New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-09-26

fFsozn lie london Times

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e Were England at this moment to announce to
the world its intention TO make the speediest pos
Eihle conquest of France, or were France to make
f the same declaration as to England, the world
would laugh at the egregious folly that had in
spired the design and prompted the boast. The
world would grant that, supposing either people
to be infatuated enough, and obstinate enough, it
could infict enormous and frreparable injuries
The other but Bnly at the cost of equal Injuries to
itself. The ball once started, Fortune might be-
friend this side Or that lit might give to either
great Vl2turies or periods of advantage; it might
even place one eventually over the head Of the
other but still only ait cost utterly ont of proper
II ton tQ the value Of tho miserable result. Now
that IS the case Of the two Gonfederaces across
the Atlantic. where the surviving half Of an efste
Federal Union has undertaken to reduce the other
half to its Federal duties, 5 s55 III
We say that this Is the case, but before we pro-
ceed step further, It's necessary to observe that
the case 81 the Northern Americans ID in some i'm
portans respects more difficult than ours would be-.
They are not SO united as we have always found
ourselves id war. Their Border States feel a di-
Vided allegiance. They have to protect more than
ii Thousand miles of land frantier, including one.
cldsely beieagurea position surrounded by foes or
Unaffected adherents. Speaking the same lam
guage as their foe, they have no means of excud-
ing spies from their lines; or even traitors from
their ranks. They have to make 9 standing army
4 and feet. They have to learn the first elements
of tactics, and even military discipline. They are
without soldiers, or officers to command and to-
train them. Their revenue, at it's best, before the
z OF the debt likely to be incurred by two years OF
the war on its present scale, That revenue how
ever, Is, to begin with, MANNED by the loss of the
seeeders and BY the stpppage Of traffic 50 that it
more thar repair that loss by the new taxes now
imposed. 5g
American credit ii not 30 good aH British, nor
is the credit Of Federal Union in process Of dis
solution likely to be equal to that Of united peo
pie Lastly, wal, which changes in character ac-s
cordng to circumstances, establishes special rules
4 of probability for different localities. The one
rude established BY all American warfare ID that
the advantage ID on the side of defence. Our of.
fensive operations always failed against fortified
positions against breastworks thrown up in
night, against forests full Of an invisible foe;
against heat hunger and thirst; against every i'm
every step diminished the number, the strength
and the munitions Of our men, and increased those
8of the enemy. The present var might, for its in
cldcnts, be chapter in our own disastrous wars
! on that soil. The Northerners have advanced
upon a fortified position, but q days march from
Washington. They have arrived at the point with
q force already melting away, far short Of the list
on paper, beaten with heat, hunger, thirst and a
long march, and surprised on both tanks by the
sndden outpourings Of railways. While this has
occurred in Yirg nia. almost within sight of WASH
ington, d column Of 5000 Federalats, advancing
against foe thrice their number, has met with the
same fate no doubt for muchthe same reasons, at
Springfield, four FIVE hundred miles to the west
as II in order to warn the Northern States that
w lt5 EH ppEleQ is NOT aceideHby no result OF
peculiar crcanist or personal failure but by
inevitable ruie.a 5 $3 IS s
There III but one enterprise which can be com
pared to THE, aud that is the First Napoleona
gigantic, but infatuated, attempt upon Russia.
That MAS a case ct A. great political alliance, as
grand 81 q ederal Mon, comprising the best, the
wealthies and Che most Ropnlons part, and the
best soldiers on the ntaent of Europe sadvane-.
Ing into territory, the sparse and poor popuia-
ton of which acarealy surpassed that Of She nyad-
ing host. Winter might be the immediate cause,
but Il was also the apology of the tremendous rout
thai ensued. II any enc will attempt to compare
the means of The Federalsts with those of Kapo.
Icon, e will ind them far inferior every respect
while there is no doubt that the Southern States
are lar more able to defend every point, every
position, every line In their territory, than the
Russians were Ia theirs. They have mountainous
ranges instead of steppes; they have ID population
accustomed to carry arms, and only too glad to
tsa them: tHsy have railways, and abundance of
4aaod aud other neeessaries of war. They are
evidently superior id generashp and Id the social
n uEg zatiDn Best adapted for war. 5
Ina r6aultis that thus far they have shown they
N sac ssgute every inch, and keep the invader al
lays under the apprehension of being oatfanked
oT aIaveu back upon bis own capital Against all
lnis Il can nniy be said that the Northern States
nave the preppaderanee III white men, id money,
and u credit These, indeed wo,lld be important
eonsld erations Il the Southern States were inyad.
ne Norsiegn, and seriously preparing to drive
every armed y oftharner into the st. lawrence
hesy would be iuporan IL this we're the ordinary
case OF TWO countries st war With enc another.
ButIt Is not. The HOrtherners are aI,ga0ed in the
aeduction Of southefners. They are sotdaa an tle
Offensive against q foe which, on It's own land ia
content TO act On the defensive cxceutine nnIy
that should the opportunity occur Il would "a Al
vance its line Of dcfenes to include tie eanitaI
Experience shows that under @ordis,ary eirrntnsi
stances email population, with little
money sna means q var, y sufficient for a very
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