New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-08-14
OrtrT oy TIP POTOMAC.


Correg oudence Of Tie y. !. Tribune
W1snisGros ID. C., Aug TO- 1863
Ii Lees army had been marched upon ana ami
bilatod at WilliAm-port, on the critical day OF
which, wild with the fear Of instant and fatal per
sut, it was madly plunging across the rushing an,
surging Potomac, contributing to the Unsuitable NAV
Of that turbid stream, "a mingled wreck Of wagons
harnes,ed horses, and men, with heaeonbs of thes'
piled on every bowling shosl, and drowning mel
struggling with tangled aud plunging steeds in III,
fosming jaws Of II terrible death, where now woulC
there be Rebel army to fight But, wo mus
chartaby admit that Meade could not know jus
when Lee, nervous and demorllized, was wildly anc
defen selessy crossing the Potomac. any more thar
Lee could know Iust when burnside and Hooker
r.pulsed were Tecrotslng the Rappahannock. BE
rider those who ought 10 know ray that the force
with which Meade relulred Lee, at Gc'tysburg
was not sufficient 10 attack him. posItioned and Tor
tilted Ms he " -, at W llliamspod, until be WAS To
enforced as be was on the day lie advanced, 10 FIND
the enemy gone Why the Union Army Of the Po
tomac was not sufficiently aud seasona0ly enough
REINFORCED from the idle and available forces il
SOulh-Ea.tern Virginia and North Carolina, 10 meet
ind oyerwt,lm the army OF Lee, which was 30 long
known TO be advancing upon PennsylyaDia, Ia M
Inquiry that will probably DO searchingly and i'm
partially made, when tie matter can DO agltatod
without de.riment TO the Union cause Even with
out re-eniorcements IL Ia evident, III esde could
have apnibiated Lee ut WIlliam-Ior t. aud put al
end 10 the Rebellion, If he had only followed the
dictates OF has own genoralshp and struck just al
the night time. But The failure Inns been made, and
cannot now be helped, and there Is no use frcting
about it. Let IL be IA standing lesson to Union
manders, particularly the Commander OF the Army
OF the Potomac, TO hereafter never allow their supe.
rior judgment to DO oyerruled by corps command
ers who fell to comprehend the issue and the ext
gencios OF tho occasion, and 10 respond 10 the udg
mcnt, and the hopes and expectations VI tho army
and the people. AZ the optmirts say, il may yet
be- all for the best The army Of Lee can yet be
annihilated, and M end put to tho Rebellion. We
can now that II this had been done ut tue first
battle Of Bull Run, ut the result OF which we were
80 sadly disappointed, 1t may not have been pcrml-
nently done. aud tho inslitution Of Slavery would
certainly still have blaekoned tho escu cheon of the
nation. We have tho consolation that the longer
the end OF the Rebellion Is delay edso that 1t is not
unnecessarily delayed--the more thorough and oil.
iectuhlly ~ Slavery, its unmlstakable cause abol
ishod, and the hcresy of Secession cured.
But what Of the present situation, and consequent
policy OF the Government In the South-West, the
Rebel forces evidently pretty well used up aad
demorazed. Neither Johnston is able to Withstand
accomplishing any thing ia that quarter, 10 for them
opponents, before the Other can come TO bis aid.
Against which will this bei Ii they unite against
Grant, (who, Of course, will not be removed from
the protection Of the Mississipp FOR the purpose Of
recovering the Mississippi, and their trans- Missis-