The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1863-09-02
The Strength of Armies
| From The Nep York Old Guard.

we uhNe tUc HlRUtSt tflueUCt, tNcH LII.
vine authority, for believing that "the race
is not ALWAYS TO the swift, nor the battle to
the strong" But it is n truth hard to be
realized by men who are swollen up with
pride. and driven on by the blazing fires Of
revenge. The deluded despot who exclaim.
ed, "ls not this great Babylon, that have
built by the might Of my power and for the
glory Of my nnjesty?' - was taught this les.
son at last, when all his mightiness crum.
bled, and len him To- share the fate of the
beasts of the field Baby Ion builders, IN all
ages of the world, have seemed To be espe.
cially blind 10 the rule of Divine Providence
that "the battle is not ways to the strong"
The passion blinded Nebuchudnezars in the
British House of Lords scorned the warn.
ing words OF the great and sagacious Pitt,
when he thundered into their ea:s, "My
Lords, you cannot conquer America :" But
time and the fate Of battles settled the bus
mess quite another way Than they would
believe, until they had wasted millions Of
treasure, and many brave British lives 10
boot.
Now, il is time TO think Of these things
little, and measuring the events of the past
terrible year, take council Of history and
our own experience, to see whittier we may
be drifting on this tide of blood May il
not be possible that, in the end, we shall
have nothing 10 show, for all We have suf.
fered, but the blood We have shed and the
debt we have Lmassed over our own heads!
May it not be possible that We shall come
at last 10 ackno~ ledge the wisdom and pa
triolism Of the following words Of President
Lincoln in his inaugural address -
"Suppose you 60 60 war, you cannot
fight always; and when after such loss on
both sides, and no gain on either, you cease
fighting, the identical questions rs to terms
Of intercourse are again upon YOU"
Has not our experience satisfied US that
possibly there may be something in these
words worth our needing? Have we for.
gotten how soon We were to end this hor.
| rible rebellion with the $4,000 men first
called into the field We were sure that
It was TO be all over in three months, and
therefore our first army WAS only enlisted
for that time. Then came the demand for
100000 more That was to do the bust
ness in no time. Soon the world was as-
founded to be told tha. we had an army of
750, ZOO brave men in the field. That. sure.
ly, would make short work with.tbe accnrs
ed rebellion! But no; we had soon to
make another call SO that ali the men we
have had in arms since the beginning Of our
troubles cannot be less han 500, 900. Alas!
two years OF battles Of blood have passed.
and We are soon to chnscript 600 900 more.
Where shall we be able TO stop! When
those 100000 ale properly trained for
| the service, will their addition to the army
more than supply the loss we shall suffer
between this time aad that! Is it propable
| that, with this addition Of 100000 more,
our effective force will be greater in four
months from this lime than il is ut the pres
| ent moments
The way we are going on, we shall need
| O new enlistment Of 600 900 nen every four
months to keep our army up to the stand.
ard Of its presen; effective force. And even
then. If the policy and spirit that now rule
| in Washington continue 10 the end Of the
| present Administration We shall have sent
two millions more Of our brave men to die
10 the battle in vain for the Union will
never be snved while this war upon the do.
mostic institutions Of the revolted States
continues. Before Secession 10 CONG uered
in the South, Abolition must be conq quereo a
10 the North. As long Us we put our trust
in nothing else bnt the might Of the sword,
we shall fail. God will surely teach us
this hard lesson, TOO, that "tha battl. 10 not
always to the stroog" God and our brave
korefarhers taught England that Lesson so
efectualIy, that peither the British nation
nor the world has forgotten how. And
that, somehow, seems to be tho teachings
Of llistory-"The battle is not always TO
the strong" God is migbtirr than battles,
and holds the fate Of the weak and the strong
alike in the hollow OF his hand.
| TO commence pretty near The beginning
Of historic battles, We may learn that the
number Of Persans under King Cyrus vas
but handful Of men, compared with the
mighty hosts OF Assyrisns, over which they
were finally completely victorious. And
then afterwards the Macedo donian-, who beat
the PersiaDs. were never over forty thous
and strong. while their enemies were six
hundred thousand