Newbern weekly progress., 1862-06-14
(Ffo7n tie It,itan5oaI L.can.iaer. Eey %. }


Z S>AE 49, q t>5a-ssNa.bsS
No situation so ,rpor ant as the present ha
been observed on the American continent
What tremendous consequences, what terrible
stakes, what enormous results, depend uPo'
the action and succpss Uf the two armies camp
ed within few miles iruI1 thc halia o! E;ch
mond. Spectators Of their own fate, Il,
patient While their liberty er slavery, veal
or poverty, life or DEATH is decided BY the sk d
OF Mcclellan and the intelligence Of JouSN
Ten. These armies are not yet trying
question by an appeal TO the SWORD. Neithe
general has jet fought a battle HitGerN 8
they have only plsyed game Of chess. II
they are ssiil engaged in evolGt:ons. O.
plays an offensive, Ihc other defensive @anik i
Hitherto one OF these men has stopped =
advance OF the other as long as he coud al s
then retired Perhaps he was QHifc night
do 50 al. Manassas al Z al York toan n FOR / b
destiny CT the nation was not in jeopardy Il
either point. and 1t was important to prestI 1.
the army intact for more important scryice
But let ali parScs be warned OF the coEseqpe s
ces inevitably to follow similar step from Il,
banks Of the Chickahominy. Those cons
quenceS are not only military, but civil,
aAtional. They are dcmoral zation and 0.SGsr
ganization, out Of which the army and 81
country will cndcavour 10 save itself by i ndN
creation OF leaders and rulers; adding thus 4
al our calalDi:ies and difficulties, that of rev
LUTON.
The conclusion 10 lie drawn is direct. Thf
place must be the witness Of q trial Of strengt i
Il military science will GOT pernsiI sf that &
peal till all the evolutions in text books a
gone through with then the attack must u
made and the battle delivered after they an
done, whatever the ;nconvenienCeS Gf our pos
ton, and however great, according to ttk
principles of the art, the probabilities Of oun
defeat may then be. Defeated or victorious
tee Southern army and nation must be Satisfi 6
tnat the present GOV eminent and Generals can
fight somewhere, ana this is the last chanos
for them 10 prove it.
Mcclellan can operate against Richmond Il
t~o ways. He can come up tie banks of Ia
river, with his flank covered By his boat :
bring with lin his *cige tia;nS, and I'd
attacked, do here for the second tiDe what hi
has already done once with unm0lcSted eait
and success at Yorktown. Or, he can reaoh
his 4. my up the Northern bank Of the CHie
ah0miny through Hanover get troops tetwcen
Anderson 5 army and Richmond and when Ii
has done away uith it, form a union viii
Banks and Mcdowell at his leisure. In
ChickahoIDinY furnishes an excellent defers. IS
line for our army, but as Mcclellan is on IA
other side Of it. it defends him too y bile coed j
pied in these comfortable a?raag ments.
OF course II he is allow cd take his OV I
time and DO all he wants over there; if Ii
Confederate commanders are going to sit dow {
and tuIddIe their thumbs TIL he condescenck
to begin with them if his hauling of heavs j
guns and digging Of trenches is 70 b. TePeiiyl 6
by lie hauling OF other g0nS and the digglf {
OF other trenches then the end oi 1t is Gel tai {
Nothing is more inatAemaii,a.iY proven ths I
the plans Of attack taught to BOYS - We4 i
Polpt and either &cadeuites, provldtd ar!nie !
can be reckoncd into finckS Of store. W h!GH
will stand still to be measured, weighed, ca s
cuiated, aud then one to be t.ftcIl over ano q
as is by cranes and pulieys. The stachine
army, given the requisite time, transportation, !,
numbers and will always get the lrfendlne {
army in such fix that II is bound 10 retire 4
BE- cut to pieces and NJ 10 tnis time our q &
fensjve array has regularly retired in coEpl 8
ance with the principles oi JGmlnL SUCH -
hiIgsrts been the history of our i II
such is net the history OF war III general, al &
it cannot always continue to be So here. Thers
are such tAingS As bravery, enterprise. Invel
ton, 0uichnesS oil movement dGtcTGO nation d
purpose, which have had mach 10 co with tn
military results III every other age and country,
and they viii sooner CT later MAKE ther way
over al the precedents O! the late army OF tile
United States.
It is eaSY 10 repeat tbs cuckoo song tilat a
is a science, that no one knows il bat tho5s
!
that Generals have dol,e so, newspapers ha9s
not done SO; that it is Impossible to dciiv II
battle TO superior forces in ufaSsaaule pos /.
tons that our Generals cfier battle t9 sscCeI
Ian, be Viii not accept II, & EGt an aEpe =
from common Conccit 10 common sense art te
history is always j"sgitia5ie. Tie great, =
masters G! the military profession have ct q
record this UHsninoGS jl'igucnt, that y ar i
art, not science, mach less nystcrys
that success IN it depends upon mother-wi &
not study; thai quick perception, strong sens I
courage, enterprise and general mental rr@ourd /
are he qualities that make a commander; tn Il
the worth OF an officer Is to be tested by ID
success, and the merit Of campaign IS to
estimated by It's results and not by tnc Opinion
or clltie.sos OF persons having military iretch
sion. NON, what have been the results Of ia
campaign in Virginia Ihe war has lasted !
year. Many battles have been fought. g
every one Of the battles fought IL Eirg ID
with the exception OF Cheat Mountain ri
Roanoke the Confederate soldiers ha, c had Il i
advautaec; yet, the Confederate armies haV.
been always in retreat, newer In advance, aba 1
donng position alter poSIti"n, according 6
rule ana square, TIL nov the SAFE is near.y ii
swallowed by the enemy, lis fields desoIat, 4
villages deserted, iarni houses sacked, ID
slaves wandering IN troops. the people Hatl1F
IN exile, aAd the capital SIM sag only on Il e
suppnsition that the precedent II she past sh5
here lie abandoned. It is time to pat in prS
test against precedent, ana u give solen
waning to ali those, if any there be- who pr )
pose 10 continue HE campaign In Virginia q
II has been commcuc> d.
But our generals have often ' offered battle :
Mcclellan would not &cceptlt Therefore The ]
could not fight HIM. On this point We wen
refer to a memorable piece OF military history
When the great general of the civil wars &
Rome was engaged in his campaign again
publius Si!o d distinsu shed co,n,randtr OF Il 4
ether party, he bothered him uuch with h
trenches and slow advance. Siio often led Q 1
his le.ions III Choice positions, offering bal