Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-07-15
The ralI of Yicksbur..


The fall of Victsburg is regarded Just now ny
every one, a, = great calamity hrG human judy
mont i. weak and aLort-sigh,od, Statesmen and
military men hsro often erred when estimating
the results Of victories or lafess. Tle teaching
Of History may be euinenuy useful 10 US here.
There were incidents connected With the KussiAn
campaign of y ~.pcleon, which may. shdrd matter
Of profitable reflection at this particular tiino.
When Lord Wellington in 1914, Was contem-
plating an advance upon Madrid, ST William
B~rrcsfori was sen: With a large force 70 tho EGs-
tern Cos2t Of Spain, u. mako = diversisn OF the
French f.rmy in that direction, willis Wellington
advaicca upon tho Capital. Sir William, instead
of "heying orders, made. 3 foolish ani,fIuitless ez-
peditisn upon The coasa OF Is.ly,. thereby defeat
ing Wellingtonc plans and leaving Spain safely in
possession Of Napoleon. TLis Ut the tiino Tha
regarded by al Eurvpe as q great calamity, n. it
left Spain b; the mercy Of the Frtncll, Aud Naro-
leon free to conmeace his fatAl Russian campaign.
The next event in that campaign Of IL similar
character WAS ito sst;lc Of Dorodin". That MSS
u drawn bat:lo, Napoleon roi4sing, though cnr-
nestly c~ntrcatga by Ncy, to engage his old Guard.
KutusutI however resolved the next day to retreat
upon Moscow, and wastollowea By Napoleon. Tie
fact has SINCE Lccn disclosed by history, that tho
French ha; in that baltic entirely exhausted their
81 rlari1un and We without comuiisssry %storee;
aui iaa KutuscfT osoTed Tie enemy baltic tho
next day, Napoleon himself i.uft have Ietreated
aua fallen buck upon the Ehine, snd thu hn'e
ended this Russisn campaign which led to his
-uin. There is stiit another incident in that cam-
paign WORTHY GAR consideration. The winter Of
lSl4 III Russia, tct in some tLreo pr four weeks
later thsn ever known beic-e. Donapsrte w's
thus induced BY the delightful bat dclusire mild
ncss Of the autaaln 10 loitcr away at Moscow those
precious hours c~estn;ial to the salvation OF his
arE'y. When tho u .st dir come, ii came suddenly,
und with saeh .evurily as to cut 90 tho me&H. OF
retreat sid a:tcHy destroy hin army.
Thas wo soc IT Sir Willism Berosford had obey
ed o%r;srS, Wellington would have marched upon
Madrid, and F.apSleon, by The defeat Of his army
there. could have been recalled to Spin, and 80
his Russian canpaign' have icon defeated. Again,
had Kutuse.f offered battle after the fight at
Bor0dino, Napoleon would still have been s.ved
from tho snvws Of Russia. And still further, had
the wint ter of 1914 approached in ii, usual tine
shd mode, io would oven then hive had time TO
make his cicapo frun that fold Of death. And
yet the Rsissisps we're praying, we are told, that
the frost would sc! in, and regarded that mild
autumn as al indication Of GotHs diSpleasurc.
What is the losson taught ts IVY these cronts2
III tue incidents Of the liusaials c~ampsigu just
referred TO, we sec that tic wiarst iDen Of Europe
were unable rightly 10 interpret iho.n. 4 thufe
things are against us" wns ,hei, llrEangc. Hut
it noS apponrs to u, to whom the BOOK is unsesl-
cd, that these were tho very event. by which God
was leading tho ,yrunt Napoleon, ntcp by step, to
his fual and utter downfall. It is undouiabic at
Inc S4rac time, that here Was good and sufficient
,cason then for thinking that tho6c events were
tending to the final subjuga,ion CT Europe. Tho
II cat Lesson here taught US is not {" despair be-
cause the events u I. III to 10 going
against US. Human judgment is shors-sightuj
tho wiscst men DC net correctly sue ull tho conso-
quenccs flowing from a victory or dcicat.
VicksLurg has fallen, md oil men eco in it o
great calamity. 1t may turn out as did tho defeat
Of Sir Ecres!ord, the .ettcat OF hutuso1, OF the
sfrort Of Russia. 20 iIietury is philosophy teaching
by example" If VIC believe, Gs wo profess to bo-
licye, that God is with us in this war, it il hn
unworthy abandonment of our principle to be
cast down by every ndvcrsc event. We have ro-
covered from AZ heavy blows as this, and when
We were lnuch weaker. Remember Fort Donald
soz, Roanoke Island and New Orleans. We rose
from thcsu calamilics with renewed strength, ant
have won many IL glorious victory since. Let US
q put our trust in God and keep our powder dry"
and We uhall win many q brilliant one neain.
= :a.:y-In the House Of Commons, en- the 26:h
Jrnc, Eccbut!; stated lie would move for n re.