New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-04
DEFENSE OF GEN. PATTERSON.

T. ne Edhy Of TAe " T. T,tbEa.
su,. You lay. my thanif, ths, in your general bar
TO CRITICISMS in Your columns, on TIE wur, you hive
made an exception in 'lvor 81 Gen. Patiersin. am
no bosom friend II tie General, indeed Go not know
him. but nevertheless / c.nb0I eoolly res the public
press te,m unusly with articles Of oensure agaiusi
him.
lie has CALAMITY and molly stepped forth for the pro-
lection and defense Of country IN the moment OF
her imminent peril lie has passed into the cneIies,
border sud who i prepared TO say he as not accom-
pli he'd all he Instructed tor that tie cJI.uand
under him were able 10 IefiOnnf
IL il said be wa 10 watch Gen. Johnston, ard IL Io-
sible hold him III c.cel. TIE public are now made
aware that his ability TO do 70 was about thai Of eur
90 "a lion.
Z Gen. Johnston was strongly iutrencled anl had rc-
endorsements q his command, that numerically his
force was more than double that Of Gen. FaLe.eon.
We fIe informed Oh the eighth page Of Inn rlIBUyE
Of the 9th inst that Gen force at NHche-
ter was q 0J0 Of which 100 artillery, aud thai
he Ind sal g.fO pieces of artillery ia pOfii,I ten of
which ere l2-pOuuder-C OluniSads, Ac.; tai hi 20
sion oht non strength, and tbaiihe ioiti-
fcations extended wD-and-a-hsli miles between Bun
keI Hill and Winchester, and that the rod iad been
DISTRACTED to prevent tie progress OF our amy, DC.
For the Farreulars iefsr the reader to aiele
the la-t eOlumn Of the page above named.
We are informed on Tie fifth age of THETRIBuW
of the 10Th inst. by extract from pirate letter
from Gen Patterson. thlt bis force was iess tban
90 O0O OF which tue tihe OF service had aleady
PRED Of nearly al, or would within short time, and
Ill bur four regiments refused u stay an hour after
their line OF ger ,ie expired.
Now, Sir, II these Ia ts, has any cause 10
cebsure Gen. Patterson, because bril.iAn victory
has not been achieved Tue truth Is too much praise
cannot Ue bestowed uron bin, that he alle under
T. circums ices, 10 prevent the after destruction Of
his army; and as he now reres from his COMMAND, he
should receive tue Ls'iRg honor OF hs country, that
his army ale sill alive, with courage undated aud
reputa ion dnsuied by necessary aud disastrous
treat before suI error force Of the enemy
No Of ordinary caution, who Is iIt {, command
an army will endiDger is existence by attempting TO
achieve lmpossibilities, matter how much distant
and widely ircuhte newspapers may ceisure him, or
clamor for his recall
though not now universally believed, eventually will
be-nd that H. that Is very oubtfnl, 20 say
the least Ia making attack npon sIrug works with
inexperienced officers and undriled troops.
You, Sir, may give your opinion ~ inst "cemps Of
instruction. and declare the citizen cndrilled m-
medihely fit for The soldier, bur II does not make bin
30. The facts otherwise.
What, Sir, would you think, were yot called upon
TO issue your usum number Of IHE THBUSE daily,
with ohly such hell you could select inn the crowd
WHO ,hrong Broadway
Would you censure il were TO della for prepara-
tion this immeCia6e construction Of bridge from New
York 70 Brooklyn, even IL all the necessary materials
were ON hand, and all the best and rnet intelligent
shoeinakcrs hnd tailors in the spd Vt my COM
uand as woIkDeni No, Sir. You woId say instruct
your men the OF the tools theywers 70 WELD
that in tie end my plnB might be carried out and tue
structure completed Int1Is not oily Is The loss VI
property, but Of life, and even coDtry at stake
and how important that every mo'e 10 made with
caution, and IN way 70 insure suetefr. Iasty ard
poorly arranged movements and plars result in
Indifferent success il they escape perect tiilnfe
We are a nation un,killed in war, although loya),
and willing, il need be-, 10 die for cur country TO
man. Thai IL not ell that Is necessary Our success
depends much more upon tho death Of eneinies
thao ufclves and 10 conquer, MOTTO be conquered
is our aim. That Tail not, II Is important that we
are united. Overlook each others faults and exat
their virtues, and learn with all possible dispatch "tLe
ante OF war.'
' Gen. Patterson is aware Of another important fact
which all not Jet ready 10 undersaDd AID that 49,
that appearances DO not indicate speedy termination
Of the var. Our enemy 90 not TO choose q AT
kind. The not one OF our commencing, and the
exact tine Of lie duration IL somewhat uncertain 1t
may even DO best that IL be not. Should il be
closed In +" Fix months, IL mi ght be somewhat like
effort 70 stop present or future ruPtion OF Mount |
Vesuvius by filing the mouth of tb cater with ice.
In fact, Sir, doubt whether In "a months from this
day oar Government will even befilly aware of tic
vast magnitude Of the evils which this rebellion has
brought upon ns. We have beer used 70 treat our
Southern brethren as friends " % bone OF our bone
and flesh Of our fesh," and 1t islhard matter to be