Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-13
NATIONAL INTELIIGENCER.
THE GREAT LESSON OF CURRENT EVENTS

The military events now occurring in the State
Of Missouri are pregnant Of meaning to all renect
ing and patriotic citizens We have in this quar-
ter the spectacle Of State which for nearly two
years ha. been relieved from the presence OF the
enemy in any organized force, and it was generally
supposed by the country that the military predomi-
nance Of the Government had been here asserted
beyond the possibility of relapse And yet to-
day large portion of this great State is overrun
by the enemy, the forces Of the Government
expelled. and the friends of the Union, instead
of rejoicing every where in sense OF security,
are, in some places, sgain subjected to the sway
of the Confederate soldiery, and in other places
not vet visited by the invaders they are congratu
latipp themselves on their distance from the hostile
force and on the successful retreat which has been
accomplished by Gen. Ewing in bringing OH The
most of his command in safety from the strong post
which he held but few days ago at Pilot Knob
Referring to these incidents the st, Louis Repub-
lican says:
at needless TO say retreatug troops arrived ~
safety Roa with all their guns ana most o. .ne men
unable 70 state but considering the hardshps under
gone and the pers of that notable retreat the loss
knatC tn "a
Ystv settle the question of loss Of The caissons
of had to be abandoned but the commander OF the
battery resoutey stuck to his guns and carried every
one through. This was Msjor David murphy, VINO ds
pcuished hmeef at the battle Of the Knob and through
out the retreat giving the highest evidence OF mert 81
brave and skillfu officer -
ia the return to this city Of the officers named above
They renamed only day October 3d) at Rolla On
the following day they sat out with forty men OF the 9h
M s. M and soon as possible, Dy circuilous roaos
tba hiphvCav which they 1hQ reIrehl6u.
They pursued this road for great part OF tne on
their return and made their way back Steeve and Old
Mines to De Soto, on the Iron MOUNTAIN ihroau "hoo
they shipped for st. Louis "
Since the occurrence Of these events it is known
that the invaders on Wednesday last burned the
large bridges of the Pacific railroad over both the
Usage and Gasconade rivers. All but one sp,n OF
the Usage bridge was burnt. The Gasconade
bridge was totally destroyed These were very
large and expensive structures, and it will require
considerable time to rebuild them. Both were at
least three hundred feet long The bridge over
Coal creek was also burned, and at this point the
insurgents captured train Of thirty cars, which,
with two valuable locomotives, were committed to
the flames and rendered worthless
We do not refer to these events so much for the
purpose of marking their military as their pohti-
cal significance though in each point Of view they
are fraught with the deepest meaning. But when
it is seen that the hold Of the Administration on
territory which has been longest reclaimed from in
surpent domination is SO unstable and uncertain,
who can place any confidence in the value Of those
territorial conquests which are comparatively re-
cent. and which, so far as the resident popula-
ton are concerned, never extended beyond the
limits occupied by our military encampments on
the line of the march Of our armies?
And it is in the light Of such events that we
can clearly read the fulity of that policy which,
in the hands Of the present Administration, looks
to force as the only means to be employed for the
restoration of the Union We presented at length
several DAYS ago the rational considerations which
would Of themselves suffice to condemn such po-
licy, even if we had no experience by which to
demonstrate its faulty. We then argued that il
We could suppose the last Of the insurgent armies
apnihilated if the usurping Governments at Rich
mond and in all the Seeding States were over
thrown; if the slaves of the South were all eman-
cipated and their masters reduced to poverty and
subiection-still the existing civil policy of the
Administrator AFFORDS no nope Oh AresooTalion VI
the Union under the Constitution by the voluntary
cooperation of the Southern people; and without
such aid and cooperation on the part Of large
portion Of that people, it is evident that we can
never pacifcate the country which our armies may
occupy and hold Such pacifcation-the only le-
gitimate end for which war is waged cannot be
brought about by war alone, but must result from
wise measures Of political Cancellation and consi-
tutional justice, which, going in the wake of our
armies, shall consolidate the victories of war by
the victories of peace.
The confirmation which these views derive from
the present condition of Missouri must be appa-
rent to every mind, and the general truth taught
with the distinctness Of political demonstration
by this particular illustration is thus summed up
by Col. Wolford, Of Kentucky, in recent speech
delivered in that State. He said
There is no prospect Of peace. Let me ask, whose
fault ia il that the not closed and the Union saved
IL il not the fault Of the officers Of army for they
faithful and skfu 1t 10 not the fault OF the sodiers for
they noble and brave. Our army has proved it's skill
and vaor by defeating the rebels numerous bat e fields
and capturing several Of their armies 1t has noby done
ts duty and its whole duty The conquess OF our army
now occupy large portions Of rebel territory we have cap
tured Nashville New Orleans, Vicksburg, Knoxville, and
planted me stars and stripes the walls of Atlanta we
hnvedrven The rebels 10 Petersburg and Richmond and