The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-10-01
Lees Retrogcade Movement Viewed In
Richmond

LrE1I y @CIllOl Oi.P@tc1 y. lsLE JulFI
Opinions are various with regard to the motives
which induced Gen. Lee 10 withdraw his army to the
Virginia side Of the Potomac. All seem, however, 10
agree shat the movement was proper, under the cir
cumsrances, whatever they might be, being guided
in their opinions entirely by the profound confidence
which they repose in the commanders professional
skill. and his well known prudence and discretion.
We shall not hazard q conjecture On the subject.
although the long-coutinued Good in the Potomac.
and the absolute necessity Of preserving his commu
uicarion With Virginia, furnish ample reasons for tia
movement without a;tributing IL 70 n defeat.
There arS persons who think. and have thought
from the f-sf, that The invasion Of Pennsylvania vas
a rash and dangerous experiment.. which there was
no justification Tor having undertaken. We are no,
one OF those On the contrary, We be. ieve, when the
secret history Of this war shall have teen 90 bTished.
the conduct OF the General will be amply justified by
circumstances Of which We are now, sud must for a
generation remain completely ignorant. AZ for the
eject Of the Invasion. that 10 q question open even
now TO discussion. Various are the opinions upon
the sutjeci. One party maintains with great warmth
thar IL has been altogether and without mitigation.
injurious 20 our cause; another that Il has neither
adsaneei nor retarded is progress; n third that i,
has teen productive only Of benefit. We agree with
neither OF these parties. We CONCEIVE that like mos,
other events in this world. il has been productive
both OF good aud evil. though We are disposed 10
think that the good more than balances the evil.
That IL has had the immediate effect OF stimula-
ing the war passions Of the North, and enabling
Lincoln with the more ease TO recruit mis- shattered
ranks, can hardly be denied But il must be recol-
lecied that this was the Consequence uotef the eIpe-
1litOn Isell, OUT OF the WITHDRAWAL OF the troops,
and has not therefore, the slightest bearing upon the
wisdom Of the measure. Had Gen. Lee DESTROYED
the army Of Mesde-as there was every reason to
hope. We should then have seen how fatal was the
blow he had struck The wisdom of a measure is
not always to be judged by its success We must
look TO the design and see what would have been the
consequences had il succeeded. In this case We may
judge what they would have been by the abject terror
with which the Yankees were struck when they
found their country inv: dei. Had Gen Lee DESTROY
ed the army o.. Meade-and this is what he aimed
and expected TO do-he would have held in his hands
the issues Of var and peace. He failed 20 accomplish
his Objecr; but failure IN the execution implies no
want OF judgment in the conception, unless the means
should be ridiculously email. They were not so in
this case. Gen. Lee believed them to be ample.
But this expedition has been OF service in these
respects II relieved an impoverished couhtfy from
the burden Of supporting a large army. II gave US
enormous supplies to be used hereafter. Ii enabled
us 70 live on the enemy, and TO make WARRIOR n time
a. lesst-support war. Above all, IL has taught the
Yankees that they. as well a. we, are open to inva-
sion. In the exultarion OF the moment they NAV
forget this; but when that eIultation has subsIded
they will be sure 10 remember il. The dread Of see
ing repeated on their own territory the scenes which /
their plunderers have enacted on ours. will operate
more powerfully in ~dispOsing their minds to peace
than any number Of battles lost within the bouuda-
ries Of the Confederate States.