, 1861-08-27
THE RATIONALE OF THE BATE
AZ MANASSAS
The Times Rebuked.


During the agony Of our Indian Rebellion,
when Tie fate Of an empire tremb1ed in the
balance, and the proud heart Of England was
shaken with anguish, the sympathy Of Europe,
in the presence Of a calamity in which the
whole Of Chtistendom seemed to partake,Was
all but universally expressed. Ancient eAtni-
tics, foreign jea1ouBies, held their peace for
while, and ''natural enemies WED with the
nearest and dearest friends in generous grief
&nd hope. Among foes and aliens, il q tone
of sneeriug pity or Of c0ntemPtuous regret
Jared upon the public ear, it was instantly
covered with shame and reprobation BY no.
bier voices. Over the narrow seas gallant
people watched our varying fortunes with tha:
Haternal interest which brave men feel in 1he
actions Of the brave faint aad few, indeed,
were the mutterings Of unmanly and Raiig-
nant exultation at the tragic vicissitudes-of
mortal struggle which history shudder to za-
call. But amOng our kins1ne1 beyond the
Atlantic it Was not mere interest that was felt
for England at that terrible moment, OF com
mon human sympathy: it is but the simple
OF Lucknow and Caw1pore were honored and
lameuted by the people Of the United States,
and the trials and exploits Of English courage
and endurance treasured up as the immortal
part Of an ihdivisibie inheritance Of blood,
language, and renoWP.
And ye; there t0ere voices Of hate, envy, and
savage joy to break the reeolnte stiffness Of
the national soEr0w, and to insult the sy mpa-
tbies Of Christian Europe. Abroad, aud even
at home, there were "Sepoy" journals, which
recountsd with undisgul5ed satisfaction the
lorrcrs Of the nnttny, and frantieally fore
told the end Of British rule in India, These
"Stpoy" Journals, however, had one redeem
iIg nerlt-the frankness Of their ferocious
taunts and sinister predictions was appalling;
but it IVES more toietable than insult and
outrage disguised In protesting pity, or eimu-
| la1ipg Fegretfuf aInazement and compassion.
;. H. Ill
| foE England, We trust it may not be rem en-
| 5eTed That the most powerful, aud, therefore,
mast responsible of English Journals celebrAt-
| ed the iGsue Gi The first great battle between
the arMy Of the United States and the army Of
| the Southern rebels, as Loss Of all, " even OF
| military homer" 10 citizen volunteers vino
| had foug lit for nine hours Of a summers day
agaiEst overwhelming odds, for cause as sa,
cred as law and order, az precious as national
Gberty and unity. Our contemporary would
fa!u, it should eeem, endeavor to reduce the
conflict to the dimensions Of border raid
or batharers brawl- But, as this is impos
| slble, it dagr1de6 var from which anarchy
and slavery, or freedom purified and ordered
anew for higher purposes, must spring to the
| proportions Of 81 a eenaeless and bloody
STRIFE" This is not only to carricature living
facts it is to give the Lie to history. Civil Wal
it was that made the ancestors Of the meE
who fought atBu1l Run great and free; though
those days who condemned the tsenseless aaf
bloody strife" by Wnicn our forefathers dearl,
| purchased at the cost Of their lives all tha
their descendants ROW enjoy. Civil war, too
| though, no doubt, It Was sometimes Il a sense
less and bloody strife," has done Bomethin.
freedom, Of France. Had England displayed
that humility and contentment which tacili
tates peaee'' In the days OF the 8tuarts, o
France ii the face OF the coalition Of oil
t monarch:es, Ee know not If France weult
now be gEeater or England fteer, but assured
~ there would be Little enough upon whIcl
to congratulate the survivors Of either Reve
1utien.
The cynical se16shness with which the put
lie opinion OF England is SO often credited b
foreigners has never found more exalted G.
preston than in these reckless utterance|
Nor arc these OPINIONS, even in tb cir OF
serse, discerning or acute. It Wae to be e
ptcted that a defeat Of the Federal arm
would, in the eyes Of the adrsit and abject b.
GeVers in the sacredness of SUCCESS lend t
the cause Of the south a legitimacy which n
reasoning could ever gaia for it. Yet a
ready it is clear that the results Of the actio
of the 21st were not SO disastrous to th
Federal army as to forbid altogetht
d Southern advance this year. The victol
. | Of the Southern army was due no doubt |
superior Ekili II its leaders, but the choice
, q defensive position, and the arrival Of tim
" reinforcements must be taken into accoul
On the ZANE eide; and the tpanic'' that de,
ded the issue Of the fight, is an incident n
unparalleled in military annals Of Europes
Powers. The losses both In men and in n
8 terial of the Federalist forces are not SO co
: siderable Is Waa at first reported. On Il
Q other hand, the scope Of the war is infinite
!. enlarged. and the protraction Of the conte
Is all in favor Of those who have the large
reserye Of men and means, A defe
"a Of the North shuts the door to compronia
u OF to acquiescence in any terps the South c
e offer. Tie Union is bound to conquer no
= The spirit Of New England and the Nor;
e west will rise to tie occasion and We of t
q old race, tried and strengthened By many
verses, ehall not be surprised If cur kinsm
rever rest until they have turned defeat il
victory. It may be that the triumph Of t
cause Of freedom must date from a defe
An easy war Is often content to subside il
: 81 ing1orious peace.