Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-07-17


taught England that lesson SO ei*ncnaaIiy HAT
neither the British nation nor the world has
forgotten how. And that somehow, seems to
be the teachings of History--'IHE BATTLE Is
NOT ALWAYS TO TIE STRONG" God is might
Ter than battles, and holds the fate OF the
weak and the strong alike IN the hollow OF his
hand
sir William Temple, in his Essay on He
roic Firtuc," says THE second observation
shall make On the subject OF victory and
conquest is, that they have in general been
made bv the smaller numbers over the greater;
against which do not remember any e3cep-
ZION in all the famous battles registered III
story, excepting that of Tamerlane and baJa,
yet, whereof tho first is said to have exceeded
fourth part in number, though they were so
vast OH both sides that they were not very easy
ID be we'll accounted
This seemingly odd remark Of Sir William
Temple we believe to be verified by tho records
Of history.
10 commence pretty near tho beginning of
historic battles we may learn that the num-
Der of Persians under King Cyrus was but a
handful of men. compared with the mighty
nosls AsSyrans, over which they were tinally
completely victorious. And then Afterwards
the Maccdunians, who beat the Pcrslans, were
levcr over forty thousand strong, while their
enemies were SIX hundred thousand.
The little Athenian army OF ten thousand,
fighting Tor their liberty anu independence,
drove back and ovcrcame hundred anu
| twenty Thousand Pcrsians at Marathon.
In all the famous victories Ut the Laccde-
| mouins, they had never over twelve thou-
sand soldiers at any time, though their enc
mics had often twenty times that number.
Almost every one Of the celebrated ylcto-
rics oi the Romans were achieved over lar
greater numbers.
The great CAESARS armies-whehcr in Phar-
salia, Guul or Germany, were III no proper
| ton to those he conquered.
The army of Marius was never above forty
| thousand, while that Of the Climbers, which
he conquered, was three hundred thousand
The famous victories of EEtius and BellSari-
| lis over the barbarous Northern nations, were
won with numbers astouishngly small.
The same is true of the first great victories
of the Turks over the Persian kingdom, and
| Of the Tartars over the Chinese.
In all the immortal victories the renowned
Scandcrhcrsachicred over the Turks, he never
brought together over sixteen thousand men,
though his enemies often numbered over .
hundred thousand.
To come down to later times, the English
victories at Cressy and Argincourt, 80 famous
in history, were gained with incredible disud-
vantagcs of numbers.
The same must be said of the great victories
Of Charles VIII, in Italy: of Henry ", in
France; Of Gustavus Adolphus in Germany:
and of Charles XII, of Sweden, in Denmark,
Poland and Muscoyy. The King of Poland,
who had an army Of twenty-four thousand
strong, Inc defeated and drove from hi, throne
with force Of less than twelve thousand: aud
the Russian army Of eighty thousand was
beaten by him with little army Of only eight
thousand.
Nor must VIC forget the fate Of the great
Napoleon in Russia. Napoleon invaded that
country with IN army Of six hundred and
thirty thousand soldiers, and was finally COM
pictcly vanquished and driven out Of the
country, although tie Russians had never
over two hundred and fifty thousand men in
the field ut any one time.
ST., We perceive that the page of history
abundantly supports the Divine Word, that
the battle shall not always be to the strong
Indeed, as Sir William Temple afirms, the re-
verse has oltener been true. This lust year of
our own horrible experience is another proof
If we may rely upon the word of the late Sec
| rotary Of War, Mr.. Cameron, we have en-
listed, III all, SO0 600 men: and vet, at the
conclusion Of the Richmond battles, it was
said that we had, nil counted, less than 800, 900
soldiers left in the field. This would show a
loss Of 100000 men in little more than one
year. Call it 100000, to be within the mark,
and then ponder upon the thing little: aud
at the same time reflect that our gunhpats
| alone have saved our armies from anuihila-
100000 men in this RRt t.ii the South has lost
white mcn lost on both sides, COO, uWGaGeS OF
Now, Senator bOastcd, the other dnr, that
''we had already liberated $4,000 negroes. y
| Yes, we have shed the blood Of twelve whito
men for every negro We have set free.
And what npw is the prospect for the fl,-
turc? Nothing but disaster and ruin. Tie
| programme is to cxterminate the white race
| in the South, to plumber and burn their towns
| and cities. Before LIncolus term OF Office is
uI,, he will sacrifice the lives of q million more
| OF the citizens Of the North in pushing on this
| atrucious work; and even then lie will only
have stepped knee-dccp into the fathomlcss
ocean If blood which must be shed before the
horrid crime could be accomplished. There
are not men enough in the North to carry out
the Lincoln-Butler scheme. Let those who
believe in it show their faith by their works.
and pour out their own blood in the horrid
strife. Let them not meanly hide behind the
threc-hundred-dollar clause, and force the vir.
tuous and peaccable poor to sacrifice them
selves for au object which every patriot must
hold in eternal adherence If the conflict
were to restore the Union or to preserve con-
stltutlonal freedom, a man might feel some
impulses Of honor and glory in going out to
die. But to know that one must offer up his
life to free negroes and enslave the white
race, must fill proud mans soul full of I'M
qucnchable Indignation and horror. 1t is
possible that you may force such men into the
army; but can you make them fight? What
would be the reliable force Of q million of
such mon in arms ?