Litchfield enquirer., 1861-07-25

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THURSDAY, JULY 25 1861.
The Moral of Defeat.

The report of the sad, dejecti1g news, whicl
 ached probably every town is this County or
 .onday afternoon, of the repuse and defeat O oar army at Manassas Junctioa, and their retreat ~-aic-stricken and dismayed before the over helming force of the enemy-while 1t IS happily foatradicted in many of is details by later re- ;,rts, affords a lesson and moral which is well = appreciate and heed.}
 It shows, in the first place, how near and dea' :; the cause and Ae struggle in which we are en ~,ged to every warm patriotic heart. Twenty
 .illions of Northern freemen on the news of tha
 feat have had every drop of their blood stirred
 thin them, burning to wipe out the dishonor n Monday night, it is safe to say TEN REGIMENTS
 ;uld have been mustered in Connecticut to pro t4cd immediately to the scene of battle, asking oly for the opportunity to lead the van on to vic t:->sy or death!
 And so all over the country, amid the general loom and sorrow, thank God but few-a re'.y @:w, with souls blacker than perdition, had any ''her thought than renewed VOW to Heaven md' s'e Union and Me Republic must De prese'ced ~nd this wicked, devilish rebellion should be shoroughly and everlastingly quenched.
 And this is the second lesson this temporary .'efeat of our Nations army teaches, That Me .:me for temporizing uM traitors at home $ :, sst Not in anger because of our defeat, but in ,e face of such thrilling facts these, when our ,yn soldiers have lain down their lives for their country, are we to cherish and foster and ozloac ypen-mouthed secessionists to promulgate theil :2ntiments in our own communities? Are we tc r,cognize as fellow w-citizens men who in thought nd speech acish the overthrow of this Republic, ,le defeat of our arms, and an ignominious sur. r.:nder which shall acknowledge the right of se. cession? Are we to aid and assist, are we to countenance or harbor such men in society, in heir business, in our daily intercourse? Should they not rather be hbooed and stricken out of the pale of recognition even, if they are to escape :. ith no worse rebuke than the contempt with mich every loyal citizen views them ?
 There is certain class of men in every com. saunity, who do not like to be called "Secession, ,ts" or " Traitors," who even have the unblush ing temerity to call themselves Union men, y ,ho are more than gratifed to learn that fathers md husbands and brothers and sons are slain in his cause, even if they do not gloat over such a rcpulse and frightful carnage as our army has passed through with fendish glee. Such men nannot conceal their base desires and hopes from ne eyes of an observing community. Such men il the midst of general gloom and heart-rending *orrow will talk pompously and blatantly, not to peak of the miserable ignorance and sophistry with which they argue-of '' Lincolns superccd- ing his powers the fright of Secession ot Virginia Reservation" and the like.
 We tell you gentlemen, his sort ef talk 1cia not do! We have heard it and borne it long though, and the patience of patriotic northern people is we'll nigh exhausted. Look to it that you be not effectually silenced! Heed the low 'autterings of feeling that will not be confined to wailings for our slaughtered patriot t-band al ways! Be careful lest the ruin you hope fol others be not visited on yourselves! Con fine your reasonable utterances within doors-a your homes. Better for your homes that you lock them safely in your own traitorous breasts
 These are lessons of the temporary defeat oi our arms, as we view them lessons for the pa, trot and the traitor both.