of the de.
tails of his camps as he can reach, and exam
inca single examples OF the mass he is not able
to cover. He cones soon to know tho faces Of
many Of his soldiers, aud to lie personally known