Evening star., 1862-04-16
THE REBELS STILL BOAsTING.

Il
We have been sften defeated by the Yam
KEGS, but never yet whipped in fair fight.
The truth lie, our defeats have proved the su-
periority of our lighting qualities, as our vie
tories never did or could have done The
Southerner is more courageous than the Yam
kee, and nothing has served TO convince the
Yankees Of this truth so much as their late
triumphs. Take the list Of our disasters, from
Drainesyille to Kernstown, and we fnd in
every one OF them ample evidence of South-
ern pluck. Stuart saved his wagons at Draines-
vile. The Yankees were on the eve of with
drawing, just as he did, and a few mere rounds
would have driven them of in confusion. Stu
ART ought never to have permitted himself to
be caught in such a trap. We paid dearly for
it. No one doubts that the day would have
been won at Fishing Creek if ZoIlicoffer had
not fallen. Even after that, our troops might
have been rallied, il Crittenden had possessed
any claim to their confidence
Though the odds at Roanoke Island were
enormous We cannot boast over that affair.
The batteries were fought splendidly, and
some Of the troops acted gallantly; but Gen.
wise told the whole story, when he said to
some Of his soldiers wbo had retreated, Hthsre
is no blood on your bsyonets" At Nswbern
things were managed very badly, yet the pluck
displayed by Latham and Brom, and the OBJ
stnate resistance of Vance's regiment and
others, came near retrieving our fortunes in
spite Of the vastly superior numbers of the
attacking party. What glorious history is
that OF the fall Of Donelson-yhat heroism
what endurance, what indomitable courage,
the MississipPians, virginians, Kentackisns
and Tennesseesns displayed in and around that
ill-starred fert. The sharge Of Soott's Louisi-
sna cavalry wss never surpassed. Indeed
Louisisnisns, Mississippians, Missourians and
Texans have distinguished themselves on every
fsld.
We would not dispsrsgs the fighting ousIj
ties OF the soldiers from any State of the Con.
federacy, but the history Of the war seems 10
prove that the men just named have more
elan, more dash, daring, and desperation
than any other. The art Of "giving up" had
not been learned By the Mississippians, who
tore down, and kept tearing down, the white
flags at Donelson. Competent authority asserts
that the only actual hand -to-h hand fights which
have occurred during the war happened in
Missouri and Arkansas; the party to them on
our side being always Louisianians and Mis-.
sourians, and always successful
We might refer to the valiant three days'
struggle in which McCulloch and Mcintosh
fell, in further proof Of the superiority of
Southern over Yankee fighting. But the case
is too plain. We always believed we could
whip the Yankees, and nothing has done so
much TO strengthen and confirm that belief as
our disasters. Other things being equal, cour.
age is a matter Of habit. Temperament and
training have much to do with it, but habit
has more. The men Of the South are accus-
toned to the use Of arms, and to the contem-
plation Of death by the bullet or the knife
There is no danger the Yankee will not face
for the sake Of the almighty dollar. 1t 10 the
force Of drill and the hope Of getting q south
ern farm Of $50 acres that enable him TO fight
now. But the justice Of the Southern cause,
the greater natural courage Of the Southern
msn, and the lofty motives which inspire him,
will surely tell in the long run. With equal
equipments We can always whip the Yankees
two enc With competent direction, Southern
hgating would extort the admiration Of the
world.