Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-08-08
The Disaster.
ITS SLIGHT CASUALTIES.

Every day since the BULBS Run fight, has
reduced the reports OF the disaster, The Tel
egraph befooled itself and created an i'm
mense amount of unnecessary anxiety
There is now no other equally fluent oracle
If lies on the earth. A European general
said, lately, that the whole system of militia
ry strategy will have to be reyoutionized by
reason of this grand but much abused inven-
tion none of the customary military prear-
rangements can be relied on while this swift
means of universal report is allowed its pres
ent rampant power. With the popular mind
1t is perpetratiDg universal melo-dra
without respect to the Importance. the sad
ness. or the insignifcanee of the events with
which it deals. According to its renderings
Of the Bulls RIM affair, the casualties of the
light were the most extensive and terrific in
the annals of American warfare thousands
on thousands of slain, thousands on thou
sands of wounded, thousands on thousands
of prisoners. Every family, represented in
our army, was plunged for two or three days
in intolerable suffering suffering only inten-
siied by uncertainty. The monssrous fc-
tons of the kilograms have vanished one
after another until it is already ascertained
that the number of cur dead is not larger
than three hundred and ssventeen-a loss
which, so far as this kind of " casualty" is
concerned, would hardly ertite the fight to
be considered serious battle: Our wound
ed are but five hundred and thirty. seven,
and very few of these are mortally injured.
The missing and prisoners are only about
seven hundred and eighty.eight; these, there
fore, are all the prisoners the en- my can re.
Joice over; and how many are missing, but
not prisoners, cannot vet be copjectured. A
single instance Of surrender to General Mes
Clellan, in Western Virginia, gives us more
OF the enemy's men-at least one thousand.
We have at Washington to>day at least sew
enty prisoners Of toe enemy from Bulls Run,
and others are being brought in. His loss
in killed and wounded, according to his cwn
admission, is at least double the amount Of
ours, for he reports two thousand, and we
may be sure that be falls considerably shors
OF the truth. as usual. The contest was
worse for him than for US down to the mo-
ment of the panic our troops out-fought
| him, and our casualties" were less than
his down to that moment. The moral effect
of the panic is his only important advantage.
and We believe that We shall share fully in
this advantage by the lessons which the dis.
aster will teach US. Pancs are liabilities Of
the best armies. Jomini. leading military
writer, treats of them as such the veteran
Roman legions, be says, were subject to
them; modern military history gives aston
ishing examples of them. Triumphant ad :
vantages and even victorious have been sud :
denly lost by them in manner so misteri.
Gus as to seem the effect of the caprice of
some 2erternatural power. Had our occur
red at the outset ofthe battle it would have
been fearful reflection on the military vir-
tue Of our troops. but happily they had tri-
umphantly demonstrated their claim in this
respect before the disaster fell upon the field.
Though nine or more hours they had fought
like veterans. and at tremendous odds,
against successive batteries and superior
numbers. The day redeems them in spite of
the retreat. Invidous comparisons, as re-
spects the relative courage and capacity Of
the two sides, are never desirable but un-
deniably the facts of the war thus far have
! shown-si own on the fields of Missouri, of
Western Virginia and at Bulls Run, that in
equal circumstances the pluck and soldier
ship of the stout haldrained manhood of the
North can oyermatch the " chivalry" of the
euemy. In every instance thus far, the foe
has had advantage only from his intrepch-
ments. In almost every instance our sue
cesses have been gained against such advan
tages.
| With many good lessons we believe there
will be no permanent bad result from the
late disaster. Evidently, the spirit of the
people has already risen in grand superiority
above it. In less than forty eight hours
after it, more than sixty regiments were
offered bp telegraph to the government at
Washington. The offers have since been
multiplying from all directions. Twenty
| rsgim ents are now forming in this city alone,
A force more formidable than was ever known
in the new world will soon be under arms
and in motion. Guarded. by our late expe-
rience, against the accidents which have so
much interfered with the Low unquestiona-
Bile courage of our troops, and may confident
ly trust our cause to them and to the bless
ing of the God Of hosts.
Our late sufferings have driven us closer
to the highest source Of our strength. Nerer
was more prayer offered for the fate of this
country than during the last aDeek. That alone
is a sublime fact, an ioestimable good cut Of
the evil. 1t cannot fail of positive effect on
the further course of the contest Every
American Christian should appropriate an
interval of time, however short, each day,
for special private prayer for bis country
| If be cannot command retirement for it, he
should nevertheless consecrate the time 10
his place of business, or on the thoroughiare
Definite urgent prayer on this one subject
great nation thus praying fail of
the blessing of Him who gives or withholds
yictory.-M Methodist.