The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-09-28
"MILIrARY POWEliS."
The United states W. Europe.

The United states W. Europe.
There hes always been dispositios
among tho people and La.iOns OF the
Old World to sno0r Ut tho United States
as = military power. But compare their
wars with our little fight among our
selves commonly callod the 'Kebcl-
lion and wc arc inclined 10 think that
tho United Stat % holds position as
military power above them all. Take.
for example. the Lust two or three Eu>
ropcan wars. Two or three rcvcrses met
by tho French army discouraged the
whole nation. turned its capitol upside
down. and spread terror aud confusion
on every side. declded the war and al
most caused France to DC blot.cd from
the nations Of tho earth. The war OF
1866 between Austria nud Prussia
two "First Powcrs" -lastel six weeks
when Austria came to her kaees and
was resdy to make almost any terms.
The war Of 1859. with several of these
great military nations involved. was
settled by one battle Of any magnitude
Contrast these puorilc "wars" with the
Civil War in tho United States. Skir-
misliing began almost Immediately
after tho fall Of Fort Sumter. and con-
tinuod till the first battle iof Bull Run
was fought. Jnly 2lst. 1861. Here tho
Uuion army suffered most terrible
defeat, involving great loss-a defeat
which would have caused any European
nation TO capitulatc. But we had not
even got started yet. Tho fall and
winter passed. away with continual
skirmishing aud some heavy battles.
during which the South suiferoi tho
most emphatic defeats in the West and
lost their Queen City. Now Orleans
With the spring. Mcclellan moved his
army to tho Peninsula, took tho heavy
Notifications OF Yorktown, fought q
batslc at Williamsburg and pushed on
after tho retrcsting enemy. He was
soon ct the gates Of their capital. but
with courage only increased by dofeat
thoy turned fcrccly upon him. and after
seven most desperate and bloody bat
ties forced him to retreat to the James.
Thon, unable to dislodge him from his
position. they turned their attention :"
Washington. McClollan's army hastily
ro.ombsrkod and joining Pope at Wash
ington went out to meet the advancing
foo. Then came tho second battle OF
Bull Run. whore two hundred thous.
and soldiers fought for three days
Again victorious. the Confcderatss
commanded by ono Of tho ablest SOL
diers in tho country. dashed into Mary
land, which was cnemy's:: country to
them. The Army OF the Potomac,
again hastily organized by Mcclellan,
met them. and, after two fierce battles
South Mountain and Antistam-com.
pelled them TO flee into Virginia again
Strongly fortified at Fredericksbucg
Gen. Burnside Was sent with an army
TO dislodge them. suffering . terrible
dsfoat and losing nosrly thirty thous-
aud men. A few months later, the
same army recruited and reOrgsnizcd
and untlor command OF Hooker attack
I'd the victorious army ct Chsncellors-
vile. again resulting in disastrou'
defeat. Flushed with victory. ths
Confederate army marched two hun
drcd miles into Pennsylvsnis, where
they were again met by the same old
Army Of tho Potomac. under Meade,
and driven beck defeated. Finally
came Grants campaign, which lasted
more than year. and embraced twcsty
or thirty battles. Meanwhile lighting
was going on in the West. South. and
South wost. with alternate victories and
defeats. In the whole four years tho
Federal Government never thought ol
capitulating. while the plucky South
| only succumbed when. figuratively
speaking. its last breath was gone. In
this war Of four years, between foul
and five million soldiers were engaged
and million Of them bit the dust. i
this nation Is not o military power
certainly those are not whose wars a,t
! settled hy a simple battle.