Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-09-14
The Consultations of Defeat.

The ways of Providence are full of compen-
sations. What is evil turns out to be greater
good And thus it is, we are inclined to think,
with the invasion of the coast Of North Caro-
lima, and the capture Of some 800 confederate
troops In the first place, this Yankee sue
cess, we trust, will put an end to our "masterly
inactivity" on the Potomac Fabius adopted
his defensive policy after he had ascertaiued
from three pitched battles, in which the Ro.
mans were defeated, that the Carhagenian
troops under the leadership OF one of the three
greatest generals the world has ever seen, were
an oyernIatch for the Roman sodiery. The
government of the confederate states has been
playing Fabtus without having his reasons Tor
his policy. We have not been beaten by the
Yankees On the contrary in every battle
the superiority of the confederate states
troops TO the United States troops had
been evinced. Yet we have persistenty
hung on TO the defensive. From eight to
ten thousand troops, with hundred and forty
cannon bearing ON Fort Pickens, have been
diligently watching the said tort. We watched
Fort Sumter with equal energy, when our
enemy was kind enou- III to put a stop to our
watching by informing us that he intended to
reinforce the tort. Then, and not until then
did we do what could as well have been done
long bctore-take the tort. AT Bethel Church
we stood on the defensive, and so at both
of the battles on Bull Run. The battle of
Manassas in its sequel is, we believe totally
unparalleled in the history oil war We van.
pushed our enemy with one half our troops,
and with the other half unharmed we neither
cut off his retreat nor pursued HIM in his flight
And still further-we quietly continued on our
camsiEg ground occupied before the fight, and
thus gave our enemy ample time to recover
from his defeat, and put in force a stronger
army, again to meet us in battle Under the
Fabian policy, our army has remained
stationary, tor the last six weeks, a prey
to ennm and discomfort, discomfort and
disease, whilst tie capitol at Washington
could almost be seen from the generals
tents. How long the policy of "masterly
inactivity" would have continued, God only
knows. 1t was gravely announced in a
Richmond paper, that they were intrepid.
ly waiting for the enemy to come on
again, The enemy, however, very wisely de-
termined that, as they were left the range of
tile whole continent TO attack, Bull Run was
not the choicest place for their future opera
tons. They accordingly make descent on
the coast of North Carolina Perhaps our
government was astonished that they did not
return to Bull Run but seeing that such exr
pectalions were not in accordance with Yankee
policy, they see the necessity of advancing on
Washington. 1t is clear that our Yankee enc
.hiee' away P"S""y US lnto our OeSt postum,
intend to force us into the alternative of
campaign in Maryland, or the devastation of
our sea coast The Carolinas, Georgia, and
Florida, are TO be defended in Maryland. 1t
is there, by firm and dggressiUe war, that the
United States must, on our part, be forced to
defend themselves. Immediately afer the
battle of Manassas, the troops threatening
Richmond from the coast were removed to
Washington. Let us burn Washington, iiber.
ate Maryland and threaten or march into
Pennsylvania, and our coasts will be protected.
Is not the invasion of North Carolina, with
all lis loss of men and forts, an admirable ben.
eft, it it forces us into the only policy by
which peace can be won by our arms