New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-12
THE WARTS IDEAS.


the rebels, aud that we lose battles, incur
minor reverscs, and fail to make progress in
consequence. Manassas we are told, was a
disaster and q disgrace because Of this dis
parity in sternness of purpose, which the re-
cent Messages of President Lincoln and Jeif.
Davis respectively are irstanced as illustrating.
The President ia calm, logical, persuasive. con.
ciliatory; while jeff. is vlndictive, venoncus,
fcrOcious, and damnatOry. The moral deduced
from these premises is, that we must get rid
of some of our superfuous sentimental phi
anthropy and go at the Secessionists as though
We were killing rattlesnakes.
We think this statement does injustice TO the
yalor and efficiency of our soldiers. We would
not disparage the valor evinced by the rebels
they have quite often fought. well; but we
know no rebel achievement in the contest thus
far that can begin to compare with Zagonyfs
rout OF Springfield Of two thousand rebels by
that much decried " Fremont Body Guard"
that certainly numbered less than two hundred.
There was no surprise in the promises; the
rebels chose their own ground and must have
been aware of their great numerical superb
ority; yet they were scattered Ike chat, and
did not venture TO show their faces aiterward.
Point US to q single feat Of the rebels that
will compare with this in gallantry, and we
will admit that the invidious comparison We
are combating has some show Of justice.
But consider the battles fought by Lyon aud
Sigel near Carthage and Springfield respectively,
The rebels were raw soldiers; but 80 were
ours; they chose their ground they knew their
superiority; yet they did not triumph. Never
once have the traitor levies even Attempted to
stand in the open field against such odds rs
our men confronted in those well contested
battes-and confronted with qualified success
IA to Manassas, the day was fairly won by
our soldiers, only 10 be thrown away by bad
gener0lship. The rebels were beaten; they had
suffered immensely more than the Unionists;
they were giving way ON every point, when
Col. Ezey arrived with the last brigade OF
JohIstOn's forces. Had our reserves been then
sent to the front, while the regiments that had
borne tho heat and burden oil the day were
reformed and refreshed behind them, the rebel
lion would have Devu crushed on tina. hed
As it was, not half our men who were within
reach Of that battlefield were for one moment
under fire. We had soldiers enough ut hand
who never fired shot on that shameful day
to have walked right over Manassas without
once halting. But yalor and strength are alike
frultess in the absence Of leadership.
But we are willing TO take our stand on
Balls Bluff, disastrous as was that encounter,
to prove the decided superiority of our rank
and file TO the rebels. Here were less than
two thousand men, penned in a small open
field, assailed ON three sides by superior and
sheltered by dense forests, aud fired at our
men as if they were targets, while themselves
screened by trees and foliage. A deep, rapid
and rising river lay in our rear; the means Of
crossing it, inadequate and ineffective at best,
had been destroyed; blunder after blunder had
pushed our men into trap where they could
at best but die. We do not underyslue the
COnfeGerates when We assert that they have
no three regiments in their service who could
have fought as steadily and maneuyered as
firmly as did our heroes on that fatal field,
though three-fourths of them had never before
been under fire.
Compare with this the fight at the taking Of
the rebel batteries guarding the entrance to
Port Royal. There our Union forces were for
once well handled, and felt that they were not
Offering up their lives a sacrifice to official
stupidity. Probably less than third of them
had ever before had cannon balls whistling
about their ears or crashing through their
bulwarks. Where was ever displayed more
admirable courage and efficiency What navy
on earth could, with no greater weight of
metal in ts broadside, have sienced those forts in
shorter time or at less cost The rebes, too,
fought CALAMITY for time; we presume they
did all they were able or knew how to do:
but, when they did break, what time they
made There was no running at Manassas to
compare with it; for our racers were but a
fraction of our army, while erery rebel at Port
ROYAL made time that the American Deer may
well envy. And they were thoroughly demon
allied. One-third of Gen. Sherman's land force
might have taken either Charleston or Savan-
nah next day without encountering serious
opposition. But three men can win battle
where one knows how to make the best Use
of it.
We presume the higher officers of the rebel
armies are more in earnest than q majority Of