The national Republican., 1862-08-07
Thursday, August Z, 1862.

nsroe OOOk etOre. Entrance on seventh street.
Thursday, August Z, 1862.
LET Us TAKE COURAGE rROm OUR
Own FAULTS.
When Demosthenes addressed the Athenisns,
after great defeat which they had suffered 10
their wars with Phillip. Of Macedon, be began
by pointing out their disssnsions. their follies,
and their cowardice 10 the field. He then ex-
hortsd them 70 take courage from the fact that
they had been beaten by those causes. They
might well despair, he argued, II with united
counsels, prudent actions, and bravery In bal
tie, they had been compelled 10 succumb 70
the enemy. II, doing their best, they had fail.
Cd, no reasonable hope remained for the future.
But 1t was in the consciousness Of their own
faults and shortcomings, that they might find
the elements Of consolation and courage. They
had only 10 attribute their disasters to causes,
which II was In their power TO correct, and 20
forward with good heart upon new and bet.
ter line Of conduct.
This Demosthenian method OF augmentation
is a. impregnably sound to-day as II was two
thousand years ago, and is as applicable to our
case Is II was to that Of the Athenians Like
them, let US be exhorted to take courage, from
manly consideration aud acknowledgment
Of our own faults. II we had really done the
best We could TO put down this rebellion, which
threatens our national life, II we had made the
most efacient use Of our vast expenditure In
men and money to quell It, We might well de-
spsir.' A task upon which 30 much had been
spent In vain, would be indeed hopeless, unless
We could find the cause Of the failure 10 our
own mistakes. But, Il We only see and admit,
that We are discomfted, because we have ne
elected means of success which were and still
are within our reach, while 1t may be true that
our selflove and pride may be wounded, we
shall have rational grounds for expecting diff.
isrent and better fortune when we shall be wise
enough and brave enough to deserve 1t.
We have failed In this war by complication
Of fstuities, all clustering about one grand CEN
trail faulty, total misapprehension of the
nature Of the enemy we were engaged with
We have obstiuar ely refused to believe that be
meant war at all, when everything that be said
and did meant nothing less than war to the knife
and war to the last extremity. We have be
fooled ourselves with idle day dreams Of " the
Union as 1t was, with those who never will or
can be united with us ia any form OF political
association. We have refused 20 see that an
Indispensable portion Of our ns ional territory
is in possession OF power, implacably hostile
and which We must crush out at all hazards.
And above ALL ard as the crowning folly OF the
whole. we have been 70 intent upon preserving
and cherishiDg an Infamous domestic institution
which Is itself the sole cause of this rebellion
that Tor the rake Of preserving it, We have VIC.
lated the plainest principles Of common sense
and common prudence 10 our military conduct
incredible as 1t will seem to posterity It is still
true that We have advanced into the country
held by the enemy, with proclsmations iu ad-
vance that We would receive no assistance from
that halt vi its inhabitants whom we had rsa
son 10 suspect were our friends. We do no,
appreciate the amazing folly Of such conduct
because We participate in it, or ut any rate, are
contemporary with it, but 1t will not appear in
history one whit more respectable than the
tulip mania Of Holland. Indeed, the sacrifice
Of fortunes for plant which II worthless was
beautiful was wisdom In comparison with the
sacrihce, not merely Of Incredible treasures, but
Of hundreds Of thousands Of lives, for the pres
srvstion Of what Is positively hateful.
There were NO intrinsic difficulties in subdu
log this rebellion, which could not have been
surmounted long ago, If the work had been
taken hold OF with will 1t could have been
subdusd for tenth part oi the cost Of no,
doing It." We have nothing in the world TO dc
but Just u realize that 1t Is real war we or,
engaged 10 and TO carry 1t on upon the ordina
~ military principles Instead Of puerile met
sphysics about the constitutional rights O
States and individuals, in arms against the Con
sitution. let US advance upon the enemy, shoo
him wherever he il found 10 military array
strip him of his property Of every description
forage upon him, use bis houses Instead O
guarding them, and incite his slaves to leay
him and join US, by offers aud guarantees O
freedom. Real war means this, and all this, an,
nothing shot Of this We have failed. becaus,
We have not waged war
DemOsthenes did not tatter the Athenians
The case did not admit of fattery. They wer
10 be encouraged to persevere, by being mad
to see that they had 30 lar failed 10 consequence
OF their own miserable mistakes So, likewise
our Owu American case admits OF no aatter,
1t Is gross, rank, and incredible folly which ha
brought US into our present predicament, an
the ground for hope is that this folly is no,
seen and abandoned.
BLACK MILITARY LABORERs Gen. Lew. Wa
lace stated, in his Cincinnati speech, tha, 10 tn
eleven regiments under his comm and, 484 mel
we're detailed to duties which the blacks coul,
just AZ well perform.
The commanding officer OF resment now q