The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-20


tells us, may seal up port, but If he Lots Oh
vessel In, his right is gone; and It therefore fol-
lows that when q federal cruiser willingly a.
lows snip to pass blockaded port upon pay
ment OF customs, the blockade will terminate.
1t is very well for Lord Palmerston to lay down
the law; bat as no federal cruiser IL goinr will
lingly to allow ship to pass upon payment of
customs, the blockade will not come to sud-
den termination, and Lord Palmerston might a.
we'll have remained silent on the subject. He
has only displayed the selfish policy of his gov
ernment by hostile and uncalled for disserta-
ton.
The timely letter of Mr. Russell to the Lon
don Times, which we give in another column,
speaks of the retreat as acowardly rout, miser-
able, causeless panic, and disgraceful to men in
uniform. But this is rather overstating the case,
as 1t would lead the world to imply that there
was no cause for what took place, and that our
troops acted cowardly. But the fact is
that the men fought with heroic bravery
against far superior numbers for many hours,
and the panic originated among few towards
nightfall, when strong rebel reinforcements
came up, like the Prussians against the French
at Waterloo, and decided the fate of the day,
our troops being too much exhausted to pro-
long the conflict. We owe the disaster more to
bad generalship than to want of courage or
stamina among our volunteers. And as for run
ming away, Mr. Russell himselfset the example,
and, riding foaming steed was foremost of AN
in the line of retreat so distancing even Jeifer-
son Brick in his ride for life towards Washing
ton. We cannot Of course hide from ourselves
the fact that we suffered disastrous defeat at
Bull run, although less so than we were at first
ledFto suppose. But the causes Of that defeat
could have been, and ought to have been,
and will in future be, guarded against. The
finest armies in the world have yielded to
panic; and those who know anything
of military panics know how perfectly irresisti-
BILE they are, and from what slight and unbound
ed alarms they sometimes arise. We learned a
lesson at Bull run which will be of great service
to us during the remainder of the campaign, and.
profiting by experience, we shall be more GER
tain of victory hereafter. By this time the re-
jOicing in England over the disaster may have
subsidized, with the knowledge that our military
strength is greater than before it occurred.
But whether such be the case or not, let us as
sure the British government, that however much
they may see occasion to rejoice, they are great
ly mistaken if they think the rebellious States
are one whit more likely to break up this Union
and establish their separate independence. They.
must and they will return to their allegiance,
and till they do so England, alike with France
AID all nations, must be content to remain
without Southern cotton. If the English govern
ment are thinking about forcing the blockade.
let them ask John Bright if they can afford TO-
do it and pay the penalty. We apprehend, in
the words of an old proverb, that they will think
twice before they leap once in the matter.