The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-09-13


From The BaHtmnre american.
The New Crisis in the Nations Affairs
travelling in circle for the past wear. the
| U Mon armies and those of the Conicdrracy
have met again at Bull Run and Munson's Hill,
at Lexington and Fort Donelson. Let va
pray Heaven that both parties may not meet
at nutnbcr!e&s other old points OF contact
supposed brct period since impossible. 1t
is not Worthwhile to disguise the deep NOR.
LITIGATION all must feel at tins unexpected re-
| handing to old positions il is useless to con
Sider ourSclvcs as not deeply hum Hated at
! OAR defeat by the ragged and half armed con-
scripts which make up the Rebel evics. The
first step toward success is to look int o results
and to ascertain what has caused them; the
next to rcorganize our shattered columns,
pitch ovrr1 ard every Incompetent function
airy. civil or military, and take the fic Id again
the rr,y first moment ii can b. done.
But have we the courage to do all this Is
it not to often the case that, for fear of .shur-
! ing the feelings OF some Incompetent Hot
| spur or noodle in shoulder straps, he is con-
| tinncd in command until another and another
host OF the gallant and con.iding rank and
| li!e find premature graves, while the flag they
/ carry is dishonored, and the whole mutton is
| humblcd in the dust? OF the soi9ieys who
! nave fonght OF late not I single complaint
| Nobly, glotiuusly have they bonn. themsel-
yes, pouring out their blood like water to
! cover the plumbers Of their commanding gen
erals, counting their lives as nothing if they
| might bat repair The errors which had com.
| promised the safety Of our nationa lily on tho
! bait e hrld. Fighting in isolated squads or
| divisions, left TO erope almost miles asundor
without adequate supports, out-ninked. rak"d
at every turn by mnId"rous masked batteries
whose locality was never ascertaincd in adj
vance for lack OF n proper r-conno sSancc cut
| up by daShrs of cavalry into every available
| open ng.~our own, meanwhile, nowhere ::
they have been beaten, dishcar;cncd, disor
glniSrG. lost their supp les, to finally retreat
10 the old stronghold al a year ago, and una
yaingly grove over the loss of brave com
radcS sacrificed by thousands uselessIy-
Who will deny that this is sos Who can
deny il
And loak at the condition of those who
better led have reduced them to this hnmiiia
| ting condition. One hundred nd fifty miles
or more from their former late base of oper-
ations near Richmond pricked forward by
! their "tfcers at the point of the sword over
such disianc" of weary marching. carrying
| perhaps weeks supply Of poor food IN their
| haversacks or dependent on he cornfcds to
keep starvation AZ arm s end and firing rail-
road IRON Sings for lack of cannon balls they
! have shown an endurance and valor worthy
| of u better cause; while their audacions grn-
eralship has enabled them to rely upon our
supply trains for what was lacking. our own
brave soldierly suffering sadly in sigh, Of their
own smoking provisions meanwhile. These
are til" facts plain 10 view and which nothing
can conceal, which ought not to be concealed
To give to such incompetent Generals more
is but pouring water in a sieve is but sending
| more valuable lives to be hepdlessiy and rrck-
irSSly wasted. anew t. break the hearts of the
people at home, anew to compromise the life
Of The nation.
We have hoped and hoped through long
and weary months; we have encouraged all
with the hope that some Inspiration would
come to tn" leaders ON the fiery patriotism
and enthusiastic devotion of the people, until,
AS the iima!P, here We are after twelve months
of slckenin9 suspense. of hope deferred, at
| the old point from which we SET ont
Now, we shall not propose policy for our
leaders, civil or military but there is one
| ching the nation like the old Athenian orator
VIII insist upon. ana that is: action! &C
ion action! We believe to-day that our
troops confronting the rebels outnptnbered
Them. besides being superior IN everything
which constitutes equipments and SUPPLIES
| Aud here we Shall quote the battlefield cor
| respondent OF New York paper, whose
n
| iirmcd by what comes from others best in
formed on the subject He says
6. Rebel prisoners say that the enemy is
very short of ammunition, and represent the
| troops rs almost starving. This is partially
confirmed by the fact, as am informed by an
| officer, that The rebels do not fire more than
twenty-five shots (articry) TO our hundr ed
| and i'm to make every shot tell. | can saw
| for myself that | never saw such miserable,
| hat-starvrd looking set of creatures in my
I life as the hundreds of prisoners we met on
Sunday morning travelling toward Alpxadria
| Many were harcioo.cd, several without hats,
and scarcely any two dressed alike. while
many were almost destitute of clothing.-
How such men, so inferior, physically. and
badly equipped, can cope with our troops, |
| cannot comprehend"
| Now for glance at the other side-our
own-as pictured by the same pen:
:" We passed on the road to-day great num-
bers of The incst-looking troops l have ever
seen. Cou2h's Sedgwicks, and Smiths
Divisions are pressing on to the front rapid v
evidently enthusiastic and eager to engage
the enemy
Now, we say, instead Of retiring to the
| shelter of the Notifications at Arlington
lights, to " retatten orr iiaded horses. and
| Bespoke our tottering wagons TO snbside
into chronic in action, IN other words-let
weeks rest at turthest see the great army
again seeking the foe ; ,ct those blows, better
directed. be repeated upon his shattered col
nmns which may still prevent his reaching
Richmond even, to say nothing of him placing
himself as Il sentinel once more for mon his to
bar tn road thihrr. So far from tociating
the old act in the great military drama over
again, the surging backward and forward of
mere lines OF pickets from Munson's Hill to
NJ Manassas, the nation might well thank the