The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-05

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1a0eosy Foley
The following extracts are taken from,
Gen. Bsauregards story Of the Battle
Of Bull Ruu" in the November Century
Nopeople ever warred for independ.
ence with more relative advantage Char
tho Confederates; and il, q military
question, they must have failed, then no
country must aim at freedom BY means
Of war. We were ono in sentiment a. in
territory starting out, not with strug.
Cling administration ofdoubtful author.
tty, but With our ancient State Govern.
ments and . fully organized central Gov.
ernmsnt. Asa'military question, il was
IN no sense civil war, but q war be-
tween two countrics-for conquest on
onsside, for self-preservation on the
other. The South, With its great ma
terial resources, its defensive means Of
mountains, waterways, railroads and
telegraph, with the immense advant-
age Of the interior lines Of war,
would BE- open to discredit Is . people
It the failure could not be explained
otherwise than by mere material. The
great Frederick, at the head of little
people. not only beat back o combina.
ton OF several great military powers,
but conquered and kept tho territory,
and Napoleon held combined Europe at
the teet Of France till his blind ambi-
ton overleaped itself. Il may be said
that the South had NO Fredericks, OF
Napoleons, but it had at least as good
commanders ~ its adversary. Nor was
Il the fault Of our soldiers or people.
Our soldiers were as brave and intelli.
gent - ever bore arms; and, If only
for reasons already mentioned, they had
. determination superior to the enemy's.
Our people bore devotion to the cause
never surpassed, and which no war.
making monarch ever had for his sup.
port; they gave their all--even the last
striplings under the family roofs filling
the ranks voided by the foil of their
fathers and brothers. But the narrow
mill sry view of the head of the Gov.
ernment, which illustrated itself ir. the
outset by ordering from Europe, no,
100000 or 100000, but 10000
stands OF arms. as an increase
upon 5000. its first estimate,
was equally narrow and conse.
quently timid in its employment Of
our armies. The moral and material
forces actually engaged in war made
our success mortal certainty, but TO,
the timid policy which ignoring strategy
as science and boldness of enterprise
% its ally-could never he brought to
view the whole theatre of war as one
subject, Of which all points were hui
integral parts or to hazard for the time
points relatively unimportant for the
purpose of gathering for IN overwhelm.
ing and rapid stroke ut some decisive
point; and which, again, with character.
istic mis- 'elation, would push q victori.
ous force directly forward into unsup.
ported and disastrous operations in.
stead of using its victory to spare from
its strength sufficient to secure an
equally important success in another
quarter.
"We needed for president either 9
military man of high order or a politi.
clan Of the first class (such as Howell
Cobb without military pretensions.
The south did not fall crushed by the
mere weight of the North, but it wa,
nibbled away on oil sides and ends be.
cause its exclusive head never gathered
and welded its great strength under the
ready advantages that greatly reduced
or neutrslized its adversary's naked
physical superiority. It is but anotlle,
Of the many proofs that timid direction
may readily 60 with physical courage
and that the passive defensive policy
may make long agony, but can never
win awar."