, 1861-10-14
GALLANTRY IN TIE NAVY.


The weather for the lsst tTo weeks h.s !
been splendid. The earth, saturated hereto- |
fcre ty an unusual Quaatity OF rain, has be- !
et ne thoroughly dried, the streams hive re-
srmed tte.r usual channels, or shra1k within |
Il cir usual borders. Toe atmosphere is ey- |
eteGi'e1y brilliant, reminding us ofI3at pur-
ef. OF American sea:oDe, tbs Indian sumner. |
InfTe ueveT vas mere Fropiti0us weather for |
III 1itarJ operations. Ard we ere reminded by t
the date aS the head ct this days Issue, that |
the equinox Is rpon u, aeeom panied by its
usual conconi3ants of clouds ,Eain and ator1os. |
I. eetne as though nat8Fe tsfEeT tci: e5
roreed our cause, and invites us 10 eemu for.
Wsrd. We cannot alHavs calculste npo1 her
faSo.s. In s few days she may shroud herself
IL c1t ui's, and Grench the earth once more by
rsjn. Wehoqe oEr Generals will lake advantage
Of the opportunity, and se!ze the Initiative.
Time, In military Tatters, is victory, is
trunp pb, is everything and We learn from
the old bdage, ihst time is bald behind IL
must be Ec:z=d By the f5rsleck, or he "ill for
ever elDde the grasp.
We hare not in this Journal presumed 70
criticize the movements Of our lsaese's. We
could rct but see, what all the world mnst
have eetn, that q movement in advance onc
day, Or one week, or even two wcaks, after .ce
battle Ct Manassas, would haVs resulted in sd
vtn1sges to cur cause, which 1t ia almost in
possible to conceive, far 1e=a to estiElate with
mathematical precision. We could not resist
tit telief that mer, who fed rs the Yankees
: had fled iIcu. that fsid, c2ull not be maize to
stand behind any fortifcat;ons, baT iorm!-
daelc toeyer they might hes-if attacked By
strong arms and resoiute tearts. We could
lot be induced to think that the respect due
to tried veterans ought to be paid 10 those
ronted, terrified, discouraged, pausc-stricken,
relics Of military mob, whom no percussion
of their officers, and no sentiment Of honor,
had induced to stand and look our army in the
face.
We felt con t1dent that the best wuy to deal
with sun, men was to aSssi3 them boldly, no
matter What their 1umbers might be, without
w6tti-g 1lonent to c21nt tie cost OF the
assault. We arc surc they would never stand
the test, for VIC k1ew that thty were dtsoand-
ipg daily, thst they we7s totally regardless Of
military discipline, that thEy we're strewed all
over Washington, lying G1tnE IN the run
shops, On the cellar dooT7; in the gutter5, and
thinking Of nothing but getting back home.
| We were satisfied then, we are satisfied nos,
| that Washington might have been taken by q
handful OF men, almGs: by charge Of cavalry.
| We could not understand the advantages Of
delay. We knew nothing Of military tactics;
| but the mcdicum of common sense with which
We were gifted by our Creator, ensbled us to
| doubt the policy which lets to 4 conquered
ard dispirited enemy the leisure to recover
from hia terror, 10 restore discipline, recruit
his foFcte, to drill bis Re1, to erect gigantic
foft'fca.ions. But we said nothing OF all this
because CUR Generals had the matter in their
! t"A AdAG1. *1AI GtEt h0E' HA'tt tIs1 HC1V
capable OF performing. When, therefore, we
learned that their Teason for not following a
papic-Etr;cken enemy t#enty five miles, was
that they had not provision and transportation
sufficient to carry them that distance, ws
Il ought the pnblie ought to be satisfied. We
had read, nevertheless, that Cmser had pur
| sued Ponp=Y from the plains OF Thseea.y te
the sea btach Of Alexandria. after the battle ol
PhsEsa]ls, nlthcngh previously t. t!st battle
he bad been On the point Of breaking up his
c. mp for want Of provisions. We ID, more
orer, read the first proclamation Of Cen b
napa5te to bis army in Italy, in which he tella
them that Is the course Of fourteen days the
Ead ga!ned Elk victories and destroyed twt
armies that they bad "gained battles without
capnor, crossed rivers without pontoons, MAJ
fcrct marches without shoes, and watched
all Dight under aIm6 without brandy, an.
sometimes even without provisions "-tha
they lad been "berett even Of neceaearies q
tie commencement Of the campaign" bu
: that now (st the date Of the proclamation
"1hey enjoyed p1enty,n for that IL the msga
Still, the public, deeply as they were chs
grired at the disappointment, acqulesced i
the apology for the Generals, that they ha
! not transportation and provisions for SO shot
a distance, AID We fslt no disposition to dl
1u1b its verdict
We have already aaid that the advantage
which would have eusued to the Confederat
= States frcm an advance at that period, Wer
y not to be estimated by any process known t
arithmetic. Some OF them, however, lie e
pa!pab]y on the surface that We cannot forbes
: 10 notice them in passing. We should ha7
Z captured the city Of Baltimore, and pu1ged
! OF the foul v.1min who have converted It in:
!! nest fer their tribe. We should have pr
: : vented the abduction and incarceration Of OF
: = ftlende, who have been abducted and incsrc
= rated only becauee they were our friends, "
Y ehonld hare captured The Baltimore and Obi
> | Rai!rraH nv fhrru1rfr al hadp 4
= troops upon tho rear of the Yankee maraude]
= in Western Virginia, have rendered their ca
ture and destruction inevitable. We shoul
: have protected North Carolina from invasion
3 Yankee arms In Missouri, and placed thst "a
= lant State in her trua position. We should ha1
:; enabled Kentucky to putge of the vile locus
u that infest her. We ehonla have entered tt
;, Yankee territory, and made them tremble fe
( their own Capital We should have take
y Withdrawal of Lincoln's scoundreis fro,
Fortress Monroe, and Of his fleet from It
blockade Of our ports. In word, ne sao1 u
t4ve gone in the midst Of the Yankees, br
o. Ion aud New York at our feet, comps1ls
t. item to sne for terms, aud exaeted ample i
n dtrnlitY for all their robbsrics, all their i
N juries, aud all their insults,
le Another opportunity offers itself We ha1
{, . numerous army on the Potoo ac-it burr
.. for distinction, aud pants for the hour that
le tc call it into action. If its ardor be not T
e strained, before Christmas ne can plant t!
r colors OF the Confederate States upon Faneu
d Hall. It will have bsttles to fight; but tn
q is what it most eagerly longs for. L will ha'
! nye1s. to eross; but Colonel Napier tails
d that rivers, go far fr1m beipg an insupeah
d barrier, do not even form good position
! theJ cannot be crossed at one place thsy can
u another. When did the Rhine ever consritu
It an snsePsrable object to an army wishing
ri iS7Tu F1A nv n IN
1e army wishing to invade Lombardye VII
ID did any great river offer an insuperabIe obs'
OF Gle to resolute general and brave arm
1t In the name Of the united South, then,
be our armies advance while tbs weather is Il
r. and everything propitious.