Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-09-18
ANOTHER CONTRIBUTION TO HISTORY.

more signAlly illustrated th""'" le''f'.':e 10
the military operations S','G'qa@a; 20 the
first battlo Of Manassas. soon Alter that
battle was fought it YVES in the mouth If eve
~ assuIsnt OF the Administration. and Of the
class Of churls and pretenders who imagine
they build up a reputation Of wisdom tor
themselves by charging stupidity on every
ono else, that our army WAS held in criminal
apathy, against the renonStrance Of its COM
mapders, and under the ,nterious orders OF
the President. Much pathetic eloQucnce has
been expended upon this theme, and many
patriotic lamentations haze been uttered at
the consequent lesS to the republic. Tho
President, as the cause O! it Mi, E':< been the
especial target Sol the w1utl, anI ienunris-
TORS Of these sage critics.
After considerable delay, thr,. appeared
the official reports OF Generals Johnston and
Beauregsrd, the commanders IN the BATTLE
General Johnston concluded lls report OF the
victory, by detailing number OF reasors--
all OF them purely military-which, he said,
prevented any ser1ois thoughts of advancing
agsiust the capital" OFashington.) General
Beauregsrd wound up his report by declaring
I'm efficient pursuit military impossible
IT,"
1t was reasonable to suppose that these re-
ports of the Generals, representing that their
inaction had been upoa their own Judgment,
would silence the charge that the Pres
dent had constrained them, and against their
judgment and wishes. /; was 20 ne SUPPOSED
700, that all wl.i did NJ: consider r',sir own
military capacity immensely sdperir II hat
soi Johnston and THAI q: i.1s", -gar' .rnh.na3
would at least HESITATE irIr Hnd :.1'rrr
down their voices, ,c'i'.' obey sh"'ht si;sl
cards declare that II 80 atrrrih- ana c:iH-
pal blunder not to have hnns what Iohnston
said could not seriously he tt.nngLt ~: ami
.eeauregard pronounced y military i,nm,ssi.
biity.
These expectations, however, have been
disappointed. There are those th= day who,
~h:lO processing great regard ami respect i,r
the two distinguished Generals we have
named, still dogsedly renew the char%. arainst
the President which their testimony rria:es,
and still affirm as manifestly correct, III. ,uili-
tay opinion which they have stsupe A. alb
aurd. Thus acting, they think they shox- pub
lie virtue and wisdom!
Tie latest exhibition Of this charac:e: that
sc have noticed: occurred III the State Lcn.en-
ton ofSouth Carolina, now il session ana we
introduce it because another testimony 10 the
truth Was ELECTED by the discussion.
7. seems that in the debate OF Friday. Sep
TENDER 10, Mr.. Rhett had male his custnna-
ry attack on the Confederate administration.
The next day Mr.. Barnwell replied. We
quote from the proceedings as published in
the Columbia "GuardIan -
Mr.. Ba.nwell made apeecl, III i-liy To
Mr.. Rhett, in which he indicated the E&ecu-
tive and Congress- from the charz. or limbo
cilitg aud want Of forecast in The lranaYe-
rnent .! the war. lie did not Pretend 10 say
tia. no biunders had been mnd" There,
perhaps, had been serious mistakes made
Napoleon and Wellington had lna.lc mistakes
wh! h were followed by serious disasters;
:Harity had done wha. they honr-a!Y snn-
rei2ed was for tho best. Hs believed We had
the very best generals that the Confederate
states could produce; and, with Bill unislter-
ns confidence in them, which their past on
last guaranteed, he would still truatingiy
rave the matter in their hands
Mr.. Khert replied at some length. linking
pretty nnch the same ground he did in his
speech Yesterday, on presenting his resulu-
lions. lie insisted that Government was
Justly cAsrseable with weakness, vacilla'ion
and want Of foresight. The plan il had
adopted for raising and supplying the army
vas moi ri.a best, and disaster and defeat had
been til. legitimate consequences. lie said
that thu inactive and sluggish policy Of the
Esee"t'.r and Congress had dsinrened The
ardor vi "Dr troops, and prevented those ont
O. che "T"'r from enlisting. Sydney John
e'on had ''nt 5000 men in the West, aud he
stnt o,hu vt them TO defend Fort none!-
son. Oar army. after the battle Of Manas-
49,, was kept 10 NOTORIOUS aud impatient
.nactvity II, camp for six months. Beau
regard ind complained tha: he ,rus trummel-
ed e.a ha,apsred, and not altopsd to adrnace
.fte- lie butte IF Nanassa". and suited
that Mr.. Chestnut nod seen or read Some
iect.
Mr.. Cnrs;rr rose for the purpose Of expla-
nation. He thought his friend Was mistaken
III his statement. lie did not think that our
Army could have advanced on Washington i'm
msdiately after the battle of Manassas They
were not in a condition to have done So
There was scarcely y regiment, certainly not
brigade. whose organization, the day after
the bsttle, would have justified such demon
tration. He did rot believe thai Gen. Beau-
regard erer complained that tie Government
sooul4 not alloac him to adsancs. Our army was
exhausted and worn out, and he believed that
ii ~, attempt TO advance had been made, that
il would have been attended with disastrous
consequences, and instead of adding glory to
the achievement Of the day, the fruits of the
victory thereby would have been inperilled,
if not lost.
It il TO he hoped that even Mr.. Rhett will
hen'sforth Zee this fact Of history in It's true
hight. If the c1icisl testimony of Johnston and
ct heanressrd failed to satisfy him, the evil
cancs Of MIR. Cnesnut. his own witnees, should
s'E ely suffice. Ex-senator Chestnut, il will be
remembered, was. OF General Beauregard's
military family, heus one OF his principal
ard fnoss trusted Aids. He therefore wss
perfectly acquainted with the Facts Of which
h. speaks.
Let this ni:t;ter. then, stand hrllceiorth on
what are the undoubted facts-that the fail
ure ~ advance after the battle of Manassas,
lsc!. was by the decision of the distinguished
Generals in command; and with them, and
them alone, rests the prise or the blame
Those who desire TO manifest their prejudice
ayainst the President. will 4 well, if they do