The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-12-27
From the Ncw York World Dec. II.
Defeat of General Burnside.

ter and disgrace. The last of these Ca
tastrophes is the worst, inasmuch as it is
more stunning and fatal blow to public
confidence. Our earlier discom6tures did
not lower the tone of the public mind or
shake its confidence The Unreasonable
superiority of the Moth in every kind of
military resources, made doubt absurd and
Encouragement pusillanimous. But after
two such enormous wet blankets as the
President and General Haleck have put
on the national ardor, what can we furth-
er expect from the combined stupidity and
imbecility Of these officials but fresh accu-
mutations of national disaster? Of what
avail is the bow Of Achilles in hands that
cannot bend it? OF what advantage are
our unparalleled resources if they are to be
thus squandered by administrative aud
military incapables, who, as often as they
send our brave soldiers to battle, send
them to a fruitless butchcry.
Soldiers who fall in noble cause un.
der worthy and skillful leaders count it
Joy to die on the field Of battle-a CRATE
full country consecrates the graves in
which their ashes repose. The sorrow Of
their relatives is purifying, cnnobling
sorrow, nurturing the worthiest inspira-
tons, watering and fructifying the seeds
Of self-sacrihcing patriotism. But when
whole nation is put in mourning because
laundering Incompetence and charIatanism
direct the movements Of our armies and
doluge the land with blood shed to no pur-
pose, the point is reached beyond which
further forbearanco would be crime. -
The bitterest curses of history will fall on
the imbecilcs and fanatics who have thus
brought their country to the verge of ru-
in. The ship is on the breakers, and
nothing short of the summary removal Of
the Ignorant and faithless pilots can save
it from total wreck.
We have no words Of unkindncss for
Gen. Burnside. He is very different
style of man from the braggart Pope, and
deserves commiseration rather than censure
in his heavy misfortune. Gen. Burnside
acted uncler strict orders he was compel
led to move upon Fredericksburg by per-
emptory directions from Washington,
which domiueercd over his judgment and
cxtcrted his obedience. When he was or
dered to fredericksburg be had the prom
Use Of Gen. Halleck that his pontoons
should meet him there. Gen. Halleck
Jo1yot to gige the order and they were
delayed so long that the enemy occupied
the heights. In this emergency coun.
ell of war was held; oil the corps com.
naaaders opposed on adrance Burnside
said, i'll conclusion, that he was compel}cd
10 adrance By ort1ers .tiom Eashmgton-
If Gen. Lee himself had dictacd the des-
patches Of Gen. Haleck they would not
have been different If Burnside had
found his pontoons at Falmouth when he
reached there, and Summers corps, which
was in the advance, had immediately eros
sed and taken possession of the heights,
this last great sacrifice of life, this crown
ing disgrace, would have been spared
But when the forgetfuness and inattcn-
ton Of Hallcck and the reigning imbecili.
ty in the department at Washington had
detained Burnside whole month, the
crossing was simply fool hardy blunder
Lee had concentrated his army and for
tilted an impregnable position his trap
was set; there was nothing he SO much
desired as that Burnside would walk into
it. When Burnside found that he was
permitted to cross with so little resistance,
he ought to have suspected that he was
marching into the jaws of destruction !;
but no matter his orders were peremp.
tory, and, as soldier, he could only obey,
as Mcclellan did in Withdrawing from
the peninsula. Haleck had said last week,
81 mean to make the Army of the Poto-
mac go to Richmond, if they were to 60 on
clutches" He succeeded In making twcn.
ty thousand cripples; but he will never
have another army so near Richmond as
McClellan's was when he removed it.
Providence sent heavy, binding rain
storm on Monday night, under whose pro-
tecting cover Burnside withdrew his shat
tered army, and rescued it from otherwise
certain destruction. This is a more terri
BILE humiliation than the bringing of Pope s
broken army within the Notifications of
Washington, which was the catastrophe
OF Halleck's other campaign. Clouds and
darkness now settle like a pail over the
national hopes; no eye of faith can de-
scry what lies beyond.
The hour has struck when we must
have an immediate change of measures,
and OF men, or the next sound which
greets our ears will be the knell of the
Union. The public patience is exhausted.
This stupendous Juggernaut of an Admin
lstration brushes hundreds of thousands of