Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-10-25
Arother striking Parallel.


tonlshing how many partial and complete
parallels, the history of the past wars and
instructions of the world, afford for the
guidance of our generals and rulers in the
great ordeal which the Republic is now I'M
dergoing. We gave the other day " most
striking parallel from Macaul"y's recital Oh
the run of events in England during the
civil war OF 1912. Turning to Motley
b,storv or the Dutch Republic in the war
Of 1868. we have another almost equally
striking parallel. 1t is so interesting and
zines home to us so completely that we
c.nno, refrain from quoting a few para
graphs to-day;
ain the early part of October, 1868, the
Prince of Orange, with 10000 infantry and
s, 600 cavalry, entered Brabant and eagerly
sought battle with the Duke of Alva,
who was ut the head of only $4,000 Or l6,-
600 infantry and 5000 cavalry. The
Prince had every thing to hope, the Duke
had every thing to fear from the result OF =
general action" The latter believed that
if he could avoid battle, the army of the
Prince, which was poorly paid, would at
accord. He accordingly resolved to hang
M his ndversary's skirts, to follow him
move by move, TO check him at every turn,
to harrass him in II hundred ways, to foil
all his enterprises, to parry all his strokes;
and finally to drive him out of the coun-
after d totally barren campaign, when, as
he felt certain, his ill-paid hirelingS would
vanish in all directions, and leave their pa
I,triot Prince n HELPLESS and pennIless adj
venturer.
"The plan was carried out to the letter,
although it required NJ most superhuman
iirmness on the part of the Dlke to keep
his own impatient soldiers in check
.Twenty-nine times the Prince changed his
encampment, and ut every remove the
Duke was still behind him, as close and
seemingly rs impalpablc as his shadow.
Thrice they were within cannon-shot OF
each other, twice without II single trench
or rampant between them, The skirmish-
! ing at the outposts was inccssant, but the
main body was Withdrawn as soon asthere
seemed IL chance of its becoming involved.
| CAT one time the main body of the army
of the Prince having crossed the river Geta
| the rear guard was attacked and cut III
pieces b. Al detachment Of 1000 under Vi
| tell, an officer whom the Duke had sent
for that purpose. 'Vitelli sent Il mesScn-
ger to the Duke to implore him to advance
with the main body, cross the river
and once for all cxterminate the reb-
els in general combat. Alvn, in
famed that his sagely conceived plan:
conld not be Comprehcnded even by hi;
fivori:e officers, said, Go back to Nitelli
Is lie or am to command in this campaign
Tell hun not to suffer u single man TO eros:
the river. Warn him against senGing any
more ENJOYS to advise 81 battle; tor SHOULD
YOU or any other man dare to bring III,
another message, swear by the head o
the King tnat you go not hence alive Bar
on de Chevreau, young officer of the
Duke, dashed his pistol to the ground IL
his presence, exclaiming that the Duk'
would never fight The Duke smiled It
they young mans chagrin, and seemed
even to approve his enthusiasm, but re-
minded him that it WAS the business of ar
officer to fight, of IL general to conquer
1t the victory was bloOdless so much tn
better for all.
"The dukes predictions were finally yer
ifed; for in the latter part of NOvcmbe
the i'll paid soldiers of the Prince became
mutt nous, his army was dissolved, and hi
hopes of rcscuing the Netherlands from
Spanish tyranny were, for the time dishp
pointed. The Duke had, by cOnsummnt
strategy, foiled the army under the idoliz
ed champion of the Netherlands, and th
So decisively that without losing singh
man, he had destroyed eight thousam,
rebels, and scattered to the winds the re
naming twenty thousand.