Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-05-23
Vol. VII. Al.

"a
Washington. The true man of genius
never unnecessarily expends power.
Now that they can make history with tho
pen, what can be the object Of their vio-
llont efforts to make it with fire and
Sword? Beauregard is as much dead to
the people of New York as if his head
had really been taken off by cannon
lball. Pittsburg is as much real victo-
Try at Boston as if the prisoners and the
guns had all been captured by the Fed
Ierals, and not by the Confederates Pos
tsibly by this time battle has really taken
pltce at Corinth. Many hundreds of
men have probably bcen killed on either
side. Porhapsthe Fcdcrals have stormcd
the lines and have driven back the Con-
federates with infinite slaughter per-
haps, on the other hand, the unfairly re-
suscitated Beauregard may have suffered
another Of those defeats which leave his
hands full Of cannon and prisoners. But
what need can there be of these vulgar
acts Of bloodshcd? Mr.. Stanton now
sits, like the author of threc-volumo
novel, with life and death, fortune and
ruin, happiness and misery, all at his
own pens point. Nothing which NAV
be achieved at Corinth can DO more glo-
rious and decisive than what has been
already announced in the New York pa
per:
:" General Buell. was reported to have
taken Corinth, with all its immense stores
of arms and ammunition" Or if, On
the other hand, it should happen that
General Buell. has TO run back to his gun
boats, there seems to be no reason why
this announcement should be contradict
ed, or why the terms Of the despatch
should be changed. Mr. Stanton has il
in his own breast what we shall believe.
Whatever happens, Of course he will fire
hundred guns, and Mr.. Lincoln will
order thanksgiving and as it would
be work of supererogaticn to kill Gen.
Beauregard over again, he will, perhaps,
take Mr.. Jefferson Davis prisoner. With
his trancendent powers, why should he
60 on wading into inextricable debt and
spilling rivulets Of human blood? Why
not Withdraw the fleets and armies alto
gether, and make the victories at leisure,
to meet the days of publication Of the
New York papers? Then, indeed, Mr..
! Stanton could cut the ground from under
General Bcaufcgard's feet. Tie and Mr.
Jefferson Davis, and others Of like cal
lous minds, might, indeed, still continue
pertinaciously to assert that they bad not
been killed or taken, but they would not
be able to exhibit scores Of captured
cannon and thousands Of captured pris-
oncrs to impertinently give color to their
denial
Mr. Lincoln and Mr.. Stanton will tell
us that they would rather have real VIC
tories, if they can get them. This is
weakness. "Quod crcdo, ID est." If the
New York papers we're 10 tell us to-
morrow that Buell. had walked over the
lines al CoriLth, and that Mcclellan had
stormed the lines at Yorktown; tina. the
Monitor had sunk the Merrimac, and
that the Southern Congress had sued to
be allowed to return to Washington, VIC
should all believe it to be the Govern
ment news Of tho hour. 1t might DO
true, or it might be false, but it would
represent no more than an exposition Of
the imaginary state of things which the
Government at Washington desired to be
believed. This, we submit, might be
effected without any fighting whatever.
The heroes who lived before Agamem-
non are as if they had not lived, because
they had no bard to sing .heir deeds. n
The happier heroes Of these later days
have double advantage over their name
less predecessors, for, living under strict
monopoly of hardship, MIR. Stanton can
not only have their triumphs loudly sung,
but can also have their victories invented.