, 1861-09-06


hta troops at Manassas, accusing his senior ota,,
Ger, Col. Miles, who Was In command Of q
brigade. OF being drunk and incapable on the
field, and Col Niles In reply publishing q
statement, Hhich appears IN al the newspa.
pera, IN which he says he WaS not drunk, and
Pfays God to forgive his aceuser, They will
be taught by experience aud the sweet uses
Of adye1sity-bitter to them-wiil force them
TO bend to discipline In order that they may
eoEqEer and It they desire to cef1y on the
campaign, and escape the Caudine Forks, they
muet Etcop, aB people free, Intelligent aud
brave as they are have done, to the thtall Of
order and obedience.
M'CLMLAN's REFoRhs.
That much can be done by the judicious
exercise Of authority in enforcing military
Tnses and eg1lhtions among them, as among
TIE rest Of mankind, is concluEively shown b.
the great changes and improvements effected
IN the army OF Washington, and, above all, in
the city itself, BY young General McClellan,
Who bids fair to be the next President, If his
SUCCESS is at all commensurate with the ener-
nous praise and fattery which, much against
his will, are forced down his throat. Before
bis noEairatiop, the streets Of the Capital pre-
hly Fever seen in any civilized city. A rout-
ed, demo1a.ized army, with just sufficient
equipment to enable them to be terror to
eavil!sns, and to inflict death and wounds in
their drunken qnarre!s, crowded the thorough
tares, formidable only to those whom they
bs1s we're filed WITH officers whose rcgim snts
we're in a state Of complete disorganlzation.
1he small t1adespeOple trembled for their 1T
Tic steres. Suddenly out comes IN order,
which give entire, lest it might Be said thu
wo1es t g.. have 2! used exeggesate the condition
[Here followsa copy Of GeBsrai McC!snan's
o1der 1orbidding abserteeiEu from camp
amorg the officers ofrcgimsnts around Wash
ingtor.]
THE FORCE On TIE POTOMAC.
Gene 1a1 Luns, who commands the Spanlsh
troops in Cube, has been over here on tour,
sId he expressed to ME his profound astonish-
Eent at the State Of things visible in the
CAMPS on the other side of the Potomac. He
Was here, however, at a bad time-just after
the flight from Manassas. HIS criticism, how
ever, On lazy sentr1es, on sloverlY and ILL.,
equipped troops, on dirty arms and accoutre-
ments, we're just. Above all, he was amazed
that in an army Of recruits there was no drill
CT exercise to be seen. Company drill is not
much attended to; the bastalicn drill is Of
the most elementary character; and, indeed,
with the exception Ct the skirmishipg at Cairo,
l have never seGn anything but ordinary ai-
V5nce in line, or marching past at slow time,
OF ct The double in columns Of companies or
ct 81 bdivisienF, and such common moveme ents.
the Ulcers as 11uch "a from the incompetnncv
OF the rank and file. General Mcclellan is
talking about br1gede C1ii1s snd field days,
and there is esme nonsense attributed to hun
about d-:lling by trumpet, which means, l
pitEume, that be is about to have more IT.
fentlo1 paid to bug1e notes in giving order
ttan is at present. the case-
Tie IeW leVles, as far IS eau judge, ara
Iet equal to the departed three months men,
ard the camps are Certainly rot as well filed.
Ihere sre about p batta.ions cf infantry of
IL 2crts, aEd eight equaGrors Of cavalry in
tie espital ond around It on the left bank Of
tie Potomcc, up TO the Chain Bridge. There
ere some 80 battalioEs across tbs river, aud
Esme 700 Eabres, the whole 9oree being prob.
ably under Is eco men, Eot including BAuks' i
Column at H&rper'e Ferry, CT the c5mmands
ct GIN. Butler, and Of Gen. Dix ct Baltimore.
Of The 49 guns which McDoWell's army took
into tie field, rs remain in the hands CT the
enemy, and there is some deficiency in artil-
le1E, which Government is doing ifs best to
supply. Gen. Mcdowell, am glad to cay,
rtmalHB in command of the troops at Arsing.
ton, although serious accusations have been
made against him n the papers, most if not
all Of which were quite unfounded. What
as the President said, drive the locomotive
SIS he ttund it ~
THE WAR TO GO ON.
I am net quite certain that the silence
which has obtained in Europe in reference to
the co! f1.ct will not soon be resented a5 en-
iMFertirence and an Insulting a1fecsation ct
Indifference to that which Americans regard
as the e1estest contest the world has e7e1
ssen. No cne can be honestly Indifferent to
the results, Tor they must affect Europe, Just
rs any greet disturbance in any State must
produce an impression upon the rrst Of the
world. Il IS useless to FAY that We are not
Jealous Of tie grandeur and glory Of the Uui-
rod nfe {pr+ t,, ,n41
gard the thing as impossible. Il IL, indeed
impossible to regard with Indifference the
light which hes such enorm on5 interests ami
gfeat principles involved in the issue, b1t il
Is unfortunate fer the United States that it has
~ turns atfrouted nearly every Gevernment
= mpstlzss Of tie people for those whoappea1
bet9Te them as the friends Of liberty.
There is one thing to be said about civil
wars-thsy do not last long. 1t is probable
!Eat tie 'exceptiona!:sm," L enc may use the
word, on which Ii, Americans rather pride
Themselves, will -: l:rs7a;l in the case ofthe
stfrggle between ~. North and South. Elct
Of the conterding parties, however, believes il
is sure to win. TIE voices from the South
are, 10 be cure, rather deadened, ard those o1
tie North are swollen and blown out through
penny trumlets and brass whistles, bat there
is sti1l reason to think shat both are bent On
having it out" And, indeed, the Nortt
must do SO, even if separation come, for ther:
would not and could not be an hono1ahl:
peace if it followed an u1avenged defeat in
contest wherein the Tictor5 had annouaced
beforehand that their opponents were desti
tnte OF courage AID manhood. It would nc!
be possible for the North to live on terms o
decent amity with the South if the leaders o.
both sides we're to agree to peace to morrow
The violent and triumphant jubilation of th
corque1ors Il Would render it mere armist:c
Ct short duration Those who can see the re
construction Of the great republic in the Waz
ring elements Of this great conyuleion mus
believe in come nsW atomic theory, and il
some novel chemistry Of political a1linities.
RUINS.
| AS ! passed the State Department the othe
Gay, onseTred on the ground great col1na-
| Of marble III wooden cot1inlike cases lying b
! the roadside; near the White House there wa
| similar food fer ruins. Above the rnfi1ishe
dome Of the Capitol rises grsat machinery C
scafoidage and leverage, motionless and lifi
less, and around the very building in Whic
Senator and Representative keep high debate
lie the vast fragments which at some futur
day are meant to suprlant arch and dome -ta
| ideas ola conception not Jet brought iato be
| ing. There are, then, TIVE sorts Of ruins
those Of the things which have been, and thos
Of the thing which is net yet, and may n5ve
be at all. It WAS strange to see That all th