Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-02-10
RICHMOND WHIG.
F.om the BlaekW cd Magazine for December.
SOME ACCOUNT OF BOTH SIDES OF THE ANERI
GAN WAR.

~
err distinguishes the intelligent portion Of the British
public it is the desire to draw its concuions l.
loves be furnished with full and constant nation
J events but Is suspicious OF such accounts "A
besr the evident impress Of psrslnshp There prob
bly no newspaper writer whose letters have become
popular and SO generally read Mr.. Russells and IL
se mistake no., they their popularity much to
the spii. Of close criticism which pervades hem 10
the remarkable powers Of graphic description for which
their Auhoris famous His exposure ofpretenons and
aacies alike in his letters from the South at the onset
and in those from the North during the progress Of the
war Of Secession have rendered him unpopular with both
pntrs engaged but ave gained for his statements
lasras Of reliance while ihe strong Northern bias OF
the T.nsI' Neg York correspondent. deprives bi' p
esepatons OF that effect which their abilities would de-
serve.
Il may be observed In passing, that in respect is
the contrast strongly marked between Elgish and
American than in the different style and tone
o the newspaper press Of the respective countries For
however eagerly educated and refined persons on the
,her eide Of the Atlantic may dscam the tone Of their
Press as true indication OF public opinion, the record
Of events would not be uniformly garbed aud inIted
lid simplicity and accuracy suit the appetes Of those
for whom the journalists cater They read contentedy
VERY day accounts OF victories aud gained by
he Northern forces by which it is hardly conceivable
shat they can be misled. On the other hand among
present the complaint is common that We are eIclud-
ID from all reliable intelligence Of the position and pros
1ec of the rebe and We cannot help acting the
Won victories sgainst heavy odds, and Of the daily
slaughter OF the nmy in handtohand conflicts which
never lead to any appreciable results.
Under these circumstance, sitement comparative
f both sides of the position and derived from recent
personal observation which the facilities sorded by the
military commanders enabled the writer to make may
not be unacceptable to readers, at time when the
Impressions Of writer's In magazines and newspapers
the u'ect OF the American war all along uncertain and
iuctuang appear 10 be sected by recent accounts OF
n Nnrth diana rifv
Of the resources Of the conendng communities appers
10 be assumed and q deduction is made tha, a. the
Time. not long srce said the tide may be too strong
,ynn for the obsnacy the Southern race TO resist
Il s no. indeed surpr ng, II the correspondent Of
ne IiRss las owned, EDglishmen at Washington and
New York be led nsen,ioy, by the bOastu language of
ne newspapers and Of public mep almos. to conviction
IF the strength OF the community amongst which they
re living Every one must be conscious Of having re-
,eived such impressions under similar circumstances.
}ut It surprising to lind existing gross msapprc-
epsion on the part OF those who might be presumed TO
e we'll Informed Of the distribution and numbers
vel as the condition Of the Confederate forces
From the blindness with which, in the few engage.
euts OF the war Federal generals have fallen into
yelllAid traps aud II their dispatches can be b.
ieyed, have uniformly found themselves confronted
superior numbers, when the disparity Of force be
seen their army and that opposed to them is their
lay boast and impossible to doubt
hat the Federas much worse served in respect OF
nformaton than the Conederates and that the latter
ous. p,.sess some reliable than the sate
ueuts of deserers or spies IT. theu the want Of intel
,geuce suffered by those 10 authority be grea that
each advance of teu or fifteen miles into country quite
familiar TO them exposes them TO damaging and demoi
izing defeat how much greater must be the ignorance
# the general public dependent Tor Southern news on
What f ers through these clouded sources. IL may be
,se TO present to- our readers facts the po
.iton and strength OF the Southern Confederacy which,
though they may be at variance with received notions
we give either IRON personal observation, or on the su
aorty Of those slider most Trustworthy and our
ac,s are at least hope, unnged by what Is called in
America "sectiona" spirit. We must, however, premise
hat while we endeayour to give correct statement OF
aots We abstain altogether from prophecy. He would
"a bold speculaos who rsked opinion upon the re-
ut of war OF conquest dependent for It's prosecution
pon the resolution oil most versatile people, and upon
ne achievements Of armies as yet newly organic 3D.
.hcb are operating area, and for the most
,rt in country wooded and impasiabIe, except by
= -oadP as to be unsuiled to extended military
movements.
w,,u ..sard, In the frat place, to the main Federal
army OF the Potomac there be no doubt that for it,
y il IA one OF the best quiz ped which any nation has
,et ON f,ot lis transport is superb It's artillery nuine
ous we'll appointed, aud OF tue best description the
kv,iOU. Of its men unsurpassed. Il H. moreover ~
he d,spos.l Of Government virtually drawing al will
Ipon tie accumulated capital ald the entire credit OF
he nation For practical purposes, the President aud
,s ministers are all powerful Such the army is, and
% 30 far as they depend upon its good conduct j,
at their Absolite disposal aud upon the use they are
bls 10 make OF il depends the solution OF the great
iues.ion at issue. We have enumerated, belonging
"a Il elements most valuable to its efficiency and highly
,redtable to those who have employed pdciouy the
resources at their command. We shall presently refer
% its value in respect Of certain military qualities which
,si'her the most competent war minister nor the most
oysaowng treasury can so quickly nfuse Into its char
| acter.
nut before doing so we cannot leave unnoticed the
action of causes OF weakness to the North OF which the
effects though no; yet fully experienced hardly be
ayerted bu, by some signal military success.
/ The strife OF parties ia the North is reyving Re
publicans aud Democrats charging each other with
culp,bity in the origin o the war aud difer widely
70 ia objects and limits The former, avowedly
crey, desire the subugaoo or at least the permanent
restraint of the Slave States the latter that the war
ha be prosecuted only long may be necessary to
induce tue seeded States to sccep! terms o compro
mise aud they would gladly give terms vastly more ia
yourabe to the South than those proposed by Mr. Cr
snden with their consent but contempuousy refused
| by Mr. Lincoln
| IL may not be unworthy Of remark that in the eec
ion of the State Legislatures going on the results
40 far as they are kaown Indicate great gain TO the
Democrats even In the New gland States; and though
Congress itself will not be actually affected thereby We
may fairly anticipate the growth of feeling ayerse to
the prolongaton OF conflict inevitably GRIPPING 10 the
| whole community.
2. The unpopuarity of some Of the leading Ministers
| I. extreme with the moneyed Of the North, on
xhose support much depends. In spite Of the de-
,ruction Of the liberty OF the press in which the con
. ttuted authorities and the mob have wed with each
,ther and the establishment Of the American Bas
ile y very general feeling eeems to be making itse
apparent that great changes in the construction Of the
Cabinet are necessary, and will be forced upon the Pre-
sdent.
g. The immense advances made by the banks Of New
York bave bound up the fortunes OF their proprietary ii
| tha but do AZ has been supDOsed prove. the
confidence Of their heads in lis It's omhonl,
believed and understood by the parties concerned
hat had the banks afforded TO the GoVerimsnt the
lIAry may be Interested hear that great Ice nveni
caused 10 the Mort At the bat
Manassas by the hel bate les bsng compos en'i ely
hed guns-siperb ong but uIeless fr thapne
| oe qua te-s The Confeterates av idtd this error.
INC. Crttenden, venerable aud h5nour iEen OF Ken
ucky which he during represented In corg
Garnet attempt 10 avert he dss oluion of the DC on
prep Consultation th1u fOm he law ha