New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-21
THE USE OF VICTORY.

ion of imbecty, lncapaclty and treason winch
enabled all the Rebel armies 10 Eastern Vir-
ginia to eight and beat half of enc of ours at
Bull Run. the most unbounded successes were
placed within the reach Of the traitors. They
might have taken Washington any time within
the next forty-eight hours with five regiments,
when Baltimore would have fallen almost with
out blow. TIE next Sunday should have see'
them on tie Susquehanno. with nearly all the
State of Maryland. including the immeuse re-
sources and mechanical capacities OF Baltimore,
in their undlsputed possession. Our three
months men were then disbandiog IN the Eat
and in the West they might have taken Sc.
l. ouis by q rush upon it, and then dictated
terms of peace to the fleeing, panic-'trlchen de-
Tenders of the Union, with the moral il not
material aid Of halt tho Democrats Of the FREQ
Slater. who were just then dcnouncing inva-
" fioa," deprecatDg "taNation," and clamorlns
for "peace."
OF course, we are aware that such bold
strategy involves risks, for hazard is mecca
sary element of war. They might have mis-
carried ut Baltimore Ohey could not have done
40 at Washington, had their advance been Of
I'll seasonabe or resolute), and 1t good
deal more than possible that st. Louis would
Lave repealed them; but ten years Of warfare
with varying fortunes could hardly have brought
them another such opportunity. The ront, the
manic. the dlssout on Of our armies, the novel
holiness Of their Northern ympathizers. all
combined to dictate to the Rebels the policy
of an immediate and determined advance On
each frontier, Forage was everywhere abun'
dant the grain crops just ripe or riPening Tor
harvest; and the weather such as made even
TEN by no means indispensable. They could
have taken at Washington, horses, field guns ond
munitions enough to carry them through 20 tie
Susquebanna. Their frs. and last chance to
establish their pirate Conlederacy had been
fairly thrust upon them by treachery, stupidity
and cowardicc Oh our side, and they Ioadly
threw it away. Ten precious days were 'u''
-f-Ied 10 elapse in virtual idleness, AID there
after it was too late. New, unfrghtcned reg
ments were hurried forward from the ioynl
States the panic subsidized the NoItbern
traitors were hushed Baltimore was trcby
guarded and the Rebel army halted short oi
the Potomac and began 10 throw mp intrench-
ments. The lrcapaclty of its leaders was p'aia
to military eycs the nation quietly collected
its strength tho rebellion began to wnne.
Il WIS af,crwarl galvanized into brief aud
ieseri.h life by the prospect Of British inter
venton but that hope vanished, leaving t
more desperate than b,iore. Nov is doom IS
plpablc aid Inevitable
We say inevitable, bccn"se we are sure that
tic fatal bluacer of II, radrrs ia not TO be
initiated on our side, Give he Ieadiog traitors
.hiri, days ia which ~ collect theis shattered
eGe!rl. ami rally their fying iorce-. aud they
nipht again make head aga'nst he defenders
of the Republic. But long ere tue end OF
March. Nashville will be once more Uuion
city. and the gloriou. mOunta'nceFs OF Eas'
rcp,es,ee viii be freed from their oPpressoos,
and raIl,,ng 10 do battle for the National cau.c
We are confident that New-Orlenns and Gal
,eston will declare for the Union before The
e,d Of March. True, there is mud to be en-
rountercd, for the roads are very bad, eas
or west; but the rivers are bank full, ard ",
have the control Of moot Of the steamboats, on Tie
Western waters, and if our cannon. munitou,
aud heavier baggage can be moved by water or by
rail. our soldiers will somehow get on. III,
few more cold nights; and the brave men who
stood and fought around Font Donelsou through
three days and nights of snow, rain on1 hail
often in mud knee.deep. with no tents to sleep
IL, not half enough to eat, and sometimes com.
PEELED TO give ground, or hold it with the bay
ouet, because their aUmuuiton wagons could
not get up, and they had fred away their las,
cartridge, are not 10 be stopped on the north
line Of Tennessee unless by peremptory orders.
And those orders they VIII not receive while
the War Department remains under is pre-.
ent direction.
Let then, Congress cease ordering gun
boats to be built when timber cOmmaDd. exon
bitant prices for uso GSe or SIX months heace !;
let 1t cease to talk of borrowing Five Hundred
Millions wherewith to carry on the war after
next July, aud devote all its energies 10 pro-
! vidipg the means OF paying forthwith the money
now due our brave defenders and those who
have fed them. and we may have the Union
thoroughly restored and peace proclaimed
within sixty days. Let the morrow take care
Of Itself, while due provision is made for the
needs and the work Of To-Day.
LATER FROM MEXICO.
Our Havana cOrrespOndence. BY the steau.