The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-23
The Lessons Of Our Defeat.

The lessons Of Our Defeat.
Letting oil the details Of the affair go-lor
about these there may be some doubt or ques-
ton-the bare fact stares lis in the face that the
Union army OF Virginia has been beaten back
by the rebel forces, and has retreated upon
Washington. Weak minds succumb to defeat,
and whine, whimper and speculate about ii.
The wise and the strong make adversely the
stepping stone TO success. and turn present de-
ieats into the means Of future victories. Let
us, then leave tears and lamentations to weak
women, and calmly consider the lessons Of our
defeat and the course to be taken to retrieve it.
The great battle at Bulls run settles one
question automatically and beyond a perad-
venture. 1t shows that the South is entirely at
The mercy Of the North. 1t eXplodes the Oft
repeated boast that one Southerner is a match
for five Northern men. Our troops have driven
an enemy. outnumbering them two to one, from
his own batteries, carefully and completely
fortified. There is nc question about that.
That our forty-dve thousand soldiers, wearied
by days hard lighting retreated before
ninety thousand Of the enemy, twenty thou
sand OF whom were fresh and untired,
does not invalidate this conclusion. That Il
panic caused the precipiiae fight of our over
tatigued soldiers does not affect the case. The
logical fact still remains, that if our troops can
beat those Of the South against such heavy odds,
we can beat them man TO man. We have only
to send Sle men, aud our success is inevitable.
There is the consolation and The remedy for
this defeat.
Let il be remembered, also, that this is de-
feat, not Of the people of the North, but of the
administration and it's military advisers. The
people wished to send hundreds of thou
sands Of troops into Virginia. so as
TO make retreat an impossibility The
soldiers were offered. The administra-
ton and its advisers decided that fifty
thousand men were enough for Virginia, aud re-
fused to accept the eager volunteers Let them
read The result of their refusal by the gun.aash-
es at Bulls run. Let them atone, if they can,
for the murderous crime Of sending an inefficient
force against an overwhelming and strongly
intrenched enemy, when thousands of brave sol
diers have been refused leave to fight.
Nor does the criminality of the affair end
here What is true in the aggregate is true in
the detail The people demanded competent
and experienced officers. The military advisers
of the administration gave them imbeciles.
Ought General Johnstons army to have been
allowed to reach Manassas to reinforce Beatlre-
gard The people demanded strong cavalry
force The administration declined regiment
after regiment Was not cavalry needed on our
side to oppose that of the South, which harassed
and routed our troops? The people demanded
careful preparation and ample security against
defeat. The administration listened to the abo-
lition bowls of Forward to Richmond and
gave the people--the slaughter of Bloody Run.
These are stern facts; but they carry their re-
cipe with them. Let the administration and it's
advisers listen to the voice of the people, and
disregard the frantic shouts of fanatics, whom
the thick smoke Of the late battle should have
choked. Let the Cabinet, the Army, the Navy,
and every other department of the government,
be purged of imbecles and blunderheads forth
with. Let experienced officers lead our gal
liant men, and our General Woods change
places with our Pattersons. Let the army Of
FIVE hundred thousand men authorized by Con-
gress be put into the field. Let more troops
be called out, if that number is not sufa-
cient to give us three hundred thousand mon in
Virginia Let this army be carefully and pro-
perly equipped, and supplied with every detail
Of cavalry. sharpshooters and artillery to make
il effective. Let 1t not move one foot forward
until il is ready. no matter who may cry ''on-
ward That is what The people imperaiively
demand. That is the necessity Of the crisis.
Will the administration listen and obey?
God only knows what disasters hang on the
skirts of the battle of Bulls run. Already
the people begin Ito talk Of the secession of
Kentucky. Missouri and Maryland; to regard
the European recognition Of the Southern con-
federacy as not improbable; to ask "is Wash
ington safe ?" 10 be doubtful OF the propriety of
enlistng under such leaders. Have not the
administration and its military advisers done
enough for themselves and for the abolitionists
Will they not now do something for the coun-
try They have only to act, and the result is
certain.
Great Britain and thc War-Thc Battle
nj Bulls Kun.
The English steamer which is to leave this
country tomorrow will convey to the nations
of Europe the intelligence Of great battle
fought in defence Of the integrity of the United