The national Republican., 1861-10-24
THE ExaAUsTING PROCEss.

The National Intelligencer of Monday sur
prised those who are in the habit of reading 1t,
by making the following announcement:
The progress of the war has served pretty
sfectually to explode some fallacies which, at
its beginning, found general currency at the
North with regard to the military power and
material resources Of the seeded States. 1t Is
thus that calculations of politico-eco
character, founded as they generally are, In
part, on theoretic al considerations when brought
10 the test Of experience, are often discovered
10 be more illusory than solid. Such theories,
as wlre at one time prevalent among us. re-
speciug the exhaustion and destitution to which
the Southern States would be soon reduced by
the continuance of the war. seem to have been,
in large degree, exaggerated, If not un-
founded
It Is perfectly well known to everybody in
the habit of reading the Inteliigencer, that its
managers, having commenced by advocating
the surrender Of all the Southern forts, and by
resisting the invasion Of Virginia, have also,
since the war has actually broken out, steadily
deprecated any hing like an active prosecution
Of It, denounced everybody who proposed an
advance to Richmond, or anywhere else, and
rersistently done their utmost, day after day
10 recommend the policy Of blockade as sufi,
cient of itself TO subdue the rebellion by ex
haustiDg its resources. We have ourselve,
carefully noted the course of the IateHigencer
because, having with equal persistency urged
active measures, and denied the possibility o
qusling treason by any other measures, We
know well what class Of politicians and wha,
,io aF bou obl ~
combat.
The announcement in Mondays Ialelligence,
therefore that the stories Of the exhaustion and
destitution at the South were not merely tr-
d9geraled, hut absolutely "unfounded," could
not but excite attention. Had the managers
of the InteRigencer really changed their opin,
ions or were they indulging in premature and
unguarded chuckle over the failure Of meas
urcs which they had recommended as sure to
succeed:
The next day, Tuesday, the Inteuigencer go
fairly back into the old rut again, aud wa
harping away. in solemn and stately periods
in favor of the Fabian" or "do-notbing ,
policy, and upon the infallible certainty thai
the rebellion would be cured by exhaustion
if only that detestabe thing, called fighting
could be prevented. Having, On Mond ~, pro
nouuced the stories of the exhaustion of the
South to be quite uufounded, it pronounced, on
Tuesday. in this wise. (the italics being oul
own:)
while natural impatience is felt in Ger
tain quarters at what seems to some the extra
ordinary tardiness Of the military authoritie.
Of the naticn in seeking decisive engage
ment with the Confederate forces, it may b,
well to recur 10 the lessons Of history for th,
purpose o; deducing from its pages the philos
opby which teaches the prudence of Fsbial
policy in the beginning OF wars joined between
parties believed TO be greatly unequal in resources
The present civil war having assumed the pro
portions Of a Titanic cor fiict, arraying. as Il
does. on each side, its armies, to the number o.
tens and hundreds OF thousands, must find t
some extent, its ultimate solution in The re'd
tue cupacity Of each party 10 sustain the ggdnt
scale Of expenditure and military prouision en-
tailed by such a struggle. That The Nationa
Government is in a condition to derive tn,
greater profit from this prudent delay is ad
mitted by all, il only that delay has been wisely
employed in collecting our resources, as il mus
hare Loeakened The resources # the enemy