Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-12-12
AM;RicAN AFFAIRS I'M EUROPE.
The Battle Of LeessnrE.

Those who have taken their viewa of the Ameri
can civil war from the representatives Of the Nortl
must now begin to have some doubts Of their owl
wisdom. Happy is it for England, and happy will /
be, we believe. for America, that they are smal
minority and that TIE gTtds body Ct he nation hG
judged for Itself in 60 important mater. Had ouI
Governments and people been led away in the early
part of this year TO cheer on the crusade OF the
North, to echo its assertions about the weakness s
II secessionist movement ard 10 Join in predlcting
the Unions speedy victory, what would have been
our position now? Instead of standing in a decent
neutrality between tive powerful and incensed ma
tions for they must now be called; instead Of be
ing able when the time comes, to speak with the
calm of iDPartiahty and the confidence derived
from Just aDticipAtiOns should have been merely
q set of partizans, doomed to explain away our
hasty enthusiasm.
Whatever may be the end Of this Anerlcan coa-
test Roglishmen will be happy that they COUNSEL
ed peace. Should the COnfederstes establish their
Independence they will not be able 20 accuse US OF
try ing to strangle their nationality IN the oracle
Should the present differences result in q 'transsc
tion" BY which the old Union shall De soldered to
gether for time, then neither party will have il
10 cay that the burdens left by season Of civil
strife were increased by cur counseis II anything
were needed TO confirm this country in its policy
the present situation of affairs would be quite
enough. Ii is now plain that it must be gigantic
war. 1t is but four or i've months since we were
told that single encounter would decide matters.
Those who professsd to know the characters OF
the Southerner and his opponent, assured Us that
the former was mere noisy sWsgserCr, who
might fight pretty we'll for single day, but would
be soon Ogerthrewn by the stern moral q Al of the
North. How copplste has beeR the mistake Of
those who took this view Of the cOmbatants NAY
be Judged from the present state Of the Cam0Gign
But the event from which we can gain the beet
ius aht into the conrse of the campaign is the se
we're defeat which the kortheners EzTe suffered al
LeesturRh, and which If lat9 rumOrs be true, was
followed by still more important reverse day or
two afterwards. The well known narrative VT
gave Of it was taken from the New York TFituaf,
which cannot be suspected of any favor towards
the enemy, and it may, therefore, be concluded that
these facts are sufficiently accurate. In this
bloody encounter one must really admit that DO
disgrace attachedto the Northern troops who seem
70 have done al that can be expected of men. But
the Lesson should not be lost on those who have
been all their lives boasting Of the repuses which
they have inflicted on British cOlumns. The battle
was the U sual American battle, such az has been
fought in three great wars already, and IS now
Likely to determine the event Of fourth.
Intact, the account We published yesterday might
with changed names and numbers, apply almost
accurately 10 the battle on the EonOngahela, il
which Braddock was defeated more than hundred
years ago, and which first brought the name Of
Washington into notice. The pedsntic veteran, who
with hE head fail Of the art OF war, marched
through the wilderness as If It were Flanders, and
bad half his force destroyed by shsTpshoOreFs from
behind tress, was bat the forerunner Of BurgCyne
and Paekeuham, and now he has s. successor in s
Federal commsnder. 0ne cannot read without pity
the fate Of these unfortunate men The end was
perfect rous The drowning of the uaen in attempt
ing to re-eross the river was q dreadful incident
Out of eighteen hundred men the loss, according 10
official report vas six hundred and eighty. The
battle is important as beiog, perhaps, the type Of
those to come. What can the Federals hope for in
8 country like Virginia but succession of Lees
burss, fought against enemies strongly posted, and
ending u defeats or dearly purchased victories
about as fatal as defea-s.
The terror inspired by the excessGs of the North
ern soldiers which, bad enough in reality, inn
mensely exaggerated By Southern report, willmake
Virginians sell every mile of their country dearly
and leave nothing but desert as they retreat The
blood of the South has been thoroughly aroused
against the 'inEsders," and the way in which tbs
Confederate soldiers 'iCrowdsd the aigh bank and
poured an incessant fire into the scattering fUgi
lives, who were piungiDg into the Potomac, shows
the temper in which the war will be conducted
Well may our Government and people be cgntenI
that they have as far is in their power, soughI
to put a stsp to contest which is lighting up the
fercess passions of a people sineUlar'y irritable
and vipdictive!