, 1863-02-02

A writer, whose book, called "Hou a free
Itoph conduct long scar," ought to be in
the hands Of every American at this crisis
Of our Affairs, says: II we, then, are in
clined to doubt and desponding in our
dark hours, as to the final result, let US not
forget the ordeal through which England
successfully passed. We shan find that in
the commencement, there was the same
Wild and unreasoning enthusiasm with
which we are familiar; the same bitter
abuse and dcnunciation of our Government
ut the first reyerses; the same impatient
and Ignorant criticism Of military opera
lions; the same factious and dis1oyal oppo-
sition en- the part Of a powerful party:
the same diseouragcment and desmond
ing at times on the part Of the
true and loyal; the same pro-
phesies Of the utter hope1essness Of
success, the same complaints of
grieTous and burdensome taxation. and
predictions Of the utter financial ruin Of the
country the same violent attacks upon the
Government for its arbitrary DEGREES, and
particularly for the suspension Of the writ
Of ho1eas corpus; the same difficulties
arising from the ine1perience Of the army;
and the same weakness on the part Of the
government in not boldly and encrgctically
supporting the army in the field These
are some of tile more striking parallclisms
between the Peninsular war and our own
struggle" :.
The disastrous defeat Of Sir John ,{ooreS
army at Corunna put all England into sack
cloth and ashes, and humiliation-as the re-
treat at Bull Run smote the national pride
of Americans, and plunged the people for a
time into grief In our case the seces-
sionists Of the North pointed to this disas-
ter with the malicious grimaccs of ticnls
who rejoiccd in the slaughter and disconl-
future Of our demoralized army, and pro-
claimed By word Of mouth, and through
the vile sewers Of their lying newspapers,
that the Bull Run disaster was proof enough
that our volunteers were not brave soldiers,
and that the South could not be conquered
by them.
In the case OF England, after Sir John
aoorce stampede, the po1troons and cow
ards Of that country spoke openly of the
folly Of any attempt ut all on the part of
England to resist the progress Of the French
arms in the Peninsula. And this, be it re-
mcmbered, when the English Government,
as well as the people, were pledged never
to abandon their allies until the French
were driven beyond the Pyrcnecs! We
are pledged never to abandon this war
until VIC have beaten and annihilated the
armies Of the Confederacy, and SO reduce
the rebels to submission.
We will close this article By quoting 4
passage from the book already spoken Of,
as so good and SO applicable to the present
crisis. Theaufhor says:
The lesson which this review If the pro
gress Of The Peninsular war teaches, is, It
seems to us, one Of hope aud encouragement,
for II it shows anything 1t proves clearly, that
means requisite to maintain great army,
those fundamental essentials Of real military
s.iccess, our Government is .immcasurably
stronger than the English erer was at any pc
rlod OF the war. 1t teaches also another I'M
portant lesson, and that is, that there is such
thing as public opinion falsely so called.
which Is noisy just III proportion rs its real
influence is narTow aud restricted Ono Of
the most difficult aud delicate tasks Of the
statesman is to distinguish the true from this
false opinion, the factfous dc1aasogue from
the grumblins but sincere patriot, aud TO
recognize with ready instinct the voice
which comes from the depths of the great
heart Of the people, in warning it mag be
ways ccholng its abiding faith in the Ultimate
triumph Of the good cause,