The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-09-12


If it were possible to believe the Northern jour
nails and the Federal kilograms, the conclusion
would be forced upon us that the cause of the
Confederates was hopeless, and that General Nc
CLELLAN has only 10 summon them to lay down
their arms to meet with instant obedience. We
are told that the army is proud of its new Gene
raj; that he is n marvel of industry, energy, and
military science; that in less than sixty days he
has created, from the crudest materials splendid
soldiery, perfect in discipline skilled in the use
of arms, possessed OF all the cardinal virtues,
with patriotic fervor superadded, and anxious,
above all other things to be led on to confident
victory. 1t is true that court-martals are held
that privates condemned to be shot, and officers
10 be cashiered that whole regiments have evinced
mutinous spirit and that quite a number OF
malcontents have been sent TO the dry Tortugas
to eXpate their offences among the barren sands
of that region; but these are CLOSED over as mere
peccadillos that incidental to what Mr.. WIN
TER DAVIS Would call 'the free play of freemen' s
"spirits, and are by no means to he regarded
as disturbing the harmony, or casting a
damper upon the enthusiasm of the
"Grand Army" OF course, the frequent
dentally speak are also attributable to any other
cause than that Of disgust for the service We are
moreover assured that the health of the troops is
remarkably good, Notwithstanding the numbers
that are in the hospitals, the trenches that have
been dug 10 bury the dead, and, in spite of the
announcement which appears in the Northern
papers, that orders have been recently issued for
fifteen thousand additional beds-although it is
fair 10 add that this latter provision may possibly
be in anticipation of battle In regard to army
news, the same system of suppression, exaggera-
tion or of false coloring, prevails. Does General
BANKS move towards Harper's Ferry-he is going
TO gather those laurels from the Coniederates
which PATTERSON, his predecessor, SO sig
nally failed to secure. Does General BANKS
fall back from Harper's Ferry to Westinghouse
is TO choose better camping ground, where his
troops may be free from the heavy fogs of the
upper Potomac. Is there skirmish from OPP
posite sides OF the river-it is exultingly pro-
claimed that the loss on the Confederate side was
much larger than on that Of the Federas; and
that, by this paltry exchange of shots, and espe-
cialy in consequence of the valor displayed by the
latter, the Conlederates were efectually prevented
in their attempt TO cross the river in force.
Every movement outside the lines of Alex
andria and Arlington, that the Government gra-
ciously permits TO be made public, comes to us
with similar embellishments. The most trfng
successes are magniied; but of scouting parties
surrounded and taken prisoners of skirmishes that
ended disastrously, and Of repulses met with in
much more serious attacks, We hear nothing
by the mouth of common rumors or through the
medium of private letters. The Administration
arroganly expects us to believe just what it thinks
proper to state and no more. Even the evidence
of ones own senses is declared to be no evidence
at all If there is heavy cannonading heard across
the Potomac, and from the dome of the capitol
volumes Of smoke are seen to envelop Munson's
Hill, we are graveiy assured that no fighting has
taken place, but that the troops were engaged in
"battery practice If there are well-founded re-
ports of the continuous firing of small arms, it is
carefully explained 20 being nothing more than
"musketry practice" Ifquite a number of closed
ambuances pass on their way to the hospitals, and
the aceiden al blowing aside of curtain betrays
the fact that they contain wounded men, it were
little less than reasonable to question the asser-
hon that the poor patients groaning in their great
agony, are not wounded, but are stricken down
by disease. The edict has gone forth that all bad
tdings shall be suppressed and that nothing shall
be made known which does not tend to inspire the
North with confidence in its own power and Prov
ess, and to foster the war spirit. For the same
purpose, and with the same object in view, the
condition of the Confederaes is represented as
being deplorable in the extreme They are without
shoes, without blankets, are badly clothed, worse
fed; and they are sad in addition to be suffering,
to an extraordinary extent, with measles, smallpox,
typhoid fever, and variety of other diseases. OF
course, "tbe respectable clergyman" or that
other "party from which the Government has fire.
'luenty obtained accurate information with re-
''spect to the 'state of affairs at Manassas
also takes great pains to inform us that President
DAVIS certainly died Son Monday morning
sat seven O'Clock" and of ''congestive chills;i'
that the troops are much disheartened since ''the