Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-07-03
I1lVIII. E'I'II. II. =. IsN T.
\. S. PEYDLEToS, \. \. GcnI.
From the Nrw York Times. !
u-yt,- y,-r ,rt..r lAtt. tn


We hope there are not many honest nltri-
otic men ut the North who have not, during
the last week asked themselves in sober sad
ness: How l. it tho. after two years of war,
with every advantage oil our side with over
whelming superiority in men, money and ma
tcrial: with our ports open, cur trade flour
ishing. Our credit good our people pertina-
ciuuS and determined beyond example, we
find the enemy threatening orr own territory
with an army equal. if not superior IL our
own? How is it that, within days march
Of Washington. we have no better protection
| against invasion rhan lew rn musSe. and q
lumultuonS rush to the field uf half-urmcd
civi!ians-undrillcd. unoifccrcd, and unor-
ganzcd? How is it that TIE United
States Government. while actually engaged
| in the task of cunqucring the whole South,
| finds itself reduced to the humliating ncccs-
| Sity Of abandoning the defence of Northern
soil to the frantic energy Of State Governors? :?
| How is that. when the second campaign opens,
the national authority seems to disappear
from our view, and the Union seems to resolve
itself into mere Confederation, each member
of it acting for itself, and shouting to the
others for help? What is it. in short, that cons
stitutcS the military superiority Of the South
ut this moment? What gives it Il veteran anil
disciplined army equal i'll number To- lIuokcr's,
and enables 1t tosprcad panIc through the whole
North and send the authorities %! PcnnSvlva-
mia flying of with the State archives from the
State Capital, by merely sending two or three
thousand troopers over the border? Why are
our young men called of from their business at
a days notice to rcruSc raids three hun
dred miles away? Why is great, powerful
society like ours thrown into convulSions by
the opposition Oft brigade Of buShwackers, its
business men driven to their wits ends, and
its chiefs forced to make appeals to the patriot
ism and devotion of private citizens such as
are usually the last resource og despairing
energy?
The answer to all these questions is simple.
| We are engaged in un enterprise which re.
ouircs that Il well drilled, well disciplined and
we'll organized army, ruled hv one code, COM
mandcd by one chief, shoulr be maintained
till it is accomplished. The South recognized
| this great fact early in the WIZ, and we did
not: and hence it is that it j. astonishing the
world by the greatness of its performance rs
compared with its m"ans--Wr, By the small
ness Of our performance ~ compared with
our means. Armies recruited rs ours have
been. for mine months. and tyO years, and
three wears with officers eec;c'! and appointed
by fourteen or fifteen different ':":ernors, with
nothing sure: 10 depend "n for reinforce,
mcnts than voluntary enlistment, cannot pos
sibly succeed in Il ta>k < Of Snc!l magnitude as
we have undsrtaken. No such feat has ever
been accomplished: no l';:n, with any knowl;
edge OF war believes IT pos $,'le' and our hay
ing attempted 1t has excited G9'h inc r'1icnlc
aud aSiDnlSamcht oil tic world. II would be
impossible even II the North were unit, and
II every orator ana writer IN 1t were engaged