St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1862-03-06
REVERSES.

fcvrrscs are the tcst of constancv OF
: the soul and hxedness of purpose. elements
without which success III any enterprise is
fnposslbIc. The failure of the merchant
the defeat o: the politician ana the rout of
the warrior. but stimulate grand minds to
renewed endeavors, and if persisted in. al
mo>t inevitably lead to triumph The
S"utLcrn Confcdcracy cnj"ycd its dav of
triumph, it is now experiencing It's period
OF rtvcrses. J. it has within it The Gle
mcnts Of endurance, it can succeed-if il
lacks them, 1t will as as,urcdly fail Rev
oluiionlsts always coutend at disadvantage
with regular Governments The former
have TO cXtemporize everything. the latter
have al! ncctssaries prepared 30 their hands,
AMI the military machinery, the accumu-
ia'ion OF years of peace, II. their disposal.
A glance at thc history of the Rcvolu-
tiHnary war, viii show how at the begin
li'= Of ihc s;-usgl. and for u,a9y succeed
ing years. the advantages were al on the
side OF the British iovernmcut. No,with-
standing the gallant resistance Of the Pro-
viiciais at Bu'.kcr Hill, Boston fill, anu
IN tie succeeding year, ZIG, the fate Of
New lork was decided by the battle of
Long Island and White Plains, in the
former OF which the Americans losi
5000 men, including three of their bcs,
Generals, Sullivan. Ohh and Stirling;
ani III the latter Washington WAS utter
" defeated, and the fort namcl after
''i.iI Oh the lludson red juccd Washing
ton intellectually sought to- bura tee City
Of New York, nnl The vi!lase Of Wl,i.e
Plains was committed to the flames by
his orders. The succcs. of the British
not only secured to Lord Howe, The pos
session ct New York. but iuvolvc,; the re-
dQction of both the State, OF Rho l. Island
an! New Jersey. and the capture of Gen
Lee considered then the brst officer in the
American service. next to Washington -
To~how the condition OF the Americans
! after two years OF War. we give the fol-
lowing extract FROM Hume, (1ih vol page
4S3):
The affairs Of the provinci1ls appeared
now to be in desperate situation by the
orders of the General to Lord Cnrnxaliis,
they had been suffered to cr,as the Dcla-
ware but no doubt was cntert lined that
a. soon as the river was frozen over, not
OILY detachment, but the whole army
under Howe hiusylf would advance in
pursuit 0f the discomfited and flying eiie-
my, proceed TO j hladciphia, and for SO
important an object. and with such pro
liability of complete success, brave all th~
hazards aud hasd>hips Of winter ca.l,-
pain. The sol.iicrs were quite dishea. tcl,-
ed, the panic extended itself 10 The civil
departments, the governor. council, a,s.n.-
bly, and magisfry f New jersey dc<cr.c
their province their brethren of Phi IL
del pl,ia di>p ,rs-l an! the Congress cx-
prcing the speedy arrival Of the British
army. fled to Maryland Three Of the
principal citizens, iii the nam: Of thc rest.
declared their resolution to cutrcat the
protection "f General Howe. The chi
city of North Amcrica, the seat Of the
new Government. appeared ready to
submit. if the British army should ai-
vance. Alarmed at these Ganccrs,
Congress did not however despair: they
proceeded not ouiy to repair their ac-
,ual i"sscs but 10 remove the CAUSES
Their soldiers had only been enlisted
for year; they how ordained that
f; they should be levied f,r three years,
or during The continuance of the var
! The army Was to consist of eighty eight
baitallions. 10 be furnished aud main
famed by the respective co!"rirs in d
certain proportion, according to the as
ctrtancd ab.lity uf each Liberal offers
we're made Of bounties and Of pay. as
an inducemcnt 10 meu td cHls. aud al,
allotment Of lands, 1t the end OF the WIZ
was promised to all who survived. or The
familirs Of those who fell. They also pub
li,h D an appeal TO the American people
10 remind them of taeir assurances of pro-
t~ction and support: they recapiiula'cd
the various gFievarcr5 Which they had
so often stated aid the rejection Of all
their applications for redress: nothing
! but III ccudlrio,,al submission would sat
isiy their eur,.ics; the ou!y alternatives
were resiatanccs or slarcry which of Inc
two were frce-hnrn brave Innn 10 Choose
; The success of the British arms. they al
lcdged. had bren greatly exaggerated, ;n.
east very dear. They assured thc,n Of
the as>ietance Of foreign powers. aud cx-
Iprtej them TO firm rclanc, and rcs:s.a: c.;
10 prepare for vigorh'r d, :ene. of their
liberties. properties ami every "bjec; which
; could be dear to man. I he appeal had
the desired cff.'c!. it revived tn: spirits of
! the people. and stimulated the m.ost as
,onishing ef'rts to pro~lrc r,-i4!vrcc-
; ,a,cn's 10. The arny."