Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-09-05
From the London Post, June 26. The Organ of the English Premier on the Battle of Big Bethel

It is. however believed that the north ern army, under command of General Scott, amounts to sixty thousand men, and that the enemy has in the field force which is supposed to range from seventy to ninety thousand men. The former, If we may iudge from the recent affair near Fort Mon- roe, appeared to be ill-discplined and inc ficiently commanded. The regiments which were despatched, under the command of General Pierce, to attack the intrenched camp at Great Bethel were speedily repuls
 ed, and in the darkness of the night fired ppon each other This disaster is attribu- ted to the msmanagement of Gen. Pierce, who, 1t is stated, "lost his head" or to the disinclination of the raw northern lev ies to face masked batteries and to stand " the galling fire of riiled cannon" The military operations which hitherto have taken place in America seem to European nations, to be utterly inexplicablc. In this country we know comparatively little or nothing of the organizations of the South
 ern forces. We are obliged to draw our conclusions from the not very trust wor- thy accounts with which the New York pa pers favor the world. Itis, however, clear that both in the attack upon Fort Sumter and in the recent affair at Great Bethel the secessionists were well provided with artil
 lery, and that their troops were sufti- ciently well handled to secure success. We suspect that the delay and hesitation which have marked the policy of the teder- al governmet are to be attributed mainly to the circumstances that Gen. Scott, an able and experienced officer, knows that militia regiments cannot, in the short space of two months, be converted into well trained and efficient soldiers. Gen. Butler, who di- rccted the disastrous movement from Fort Monroe, was the other day a practicing lawyer, who of course cannot be expected to become general by inspiration. The Northern army appears to be in great want of officers, owing to the circumstance that the great majority of the officers of the regular army have thrown up their com missions to take service with the Southern insurgents. In few days we may expect to hear that Manassas Gap has been the scene of great struggle, upon the issue of which the Federal capital must depend. Lytherto Ae prestige of success has been olto- gether on Me side ofMe SoutA-a matter of Me greatest importance atthe commencement cf compeign. Nr. Jeferson Doyis op- pears Co haoe C ceH equipped, weU oficered, and ceH organieed army; whilst Mr. Lin- coln and General Scott haye under Meir cone- n,ond roaO le0ies, more .toymidable onpoper Han Mey are Co an enemy in the feld. Ac- tual warfare, however. is a sharp and quick instructor, ,and the Northernp opulaton have only to initiate the energy and activity of the Southern insurgents to learn those habits of discipline and to collect those re- sources upon which success depends quite as much upon enduring courage and good and righteous cause. The two armies were approaching each other, and the fight which seemed imminent at Manassas Gap will in all probability decide not the fate of the campaign, but whether the North or the South is to become the invading army.