Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-10-15
w. d. WALLACH.
THE PROSPECTS OF THE NORTH.
[From the London Spectator

Oaim COiiccteu persistence IN
which has taken those who judged them by the
Irish mob Of New York wholly by surprise, as
Is already exercising its effect on European
opinion. With that wonderful quickness which
the American shares with the French intellect,
they have apprehended the causes as well as
the occasion of their defeat, and set themselves
at once to their removal. Even qualities
which seemed to impede q successful prosecu-
tion Of the war have been, fer the moment laid
aside The race which defied even the control
essential to social order, has strengthened tho
hands OF government with almost imprudent
zeal. Men who for century have resisted the
regular police now sanction domieiliary visits,
approve arrests, and applaud the Wholesale
removal Of suspected officers. Politicians
whose avowed theory has been that " govern
ment at best was a necessary evil, urge on the
Executive to acts European government
would only defend on the plea Of necessity
advocate passports, defend the suspension of
the habsas corpus, and discuss with an ap-
proving smile projects of conscription to which
the balloting for the militia is mild. Glasses
usually inimical to the cOmmOnest order as an
interference with the liberty ofcitizens, vote
for mon who have supported martial law in
disHected districts, and purchase papers which
clamor for martial law directed against them
selves. Free intercOmmunicatiOn seemed to
Americans like free breath, privilege
without which life is impossible or worthless :;
with public safety it was given up. The gov
ernment yesterday 30 weak, now controls the
railways, the posts the ports, the telegraphs
questions whom it will, arrests at discretion,
violates inconvenient estate rights" with
entire impunity. The better class Americans
detested politics, but it is they and not he
politicians who are now rapidly strengthen
ing the Executive. They avoided military
service except in command but, says Mr. Rus
sell, the Irish and Germans in the new army
are only auxiliaries. If there was one feeling
which seemed universal in the North it was dis.
like of the federal army. Time after time West
Point was only saved from wild reductions by
southern votes. The ''people" exulted in their
right to make military officers and talked nom
sense necessarily about volunteers in Mexico
Since July 2lst the same men have called in
cessantly for " trained" officers and the vol
unteer commandants Of local influence, able
tongues and no idea of discipline, have been
removed in scores. The &" insubordinate' SOL
diery have submitted TO orders which menace
death for writing private letters, death for
drunkenness and death for insult to An officer
The sternest commander the troops had had
in command is the idol Of the army. Drink
ing, quarreling, uproar are things Uf the past,
and though the men are still troublesome
about food, 30 are all soldiers on earth, British
GusrdsmeR excepted. The American nation,
in short, moved by great cause, and with its
volatile hduteHr, softened by great defeat,
has submitted itself to the discipline it con-
temned. If the Government need still larger
pevers they will obtain them, for the people
are in the mood when sslf-denisl seems almost
an expiatiou- Ii rs trash to talk of all thls
az a reign Of terror. Thvs rs nor a soldier
EH Net0 YORK or MGsSachHsetts IchO as NOT o f
ths people, aetHHtsd by ersry popular InpHtss,
seHSatIre 10 ereTy breeze of popular opinion.
That there are many sett-Offs to be reckOned
agsinst this strange phase of public feeling we
willingly admit. Part Of it, no doubt, is mere
ephemeral impulse-a war feeling such as has
led EagIishmen to subscribe unasked loans for
a revolutionary war, or drill the whole pOpu-
lation into a national guard. No doubt, too,
the upper classes are only too rejOiced at any
opportunity of securing the strong Executive
for which they have long pined, delight in a
police which, if arbitrary, can at least hang
roudies, and n passport system which keeps
out the securing Of Irishmen and Germans
Above all, il is undeniable that many strong
acts OF the government are partly or wholly
indefensible. There is too much disposition to
pay cd old scores, to suppress instead of regu-
lating the press, TO despise the guarantees of
personal rights, to open letters and intercept
dispatches. But the very ex.esSes of the pop
ular spirit prove its reality. and show with
startling plainness that the American people
can perform the one act of self-denial which
seemed inconsistent with their character, can
make personal privilege subordinate TO public
veal. Even the right of growing has been
temporarily laid aside II is noteworthy fact
that Gen. Scott, loaded with insult while sup
posed inviRcible, hiss seen his failure never
been attacked, and that Mcdowell, general Of
a beaten army, though removed by govern
ment, has never been seriously asssiied by the
people for losing their first engagement.
As a natural consequence Of this new spirit,
the nation is recovering its strength; and the
slow drift OF events, SO much more important
than any single action, begins to set in steadily
on the northern side. Mr.. Russell, who is
from experience almost as prejudiced in favor
of discipline as the regulars themselves, allows
that Gen. Mcclellan is strong enough to govern.
There is silence and order in the camp, and
the admiral physique of the rank and file, no
longer concealed by wretched clothing, care
less drill and half-drunken sloyenliness, strikes
observers accustomed to the British line. The
works for the defense of Washington are ad-
mitted to be excellent. and Mcclellan is in a
better position to move forward than his enc
my. There is still a cry for men, but he has
150, 900 troops under his orders, who, in dis
cipline and drill, are rapidly becoming an
army; the commissariatis is plentifully supplied,
and the means Of carriage strike even Mr..
Russell, accustomed as he is to the imperial
lsvishness Of Indian quartermssters, with a
feeling Of surprise. IL the cold weather is al
lowed to come on without a serious engage
ment, and no epidemic breaks out in camp, a
DANGER CT Wnlcn MT. Olmsted, TIE sanitary
Commissioner, entertains serious dread, the
army, in November, ought to be equal to an
inv aston Of the South in force. An army once
formed may be recruited largely without i'm
pairing its discipline, and the rest must de
pend on generalship. The force necessary
to the work the government already pos
sasses
With Its eastern army reorganized under
new and stronger discipline, Its western posi-
tion 80 improved that It has become the at
tacking instead Of the resisting force, with q
feet collected, and put successfully in motion,
with the people surrendering their dearest
prejudices in order to strengthen the Execu-
tive, and with the crusading spirit slowly but
distinctly gaining ground among its support
ers, the Federal Government has no reason to
despair of the course, or to doubt its own abil-
ity TO learn the lesson which precedes military
success If it can but find money, 1t is strong
esoagh for the work il has to do, and with
all due defersnce to the fnanciers who so
rsundly declare that money cannot be obtained
We must maintain that on this point nothing
is yet decided. We know, indeed, that Europe
will lend nothing for the war. We know that
the American banks cannot long keep psce
with the enormous demands now made on