Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-09-05
prom the London Times, August To-


Trom the London Times, August 1oI
The Northern states Of America.
The people Of the Northern States Of Anne
RIGA are behaving after their defeat IN man.
ner which is somewhat unaccountable. They
do not seem at all Inclined TO Lessen its inn
portanee.e fhey do not affect to conceal that
they have been totally and disgracefuliy de-
feated; that their opinions OF their own mer-
its and Of their enemy g Deficiencies were un-
founded, and that, instead of a short and
brilliant campaign, they must either prepare
for q desperate war or give up the scheme of
subjagaing the South. And yet this nation
al calamity and this grieveus shame do not
seem to affect them as they would affect an
European community. They even take a
pleasure in the sensation caused by their uu-
paralielee defeat. Excitement is to all eias-
ses necessary daily dram, and, if they have
it, it matters not whether it is bought by
success or misfortune. Then the peopie
have SO little realized The meaning of war.
aud they have such confidence in their own
energy aud fortunes, in their faculty of what
they call coming fright side up'ards," that
as community they are no more depressed
by total rout than they would be in their
Individual capacities by pecu1iary loss.
A singular trait in human character is ex-s
hiblted by their open acknowledgment to all
the world Of defeat, coupled with the sen
thusiastic reception which they are giving
to whole regiments of volunteers, who, on
pretence OF their time being up, are march
ing homeward on the marrow of a great de-
feat, and on the eve of an expected advance
OF the Southern army. The more aristocratic
New I ork volunteers had returned home long
before the battle at Bull Run, and now regi.
ments from almost every State are fastening
back to their respective districts. to be re-
ceived with the ioudest plaudits of their
friends. The 14th Ohio, on returning to To-
ledO, experienced very cordial reception"
It was mentioned that, after a few weeks
turlough they would be ready to enlist, those
few weeks. for all that they know, being, de-
tined to decide the fate of the Union forever
But the most extraordinary case is that of
Gen. Patterson's army. The General, ac-
cOrding to his own account, was in fir ont of
Gen. Johnston. who had 10000 men. my
force is less than 10000. Nineteen regi-
ments, whose term of service was, up, or
| would be within a week, all refused TO stay a'a
hour oUer their time, with the exception of four.
Five regiments have gone home, two more
go to-day, and three more tomorrow. TO
| avoid being cut off with the remainder,I fell
back and occupied this place"
| This is, we think, one of the most astound
| ing incidents in the history of war. 1t en-
| tirely agrees with the statement given by our
| special correspondent, that while the cannon
| of BeauregaId were thanderingiu their ears,
| a regiment of volunteers passed him on their
| way home, their months term oil service
| being complete. Ii such thing had happen
| ed to one corps, it might have been set down
| to the bad counsel of one or more discomfort
ed spirits, or to the injudicious conduct of
/ some commanding officers. But here it is
evident that the whole volunteer army of
the Northern States is worthless as military
4 II is.. M tn IN
| the behavior of men who, pretending to
| rush to arms for the salvation of their
| country, make off in thousands when the en-
| envy come in sight, and leave their General
to take care of himself. This is certainly
carrying to its further limit that right of Sc
cession which they few to arms to punish.
| In any other country such conduct would be
looked upon the extreme OF baseness.-
But the Americans do not view il as such.
| and they, perhaps, have an instructive sense
of the justice of the case. They feel how
hollow has been so much of the Indignation
expressed by their party-how much the
campaign against the South is sham, enter
ed into i'm obedience to a sensation" policy,
and differing widely from the earnest and
steady resolve which animatcs men who are
| fighting for objects really dear to them. If
England or France were invading the North
ern States, no one can believe that a whole
American army would evaporate because
| three calendar months were up; nor, to bring
matters nearer home. can we. imagine that
| the Southerners will take the rail homeward
while New York rowdies aud Boston Abo-
| iitionists are desolating the villages of Vir-
ginia. ~ H.-h ~ -ssi.
In all ages success in war has inclined to
| the party which is fighting for an existence.
and is consequently steeled to . sterner re-
solve. There is want of this earnestness
| to be noticed in the conduct of the Northern
ers They take things easy to a degree
which astonishes an Englishman who recol-
| lects the frenzy which followed the misfor-
| tunes of our army at the end or 1854. The
whole story OF the battle of Bull Run is Civ
en- by the Northern papers, of course with
many variations, but we are bound to say,
| with entire candor. The completeness of the
/ defeat, the courage OF the enemy, and the
panic of their own army, are not extenuated
or denied in any way. There is, of course,
the usual tendency TO lay the blame on the
| commanders, and to save the self-loye of the
army at the expense of its chiefs. But, making
allowances for this, it is probable not only
that the leaders were incompetent, but the
mass of the troops felt that they were. From
| the first there seems to have been little pur-
pose in anything that was done. The adj
vance began before dawn; aud one writer
says that even at that early hour there seem
| ed lack of unity and direct purpose among
the officers, which was sometimes made too
evident to the troops not to affect their spir-
it and demeanor. At the very opening of
| the day it was plain to ali that real and
sound discipline was abandoned. On the
other hand, the Confederates toere evidently com
manded by men Oho kpow something Of soar.
/