Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-02-06
A,Prediction.


APrediction.
We venture the pred ction that rout more disgrace
full than the Bull Run stampede awaits the Yankees in
most of TIE conflicts likely to occur during the next
campaign. They will have to enter upon 1t with all the
disadvantages of lsvies who will present but poor
buWsrk against the gallant veterans Of Lee and joint
ston As TO the contingent of the three years men
likely to remain in service il We take the estimates
of Yankee authorities they will not constitute force
sufficiently large to implrt air of martial discipline 10
! the new organisation The Bull Run stAmpeders were
veterans, compared with the material which viii
compose the new armJ TIE former comprised the
Wel-drilled volunteers OF the different ciFes OF the
North and they went cheerfuly LTD the fight, etcout
aged by orsgone conviction of easy victory, and with
no dread experiences Of sad reverses to mar their as
surances of triumph. Tho latter will entsr into tie
the conflict with unwilling hearts, nOvces in discipline,
and with the doubts aud fears which the presence of
grand army Of ndomiabls veterans must inspire. They
will moreover, have to encounter the serious drawback
Of maarious infections and Ordinary camp diseases,
which committed ouch fearful havoc in the Yankee
ranks during the fist summer Of tho war force OF
two hundred thousand men, of the class in the SER
vice would DO more effective thaa million of the new
levies which will lave to be relied upon to conduct the
coming campaign. Between disease, disaster and lief
fciercy which must be seriously aggravated by the ap-
peIling consciousness of having to confront an army
EQUAL in all the attributes of solders to any that the
world has ever SEEM the net numerical result OF mil
lion of such material may rot unreaonaby be set down
a. three huadred thousand effective men. Pursuing this
ratio bsck to the aggregate standard at which Northern
estimates fix tie numerical force OF the Yankee army
in the next campaign, we find little if anything, to jus
tify the shadow of hope Of their wi.hstanding the
overwhelming onelAught Of our nobls army.
Well may the wretcied crew, who ars to take the
places oftle three years in the Yankee army re-
gard themselves peculiarly unfortunate. They wall
have to bear the brunt of the great struggle which,
conceded, will determine tn, ssus OF this war; They
will, info tunAtey and perhaps urjastly, aone by the
acr fee Of their lives foc the bArbarcus excuses and
b1uiaities which cur army ale eager aid determined
to averge Better for the ends Of Justice, perhaps, that
the wretohes who perPetrated these enormtes should
ab de the dread fate tia. undoubtedly awaits their ill
.tArrs successors.
50 Icing as hostile armes, co-eVal ss 10 date OF organ
zaion and advancing pGr pasU in the arts Of disc-
pine confront each her In snyhing like approximate
quality as to numbers, the issue Of protrac ed con.
Aict like this must remain long doubtful Any serious
gains or reverses mus. be the result Of sone LEGAL ad
vantage as position oversight on the part of the OPP
posing commander, or a sudden arrangement of toe
relative numerical ecu poise by prompt reinforcement
Where however, one side engages veteran army with
unframed levies nvountary dragged into the conflict
the advantages on the side are too preponderatpg
TO be Offset by aay circumstance, either OF local posi-
ton, superior generA,hp, numerical dsproporIion.
The g.p Of relative neciency, on the part of the lat
ter is too vide to be filed up by any collateral adVan-
tsRes Of the numerc disproporOn. There is ncthiIg
in the wbOls economy of physical forceP in which
relative numerical disprOpOrtiOn is SO completely
pulHR.d by art, as in the case of an uadscipIned
army when brought into coEAic: with veteran
hos, of vastly inferior numbers Sup ro:y ofnumbers is
in fact often disadvantage in the ableuce of training,
aud especially So when well disciplined army hAs 10
be confronted.
sec no grounds to presume that the Yankees VIII
bripgino the field larger force than We will The prob
abilities are that they will not II they do, il must
of necessity be of such material clnno If multI led
in the dsproporon of ten to one counterbalancs the
overpowerng advantage which We shall possess in a
well disciplined veteran army, which will 30 into the
fight with the hghss. incentives to victory and revenge
that ever animated brave people.
We will not present the handsome affair in North
Carolina not ced in our columns on yesterday, as a
oeshadowng of what awaits the Yankees in the next
campsiRn. No result however pApasle, achieved now
nv our arms can be received index Of what to
come when We have the !" greenhorns" to encounter
We do no. desire to undsrae in the least degree, the
| &c Al tiv thav hava
done wel-much better, indeed, than ever thought
them capable Of doing Our predictions as to what Ia
TO result from conflict between two armies, exhibiting
contrasts so unavorabe to one, are justified upon the
panest principles OF military cience, and the expert
eoce of this as of all past We would not venture
s1ob prediction twevS months back in relation to the
r,sult of the campo gn then ensuing, for no material
advantase existed on either side to justify it. Then,
U.ll-,rained AID disciplined armies we're abou; to
confront each other; and advantages of position,
movements, or time of engagement, which are purely
contingent and only available data for judgment by
military commander, could not, of necessity, consti-
us bases for anything like correct estimate of re-
suits to an unpractsed civilian Not so In respect TO the
results of the next campaign The conmonest standard
Of estimate that can guide fOrjudgment sane
tOrs the predictions which make ia rega to the re-
suits of corAcs wsged between two armies presenting
contrass so palpaby advantageous to one and diSad-
VantageOus to the other.
We therefore, reiterate expectation, that the Bull
Run scene will be re-enscted with increased dramatic
effect in more than one conAic, duriag the ensuing
Summer Our readers will have no difficulty, we imagine
IN drawing their conclusions as to the general result.
| &EAzzEzszleE1ezE-
The war has producsi strange alterations. Two