The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-13
Aictmunl AIspatth.
THURSDAY MORNING. FEB. Is. 1854.
Oar DzfsnsIve pa,iry

u,
Oar Dsfsnsive Psiiey.
II the Soatk is pleased with the defensive
policy there is certainly one poin; of agreement
a, ANY rate hetweea the battle-ground lathe
North approve it heartily. That section ha. the
rare and agreeable excitement of beng at
war and at peace at the sane moment 1t has
not heard in all lie borders from the beginning
of this conflict hostile gan it has never
knowh all evil Of war save liz financial eu-
harrassmen;s lie fields are saie from The
tramp of hostile SOU ldroes; i's hresides are
nAvrr qUeuchc8 III blood; its dwellings, and
towns do not ii,h' the say with fearful con
A,ers;ious. it's woraea sai children are not
Ia fear of being eheled ont of their houses
or OF suffering hagbar,,jes WORE than death
They enjoy the luxury ot reading, liz their
comfortable parlo-s, accounts at the infic-
tioi.s of these calamitiss upon The people of
the : ushtiu Contederacy, with no such un-
comfortable draw back as the f.lisest dream
OF retaisiions upon themselves. They are,
therefore, in the Vein to cheer on the war
hounds vi h the mCsi tiasas.ic aiacrtv
aud 10 eil'y she gaieties Of life with even
more tGan ordinary gusto. We not, there
FORE, tnrprised TO see brilliant accounts Of the
sIiendor Of Presidential levees in Washing
,ou aud the registering ian and iroic of the
Sew York Park. Thee is a charming exhi.
laration III the sport ii throwing stones at
tie frogs in poud, who, unhappy creatures,
have not the ability To reciprocate the com
phmeut The more pusillanimous a race the
more delightful is a combat in which there
aie blows Ia give and none whatever 10 Ia Ike
We mGy fancy III our ignorance and blind
usss that war to bs effective mus, be aggres
five as ell as defensive, and that the best
way 10 overcome All antagonist Is not merely
10 parry his blows. IL all encounters betw cen
uan and man. and in all other wars that we
have ever heard of, such q thing as striking
hack is considered not only honorable, bnt
expedieht. Nherhtr such & process will ex-
cite an enemy 10 fresh indignation, DOES not
usually enter into the calculation of Sighting
men, and. if it did, il is question which
must depend upon the character OF the nd
sersary. Without cerogaIing from the mar
1lal capabilities Of tue Northern people, we
incline to Tue opinion that an aggressive war
apprehension rs rage. and that they infinitely
prefer kitad of warfare III wnich they read
III battles in newspapers and have nothing
20 DO q l. them personally. They boast that
they have now III the field an army Of seven
hundred thousand men, raised almost entirely
sincs the period when it BEGAN. evident ,hal
This 10 Le on the part of the South
strictly defensive. Whether that number has
been raised or not, it Is certain iat they have
placed 10 tle field all vino are willing - 20,
And have exhausted their e4cbeC uer i'll Efforts
10 carry on the war. Tneir spirit aud their
energies have risen IN proportion 10 the I'M
xnu;i,y OF their own soils and homes tro-4
danger. Their newspapers have been more
bell ,ereut, and their politicians more trucu-
kent, as they have disc OvereI that the hostile
foot OF the South Is not to be planted on their
own territory. Ii they had the means, they
would carry the war at least as long rs
S,eat bltsta carried On the WAT against The
american eolouies; for GEea. Britain hersel:
Was Not more secure from an a mercan inya
sion ia tho Revolution than the North is from
the SJu,h III the present contest.
We ua+5 that with the opening Of the
ap}i1g campaign the enct4y VIII 10 made 10
feel tat there are blows 10 take in this con.
ter. as Well as blows to give. We have .ivea
tie drfeilsive plan fair trial. and Lave seen
it, results. \ Lager number of our galiaLt
soldiers have persisted by disease in camp and
2ital than sc could lave lost by Il march
from The battle field OF Nauasssts 10 ID. civ
Of Philadelphia. uescetosih, Ne uUst make
up olr Kinds thai this is var, and that FOL
every drop of Southern blood which has been
shed and for every hour our soi! has been
polluted by The footsteps of Invasion, we will
have compound Interest in laying waste every
accessible foot Of Northern territory with ire
and sWpld