Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-08-31
AMERICAN TOPICs ABROAD.
HOW the North Behaves Under Reverse

Am ERACAN IOFECS AEBOAD.
How the North Behaves Under Reverse.
FROM tie London Tinsa.
The people of the Northern States Of America
are behaving after their defeat in q manner
which is somewhat unaccountable. They do not
seem at all inclined to lessen its importance. They
do not affect to conceal that they have been totally
and disgracefully defeated and their opinions of
their own merits and their enemies deficiencies
were usfounded. and that, instead Of q short and
brilliant campaign, they must either prepare fer
desperate war give up their scheme Of subjugat-
ing the South. And yet this national calamity and
this grievous shame do not seem TO affect them as
they VI uld effect an European community. They
even take q pleasure in the sensation caused by
their unparalleled defeat. Excitement is to al
classes necessary daily dram. and if they have it.
it matters not whether it is bought by success or
misfortune. Then the people have so little realized
the meaning of war, and they have such confidence
in their energy and fortunes, in their faculty
of coming right side up'ards, that as g cOmmu-
nifty, they are no more depressed by a total rOut
than they would be in their individual capacities
by pocuniary loss. A singular trait in human
character is exhibited by their open aeknowl
edgmant to all the world Of defeat cou-
Piled with the enthusiastic reception which
they are giving to whole regiments Of
volunteers who, on prteaSe of time being up, are
marching hOmeward on the morrow of a great de-
feat and on the eve of an expected advance of the
Southern Army. Inc more arlslGcratlc New ] Ork
volunteers had returned home long before the bait
tie of Bull Run, and now regiments from almost
every State fastening back to their respective
districts to be received with the loudest paudts of
their friends. The Fourteenth of Ohio, on return
ing to Toledo, experienced very cordial reeep-
ton" Il was mentioned that after fslo l0seS fur
louqh Bey 1oolLd be feIdy to Te>eTlliSt-those few
weeks for all thst they know, being destined TO de-
eide the fate Of the Union forever. But the most
extraordinary is that Of Gen. Patteraon army.
The General, according TO his own account was in
front of Gen. Johnston, who had 10 600 men. "My
force is less than 10000 men. Nineteen regiments,
whose terms of service was up. or would be within
4 week al refused 10 STAY al hour OCeT TIER time,
with the exception Of four. Five regiments have
gone home, two more 90 to-day, and three tO-mor-
row. To avoid being cut of with the remainder, l
fell back and occupied this place" IhlS Is, we
think one of the most astounding incidents in the
history of war. 1t entirely agrees with the state
ment given by our special correspondent, that while
the cannon of Beauregard were laundering in their
years regiment of volunteers passed him on their
way home. their three months term Of
service being complete. If such a thing
had happened to one corps, 1t might have
been set down to the bad counsels of one or
more discontinued spirits or to the iDjudicious con
duct of some commanding officers. But here Il IS
eUiderit That The tch0ls U03Uteer ATy Of the Northern
States Is lp0rtaLess as a military organization. 1t is
useless to comment on the behavior of men who,
pretending to rush to for the salvation OF their
country, make of in thousands when the enemy
comes in sight and leaves their General to take
care of himself. This is certainly carrying to its
furthest limit that right Of secession which they
flew to arms to punish. In any other country such
conduct would be looked upon as the extreme of
baseness. But the Americans do not visit it as
SUCH and they, perhaps, have an instructive sense
of the Justice OF the case. They feel how hollow
has been so much of the Indignation expressed by
their party-hoT much the campaign against the
South ia sham entered into in obedience to a 'sen-
satlonD policy and differing widely from the earn
est and steady resolve which animates men who are
fighting for objects really dear to them. If Eng
land or France were invading the Northern States,
no one can believe that a whole American Army
would eTaporate because three calendar months
were up nor TO bring matters nearer home, can ace
idqins hat the SOl5eTnerS JrR take the rail hoecQTd
,1kiie Nsus York rolcdes and Boston AbOaiOniSts are
desolding the fields Of Virginia.
In all ages success in war has inclined to the ps--
ty which is fighting for its existence, and is conse
Guently steeled to a sterner resolve. There IS a
want Of this earnestness TO be noticed in the con-
duct of the NOrtherners- They take things easy to
4 degree which astonishes an Engishnan who re
collects the frenzy which followed the first misfor-
tunes of our Army a. the end Of 1854. The whole
story of the battle Of Bull Run is given by the
Northern papers, of course with many variations
but we are bound to say, with entire eandor. The
completeness of the defeat, the courage OF the en-
euv and the panic of their own Army are not eX-
the usual tendency to lay the blame on the comman
ders. and to save the selflove of the Army at the
expense of its chiefs. But making allowances for
this it is probable not only that the leaders were
incompetent, but the mass Of the troops felt thai
| thew were From the first there seem to have beer
little purpose in any thing that was done. The ad
| vance began before dawn, and one writer says
that even at that hour there seemed lack q
unity and direct purpose among the ON
| GERS which sometimes was made tct
= ffaoff hofr amir nnf
| demeanor At the very opening OF the day 1t wal
plain to all that real and sound discipline was aban
doned. On the other hand the Confederates wer'
evidently commanded by men who knew something
| of war The ground on the National side was wood
| ed almost down to the raTine through which tbS
stream flows but on the other side "the enemy haC
cleared away all obstructive foliage, and barred tlt
| earth in every direction over which they could
bring their artillery upon u.s." The battle began
about sunrise, and was at its height little attel
noon. The accounts given by the Northern 'orres
poudens describe the enemy 81 almost destroyed by
the repested charges of the Nationalist. Allowing
for exaggeraton it may be taken as pretty certain
that thew were hard pressed and that some at leas
ofthe National troops behaved with gallantro. TIT
| Seyenty-first New York Regiment is described a
| having inflicted severe loss on the enemy. Indeed
the bulletins published by the Confederate authori
ties appear TO admit that thu Southern Army suffer
| ed severely at one period of the action.
But this was but the beginning of the days work
| Whether the COnfederates had any plan OF nghllht
settled beforehand by their commanders, we do no
"a vet know: but the account of the NOrtheTners
that '.the enemy appeared upon our left flank, be
| tween US and cur way Of retreat" A panic theI
| seized the Federal troops. We have looked through
| the different narratives in vain for any Prooaoi
| cause of this terror, but the word "csvalry' sp
| pears so frequently, that we must suppose that
| BODY of Southern horsemen did appear some here
though the country is obviously not well suited Z
| the action of that force. From the same descripto
of the battle we quote as follows; The rebel cav
| aIrv having completely eircumvented our lef
charged in upon a number of wounded and strae
glers.n Then followed the scene which has bee
sufficiently described IN these columns On tn
whole, the newspapers which have come from IN
North within the last few days are most
ne tome IN ,chich the calamity is DISEASED is u
t.inh uery credaabIe ID the people Of The AoruseI
Suites and, strange to say, it has not increases
but as far as one Judge has lessened the bite
ness expressed towards the Southerners.