Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-11-25
F0reshad0wing Of Another Retreat of Bragg.

9
The country may as areH prepare ITSELF fo,
other retreat i7t the Vest. The indications of
the annual migration of birds are scarcely
mse unerring than the auguries which
foreten the disappointment of the high ex-
pectations formed of the results to be attain
ed III that quarter. After a continuance of
| favorable prognostics, to which additional
strength was given by the confident tone of
the President since his recent tour of inspec-
ton after reiterated assurances of the straits
| to which the enemy reduced of the pre-
carious tenure OF his communications the
difficulties of subsistence by which he was
pressed, and the impossibiiity of his long con-
tinuance in his present position, we now note
a certain, and somewhat indefnable, change
of tone, which, to a people rendered doubly
acute by long habit and deep interest, serves
to mark the fall of the barometer and give
warming of the coming storm.
\ certain vague mistiness of detail all I'M
certainty as to the actual position of affairs
confusion and contradiction in the various &C
counts which reach US, both from the enemy
and our own side-dH these are onae,eS ,cltjch tie
experience haze been forced to acquire Ia tie
art Of diri7tatio1 tells as TO be Interpreted IN a
bad sense. 1t is well that they should precede
the unpleasing reality; that the public mind
inflated with too large "a dose of confidence
and braced to too great degree of tension,
should be gradually depleted and relaxed
The power of adaptation, which is strong
a faculty of the human mind, and that simple
philosophy which, though not derived from
the schools, springs spontaneously out OF the
rough lessons of life, will enable the country
to bear the disappointment of its high hopes,
as it has before now endured more serious
disasters with constancy and frmness. A
little time and gentle preparation will render
the process easier, and give the requisite tone
to the energies and tortltude of the people.
The newspapers were enjoined at the be-
ginning of the war, and they have in general
displayed commendable disposition, to OBJ
serve a proper reticence as to the movements
Of troops and the probable plans for our Gen
erals 1t may be doubted, PaSsa1tt if the
practice now prevalent at Charleston, OF pub
lishiug the exact number of the enemy's
shots which strike, and the amount of dam
age they do, is exactly in accordance with the
| prudent policy usually observed. But no
matter what may be the general freedom
| from censure IN this respect, there Is one
| point which there is much to blame, not
| so much for any warning or information II
gives the enemy as for its sad effect upon our
| own people 1t is tie continual aud ertraVaga'a
representations that are made Of tie advantageous
| positions occupied by oar army and tie great re-
| suits that are soon 10 eHStte. The @nemys ar
| nv is at one time hemmed in between river
and our own forces; at another, his flank Is
| turned, one corps entirely cut Oft, and Its de-
| struction certain; again, his communications
| are so embarrassed that he must light to save
/ himself from starvation. These fancltul
| statements excite the contempt OF the OBJ
| server, who knows from general history OF
| how rare occurrence i. the absolute desttuc-
/ ton or surrender of an entire army, and how
| difficult to bar all avenues Of retreat. APP
| piled to our own position, and read by the
light OF the history of the last two years, they
! excite an uneasy feeling of apprehension
| They recall too many glowing promises OF the
| same nature, all of which, after begettlng an
| undue feeling of citation aut high expecta-
tons, inevitably doomed TO be disappointed
/ even bv more signal success than usually
waits on military operations, have been fol-
! lowed bv a feeling of dependency at the I'M
| satisfactory sequel. Let all such extrayagant
predictions and Swelling prologues" be con-
| sidered coltraband in future. The serious
| difficulties of the are enough to try all
| our fortitude Let US not add those engen-
dered bv reaction arising from overwrought
| expectation.
LOOK Orr-A Young lady who lived near
railroad crossing appears to have had no oc-
cupation except perpetually poklng her head
| out of the window. A wag the other morn
! ing hailed her from the street:
- Halloa, Miss.
/, "What do YOU wants said she, after the
| first flush of indignation at being thus ac-
; costed
| The bell amt rung yet," was the answer.
| What do you mean = she asked.
WHY" was the reply, " that sign says
you're 10 look ont whea tie bell rings; but
you are looking out all the tine"
The young lady's head disappeared with a