East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-09-02
Popular DelusiOus Concerning
the War.

When the present war began, the
opinion was almost universally enter
tanned at the North that il would not
only bc of short duration, but also, that
a comparatively small number Of men
would be sufficient to bring it to sue
cessful termination. Some boastfully
asserted that with few thousand men
they could march through and conquer
the whole South. AS soon as an army
had been gathered near Washington the
cry was raised. ''On 10 Richmond" and
such was the pressure upon the gov.
ernment that it felt compelled to yield
to the popular clamor. The order was
given to march, our army met the enc
my at Bull Run, and after some hard
fighting, became badly frightened and
fed back in terror to Washington. =
This event at the time was looked upon
as a national calamity; but no one can
now regard it otherwise than as a great
blessing to both Government and peo
pie. 1t effectually dispelled the popu.
lar deusion that our enemy was so in.
significant as to be unworthy of eDgag-
ing the highest military skill and cour
age of tho North. The people learned
that our foes were well supplied with
munition of war and had skill aud cour.
age to use them-that SUCCESS could
not reasonably be expected without the
most complete and thorough prepara-
ton. The nation became quiet and
willing to con6de the management of
the war to military smen. Six months
of preparations followed. The order
was then given to advance, and the re.
suit during FIVE months. was more than
fifty battles fought, in which almost un.
varying success attended the Federal
arms. J he nation rejoiced over the al
vantages gained, became proud and
self confident. Enistments were stop.
ped. Our troops, it was said, would
celebrate the 4th Of July in Richmond,
and the war be brought to speedy
close. But the recent hard fought
battles before Richmond have hum6led
our pride aud scattered our hopes to
the winds. We now see that Southern
people are not only courageous and
skiilful, but, also, that they are desper.
ately determined to achieve their pur.
pose; and that we must meet them with
corresponding determination to lie,
feat their evil designs, or the Union
and American liberty as established by
the founders Of our republic will be lost
forever.
Another idea prevalent at the break
ing out of hostilities was, that slavery
would be an element of weakness to the
South. 1t was sail that slave insur.
rections would occur in the Southern
States--that slaves would eagerly EN-
brace the occasion Of war to gain their
frecdom-and that Southern people
would have all they could do TO lake
care Of their slaves. The progress OF
the war thus far has proved this idea
to be delusion. No instructions
have occurred. The slaves work the
plantations, raise the crops, dig the
trenches, erect the fortifcations, anG
for anything we know TO the contrary,
they perform all this service cheerfully
The whole available white population
are thus enabled to devote themselves
wholly to the war. Slavery under these
circumstances, therefore, becomes an
element of strength, rather than one %
weakness. But now it is affirmed that
proclamation of emancipation would
transfer the slaves from the support Of
the rebel cause 20 that Of the Union.-
This is by no means certain. 1t is only
in localities possessed by our troops
that they are aiding the Union cause
and this is not SO much of their own
action as it is that Of their masters in
leaving them to take care of themselves.
The truth is, people arc misled in their
judgment Of the ncgro's love OF liberty,
by imagining what their own feelings
would be in similar condition. If the
slaves valued liberty as we do, they
would avail themselves Of the present
disturbed state of the South to better
their con6ition-and the fact that they
do not, is evidence, that love Of liberty
is not in their minds as an all. absorbing,
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