The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-10-09
Two Great Battles in Prospect.
JFrom the New York Times.]

and must soon be fought. On the Poto.
mac two vast armies-numbering togeth,
er near four hundred thousand men-are
1confronting each other, with pickets in
speaking distance, and each menacing at.
tack daily. In Missouri, two other great
armies, of near forty thousand men each.
are hurryiug to a collision. The National
troops, under General Fremont, are anx.
ious to meet the enemy, and wipe out by
their courage and prowess the memory of
recent disasters; and the rebel forces,
flushed with barren victory, are equally
in earnest to increase their laurels by new
triumphs. That there will be immense
slaughter when at either point these forces
shall come in conflict, there can be no
doubt. The rebel cause hangs suspended
on the issue. If they shall be beaten, as
We feel morally certain they will be, the
great rebellion, which will occupy so
prominent place 10 history, will be prac-
tically snbdued. A lingering campaign
|or two may have to be carried on
scattered aud hopeless resistance at cer-
tain points may remain to be overcome,
but the backbone of the revolt will have
been broken. A victory in Missouri and
that State will be fixed as star in the
Union, and all impediments in the way
of the expedition that is to sweep down
the valley of the Mississippi will be re-
moved. IF Mcclellan shall be victor on
the Potomac, the way will be open for the
c.ntral column to ad, anee in triumphal
march to Richmond on its way to the
Gulf. No rally can ever be made by the
rebel army after defeat on the Potomsc
1t will disappear as the locusts before the
east wind. The last hope of secession
will have vanished and the Southern
Confederacy will become one of those
dissolving views of hi tory that are never
witnessed but oEce.
1t has been the hane of our Northern
Generals and the Northern people that
they have underrated the force and posi-
ton of the enemy. Whatever of disaster
has occurred in the past, may be largely
attributable to this cause. 1t was the
occasion of the repulse at Big Bethel,
and the more melancholy repuise at Bull
Run. 1t was the cause of the unequal
struggle in Missouri, in which the heroic
Lyon fell, and was the reason why rein.
forcements did not reach the gallant Mul-
ligan in time to save him aud bis brave
little army from capture. This mistake
should never be made agsin. The rebels,
by spasmodic and trs0endous effort,
have mustered all of their available men
to the frontiers. They have armed them
as best they could-with a liberality wor
thy of better cause, they have thus far
clothed and fed them better, we appre-
hend, than the deserters ed spies have
represented Knowing their inability to
maintain long war, it has been their
policy to make it short and sharp, to
compel submission to their demands by
the decisive results of q single campaign.
Hence all their energies, all their skill,
all their resources have been diverted to
the raising and concentrating an army
that, by sudden and dashiug victories,
before the occurrence of the autumnal
storms or winter SHOWS. With such a
tremendous stake depending upon the is
sues of the coming battles, it will not do
for the national forces to count upon
meeting cowardly or weak foe. No de.
lusion, we think, exists on this subject on
the line of the Potomac. We have in
command there Generals of experience
Of enlarged military genius. of Judgment
aad capacity, equal to the occasion. They
know and appreciate the power of the en-
emy, and their preparations to meet him
when the time for battle shall come are
on scale that can hardly fail of success
Wewill not speculate upon the future,
| if these great battles shall result in the
defeat of the National forces. Such al
event is too remote and improbable tt
admit of consideration now. Still we
may say that the recuperative power, the
newly awakened energy of twenty millions
of freemen will be equal to any emergen
cy. New armies, If need be, will fock tt
the defense of the Union. and future vic
tories will atone for any possible disaste
of the present.
| q BENJAMIN F. HALLErT, of Massachusetts
has written patriotic letter in favor of sus
tanning the Government with all the power {
the country at this critical juncture, and {