Year: 1861



 do that which would make them remember ed in the roll of history, ''till the trump of the judgment angel.

 But that might end the warl That might prevent our extermination of the 'Southl That might return us our brothers and sons in the strength of youth, unhaimed, and better still, without blood on their hands! That would be masked batteryW

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 From the Richmond Dispatch, June 9. View of the Field-Hot Work at Hand.

 We are on the threshold of important, probably of decisive events. The armies of the two sections are in immediate con tact with each other ii full force. The enemy are pushing their lines into OUT ter ritorv and our own men arc eager for com bat The next week or fortnight will wit ness q series of engagements which will go far to indicate the issue of the war. The enemy may ont number us largely, and the problem to be solved is, whether the South will make up in prowess what 1t lacks in numbers.

 So far the enemy has had every advan. tage over us in his facilities for collecting armies. He was much nearer the present seat of the war. His large cities enabled him to recruit troops more rapidly and his railroads and dcxtensive shipping 10 conccn- trate them more readily in their present en- campments. He had the military orsani- zation of the United States all ready to his hands; he had an army and navy complete at all points. He had an old established government machinery in full operation, and vast resources at commani, maritime, financial, political and military.

 The South on the contrary, had every thing to organize from revolution. She had new government to erect and to fur nish and equip in its numerous departments and thousand perplexing details. She had no navy She had no army. She had to set diligently to work in preparing her le fence before yet her civil organization, which twas to call armies into the field and to direct their operations, was itself com pleted and in action. She had to collect armies, to establish an ordnance bureau, to organize commissariat, and to create an entire staff She had to collect large forces from an extensive and sparsely populated territory. She had to transport them vast distances to such points as the enemy him. self threatened and not such as she should select as the battle ground. In fact. she had to meet the enemy more than half way. While she was engaged in the important work of organization, the enemy was de- voting his whole attention to the creation and transportation of armies. The enemy thus gained time upon her-time which, it must be confessed, he has very poorly i'm proved.

 For as yet he has, with all his advanta- ges, accomplished nothing. Except in re- mote portions of our territory, like North western Virginia, he has nowhere penetra- ted into the interior of our country. He hangs timidly and doubtfnlly upon our borders. He has been there many weeks, idle and inert, while we have been bring ing forward from great distances our troops. His reconnaissance have been disastrous. = They have been nfore; they have been dis gTTaeefnl. At Fairfax cont house and Great Bethel, at the Eight mile Bridge, on the Hampshire road, he has been whipped be- yond the power of his mendatious writers to conceal. This is the prominent fact, of his invasion so far, that he has nowhere marched forth from his lines with bold step and offered us battle upon equal terms.

 On our side, we have never failed to en- counter him on almost any terms he would offer, or to whip him when 1t has come to fight We have, so far, not provoked important engagements, pickering to await the collection of larger forces, and solicit ous to drill our men well before bringing them into action. We have preferred, in the face of large odds, and for the sake of discipline and achievements, to stand on the defensive.

 But we are now just beginning to be ready and the impetuosity of our men can no longer be restrained with prudence.-- Tine North is marching down upon our lines with great force, relying upon nnm, bers, and hoping thus to win ground by striking us with dismay. It is now to be seen what reception he will meet with in attempting this sort of tactics upon our brave troops. We of the South have no doubt We are as impatient of the tiaings of battle as We are confident of tie issue.

 The movement, However, is a very se- rious one. A great deal hangs upon the event of few days. It is to be decided whether the southern or tho nolthern sol- dier is the braver and better warrior. It k to be decided whether the prestige of the Union and the stars and stripes is stron- ger inspiration than the love of liberty and of our invaded country. Europe is to know whether the South can maintain her as 2 belligercnt power.an whether