The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1862-02-19
From Ii. London Herald DERBY organ.)

One of our chief difficulties in attempting
70 form fair and impartial judgment on the
position and prospects of the American bell
ligerents has been that nearly all our infor-
nation came from the North. In no quarrel
In which by-standers feel an interest do they
like to hear only one side. We have been
doubly unfortunate, too. in regard 10 our
chief sources Of information. To judge OF
the conduct and progress Of war from the
accounts of one side only, would be to mis-
judge il grossly, even where those accounts
were not Intentionally dishonest or exagger-
ated. But our principal inlormants concern
ing the American war have been necessarily
our New York contemporaries, OF whom il Is
sufficient TO say that no paper in England
approaches them in ignorance. fully and sul-
garity; that only one Irish journal" The
Nation"-riysls them in violence Of language
and malignity Of temper; and that even the
" devoted and inspired" organs OF official
opinion, in countries where tile liberty OF the
press is fiction, fall far short Of them in
unblushing mendacity.
OF the political merits Of the Southern
cause we-having the American Constitu-
ton, the republican manIlestoes, and the
history Of John Browns invasion Of Virginia
fresh in our memory-we7e happily able to
form an independent opinion. But with re-
gard to the military resources OF the two
parties, the situation Of affairs in the border
States, the feeling Of the Southern people.
the events Of the war. we have been almost
entirely dependent on New York and Wash
ington reports. We need not say that those
reports have been as mendacious as the bull
letins OF the grand army 10 the early years
Of this century. OF every battle fought we
have generally received three successive ac-
counts in an almost uniform diminuendo
scale. First, great battle has taken place,
the Confederatss Outnumbering the Federals
as three TO one the North has gained .
great victory; thousands of rebels killed,
wounded and prisoners; loss Of the Pederals
three men killed, ten wounded and dozen
missing. By the next mail the importance
Of the action and the numbers Of the enemy
are good deal reduced and we hear doubts
limited as to the completeness Of the victory ;
il appears, too. that the conquerors have re-
treated.
A week or two later the truth oOzes out.
The armies have been tolerably equal in
force, the Northern generally superior 10
artillery; the Confederates have put their
sdyerssrips 10 ignominious rout, and IL the
Federal loss has not been heavy it's because
the Federal soldiers have made excellent
use, not 80 much Of the arms provided by
government, as by the legs given them by
bene6cient nature. And then comes out the
one BIZ u truth which the New York papers
ever willingly publish on these occasions
{" Il was the fault Of the officers" Like the
accounts Of actual battles are all the state.
menfs made BY the Northern press concern.
ing the political, financial and other civil or
military operations on both sides. /, Is only
little by little that the truth oozes out and
only those who patiently watch for and sit
IL are able to perceive the net residaum OF
fact ia the mass Of falsehood and eontradie-
tion. o. The whole. we generally find that
~ chk\ sskalss = ssss. are undsr infinitely