Washington telegraph., 1865-04-05
THE TIMES AND THE PoLIcY.-we have

The TINES AND THE POLICN.-Ne nave
Iagriy been entertained with various reports OF
great battles and eXtrayagant victories, which
have been believed with that facility and fond
ness with which cTedence Is usually given 10
anything which iulils our hopes AM serves 20
animate our spirits We have all along adnlOu-
shed our readers to be very sadulOus IN dis
eountenarcing and uIsmissing InOse wild rumors
which build up the pillars of our imaginary
prosperity one day only in order to have them
;um6ied over tie next. The despondency
which succeeds the discovery of the cheat is
always proportional to the initiation Of spirits
DccasiOned by the belief OF the false news; and
really if the enemy desired to dispirit our people,
it could hardly be done NOR successfully than
4y filing every blast with news of splendid vic
1Ories to our arms, which iu a day or two must
ue proved to have had no existence.
SO far as can learn, we have had no great
battles; and we do not think that this is bad
news at all. We have Ocen so toasted with ac-
counts OF mighty combats tor four years, that
much we fear our natures are somewhat changed,
perhaps degenerated We have been wont TO
call the Roman barbarians, on account OF their
shows, in which the dying Gladiator stained
the arena with his bloed, and was "6utchered
for Roman holiday and yet there are not
few who are hardly satisfied at this day unless
they receive daily accounts of battles, IN when
some thousands of our countrymen must have
died to purchase a victory, the results OF winch
sill perhaps be very inconsiderable lms
crows from a mere and morbid love of the nor
-ble. We do not think it our policy to hght
great battles every day at present. 1t IS always
she policy Of the strong power to drive those
acting on the defensive into reckless battles and
general engagements wherein they forfeit ana
torego all the natural advantages which they
JOssess; and it is always to the interest OF the
country invaded to protract operations until the
-ntmy wastes his strength in Intellectual efforts,
a4fu nF
which mnst surely come. The Fabian policy,
though sometimes reviled by rash and adven-
turoTis spirits, who are impatient tor success or
for ruin has saved more countries than Rome
Had Washington impetueusly thrown his troops
on the British forces during the revolution, tne
result could be easily guessed. Nor were there
wanting persons in that time who clamoIous.y
demanded that the American army should act
on the offensive in such manner as nigh /
consist with their acknowledged valor and It
was nothing less than the countervailing pru-
,ience of the commander-in-chief which pre-
ycnted the rashest counsels from precipItating
.he cause into irrecoverable ruin.
Meantime, some are much alarmed at the
fact. that Sherman is marching at the head of
his armies at will, as they think. We admit
-hat this is a cause for regret but not Tor de-
suouJency Lord Howe, when he overrun the
Jerseys, declared that he had found that the
mere marching over and wasting the country,
vas very different from subdulhg lt' anu the
feieraIs have found that their extensive marches
resulting only in the distress of our people. is
Of little avail towards setting up and keeping in
force the yankee authority. Sherman has
marched through Georgia, South Carolina, and
+. oart of North Carolina; bat ne federal officers
remain in his Il ack to dispense their peculiar
Justice, to give laws to the people, or to collect
.axcs. For all practical purpose the grand aim
Of objection to the yankee government is no
,aore accomplished there than on Red river
Meantime our armies are organizing and con-
centratifig; and wien the yankees are rlated
by faneied success. worn with iruitiess niAn'eu
vyes ana dcspera.e AT the continuation ot =
war. whglr thu iL,rgn,d themselves tV have =