The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-21
Observations and Reflections on the War
Conduct Of tho Wnr.
Extracts from an article written for DE
Bows Review by Geo. Fitzhugh:

Bows Review. by Geo. Fitzhugh:
! Our people are strangely and crminally
inconsistent In their treatment of the officers
of our army and of the Executive head, that
| in great measure controls and directs those
| officers. We boast Of the skill, courage. and
| superior ability and efficiency Of our officers
over those of the North: The North admits
| and deplores the fact. and all Europe re-
| echoes the opinion. We point to Little
| Bethel, Bull Run, Springfield, and q hun
| dred lesser battles or skirmtshes, to show that
| this universal estimate of the superiority OF
| our officers and our army is abundantly sus-
tanned by facts.
| We compare the Confederate Adminlstra-
| ton with that of the Union, and insist that
the former is distinguished for good breeding,
| modesty, circumspec ton, foresight, aud calm,
quiet, determined courage: and that the lat
ter is notorious for its vulgarity, its bluster
ana bullying, Its vacillation of purpose, its
gross usurpations, its want of good sense, it's
want OF courage, and It's total inefficiency
All Europe cordially concurs In our estimate
OF the two Administrations, and expresses con
tinually Its opinion of the former in the Ian
guage of high encomium, and its contempt
Tor the latter in terms of severe ridicule,
biting sarcasm, and bitter rebuke. The North
IL 1t dared utter its real opinions, would OK
press concurrence with the European esti-
mate of the Powers at Washington and at
Richmond, and propose probably to hurl
Lincoln and his wicked, usurping Cabinet
| from seats which they dishonor.
, When our people speak of the war IN the
aggregate, and its results so far they boast
that il has been conducted with consummate
| ability and courage and wonderful success on
orr side, and has been series OF disas tars
| and defeats on the side of the Federals Yet
strange to say, whilst they proudly pro-
claim that, on the whole, everything has
never been done rightly, they have loudly
and bitterly complained, and are still loudly
and bitterly complaining, that, in its parts,
everything has gone and is still going
wrong. They say almost to a man, whether
they be lawyers, doctors, farmers, merchants
or mechanics, men " who never set squad
ron in the field" that our officers are too
slow; that they should. months ago, have
taken Washington and Baltimore, and
marched upon Philadelphia that Presi
dent Davis, an experienced and successful
officer himself, and the officers under him, do
not understand the art of war ~ or insfnuate
that, if they do, they are afraid to apply their
knowledge TO practice. We have for the last
three months heard thousands of men freely
expressing their opinions in the streets, in
hotels, and in private houses, about the
strategic details in the conduct OF the war,
and we ara sure that not six out Of 4 thou-
sand approve the course of our officers,
whilst the balance Were loud and bitter in
denouncing unnecessary hardness and delay !;
yet these thousands had not the rem otcst idea
of the mum Der OF our soldiers, nor that of the
enemy ; know nothing of the comparative
state of discipline of either army, nothing as
10 their supply of munitions of war, provi-
sions, and means of transportation, and
nothing rs to the natural or artificial strength
of the positions which they morously in
sisted we should go 1T once and take. Yet
knowing nothing about military matters,
nothing about the comparative strength and
numbers Of the opposing armies, nothing
about the scene Of action, they pass OF hand,
sweeping sentence of condemnation against
President, officers, and army, and in the very
next breath will swear we have the best Pre-
sdent, the finest officers, and brayest soldiers
in the world. If such inconsistency were
merely inconsiderate, silly, and puerile, We
WOulU IL silence. but II Is
as wicked and N ischievous as it is weak. To
undermine confidence i'll our army and
our officers, Is to destroy, or at least
greatly impair, their efficiency; to arrest
recruiting, and to cripple the credit and pecu-
MARY ability of our Government The
bravest men will lose presence of mind, calm
ness, GOODNESS, and collectedness, and become
less efficient soldiers, when led into battle by
officers whom they deem incompetent or
cowardly for brave men, though ready to
shed their blood for their country, are not
willing TO throw away their lives uselessly !;
nor Will men flock to standard that Is 10
lead them to defeat and disgrace. Credit is
peculiarly sensitive, and men will not lend
money to a new Government, which at the
start has become in bad Odor with its OWE
citizens. Treasury notes, for q domestic cur
rency, will answer all the purposes OF gold
and silver SO long as our Government enjoys
the confidence of the people, and that conf
dence, if continued, will make the cotton and
provision loan sufficient to give Us credit
abroad, and supply us with all the specie
which we may need. In truth, our people as
yet, pite their criticisms, complaints, and
repinings, have entire confidence in the Gov
eminent, It's officers, and its army; but dis
trust will he sure in time to ensue, If complaint
be not abated, or blended at least with appro-
baton.
we'll being of society to have faith in men
Indeed there could be no such thing as faith
in God without faith in men, for we derive all
our ideas of 4 Christian God through the me-
linn nf ay1th hA Nx-h1
has no faith in his fellow men, especially in
those III positions above him, is disturber of
the peace of society, an 1smaelite, "whose
hand is against every man, and every man s
hand is against him. -
1t is our right and duty, when we thor
oughly comprehend subject and that
our officials have erred, 10 review and CEN
sure their conduct. But when are, as in
this case, not in possession OF the facts neces
sary to form opinion, and If Were
have not the military skill and capacity to
form one; and when we know that our OFF,
GERS have all the facts before them and pos
sesS the requisite professional skill to deal
with them, it Is the height of lmpertinence,
presumption, and wickedness for us to cen
sure them. The tickle and inconstant Jews,
or the more tickle and incOnstant tUrbd ,aobi-
Lau Quiritum, or the depraved democracy of
the North, might complain of their rulers
without cause; but 1t will be a disgrace to the
South, 40 proud OF its conservatism, If it par
alyzes the energy and usefulness of its Gov
eminent by Misrepresentation and abuse.
Better, far better, pass over many trivial
errors In silence, and wait Tor new Admin
istration, than bring the Government and
the Con federacy into disgrace by continuous
mpIaint and yiliflcation.
So far we understand the character of
the war, the scene of action and relative
strength of the contending parties, II appears
| to us that the war has been conducted by our
officers and army with admirable wisdom,
prudence, energy, and courage. But we have
no confidence whatever IN any opinions we
have formed, except what results from our
confidence in the skill, patriotism, and cour
age OF our officers and our soldiers. We all
implicitly trust to our doctor and our lawyer
within the line of their profession; and it is
| equally natural and right to trust to our ex-
| perienced and educated officers, whether ed
| uca ted in camp or at military schools, in war
matters.
| In fact, a restless love OF excitement Is at
| the bottom of most OF the com plants about
| the dilatoriness of our armies. Weare all like
| habitual play goers, and the war is our play;
| we are impatient whilst the curtain
| is down and the action suspended, and up
| roarious in our complaints until ii rises. -
| Each battle is Il new act, and each skirmish Is
| a new scene, and men impatient and ANNOYED
| if they do not rapidly succeed each other
| The contending armies are to us civilians
mere play actors, lighting for our entertain
ment. But real fighting is far more in ter
| esting than sham fighting and the disappoint-
| ment much greater when the play does not
| come of Us advertised in the bill The mod
| erns, tbs said, are Il much more humane peo-
| pie than the ancients. The Romans delighted
| in gladiatorial shows, in which three or four
might be killed in an evening. They were a
| hard hearted people. We have been molli-
fled and humanized by the gentle influence OF
| Christianity, and abominate gladiatorial
| shows, and bull-baitings, and even cock
| lighting. Yet delight in murder on a grand
| scale, travel five hundred miles to see a bat
| tie come of, and are sadly disappointed II
| several thousand are not killed
We firmly believe that Christopher North
| was right when he said, There is great
| deal OF human nature in man - and it will
| stick to him SO long as he occu pies his presen,
| clayey tenement. We, ourselves, plead nc