Year: 1862

The present condition Of the Union cause
snay well fill the hearts Of loyal men with
apprehension aud foreboding. Whatever
previous disasters have come upon us, it |
had always been easy to find refuge from |
danger, in the well grounded belief that |
neither the government OF people were !
i:lly awake to the terrible energy and des-
{,c1a:e determination cf the rebels. We
could always heretofore throw ourselves
lack on tic conviction that the power and
resources IF the nation were ample to
crush out the enemy; aud that the triumph
OF four cause was sure when
rver the whole force Of the coun-
Try w:s gathered and welded against the
rebellion. 1t was this faith which sustained
us ::ficr the disgraceful rout Of Bull Run,
and prevented our expectation Of sure sue
cess utterly perishing, through that long
season Of inactivity and entrench-
ing, g,that kept the whole power Of tile nation
stitIcned and petritied on the banks Of the
Potomac. But we have not today the
same grounds for assurance and hope.
There has been ample time to gather, drill
and arm the whole military force Of the
nation; and after marshalling such au
army Of armed men as the world las never
befurc seen, and making the most gigantic
preparations to overthrow the foe, We find
him in greater power than ever before;
rcconQue1ing positions and places that he
lad lost, marching his determined forces
On cities and States we had thought per
fectIy safe; and threatening Washington
with an army, that amid all its reverses,
and against the determined ralor Of one
best troops, is steadily approaching the
capital.


One inference from the present condi-
ton Of affhirs, aud which all men make
and you hear uttered On all sides, is, that
there never was cause so mismanaged
as OUTS has been. The mistakes of the
government the b1undering Of generals
the want Of foresight and yigor the
lack OF common sense and ordinary
sagacity; the movements that should have
been made, but were not; and the mos
precious opportunities blindly lost, are St
plainly to be seen, and have brought abou
such dep1orable results, that the patienc
and forbearance Of the people arc sorcl
tried. Yet no man can doubt the genuio
Loyalty and patriotic devotion of our ruler:
and The look with Which the people tur1
Fl. m gazing upon the ruin, disaster, an
humiliation that overwhelm them, to ward
7l,c chosen men who hare caused, or So
fered all this to be done, and who shoul
not have allowed il, is more look Of So
row than Of apger Neither do the peop'
lose heart, or hope in the final triumph (
their cause. Burdened as they are Wit
the heavy weight Of the war, and mourl
ing in sorrow unuttera5le over SO mar
precious lives wasted, and SO much blot
poured out in vain, We find no doubt te
IS 10 the result, and hsar no whisper


fear that the rebellion cannot be crush
and the Union maintained


But the feeling is growing too stro1
70 be be resisted, and it Will ma
itself heard and felt, that q cau
so sacred as that for which we 9
struggling to-day, shall no longer have


oroeress hindered, or its triumph i


periled, BIZ incompetency and feeblene
The experience Of the past, and the dis
1rous gloom of the present, are fua enou


and more than enough Of that kind


policy, if policy it be. The country


drifting slowly through sheer lack Of ne'


ard decision into breakers and dang'


from which no pilot can rescue her. IL


love Of country and devotion to the Uni


arc not enough. There must


some method devised by which


administration OF affairs shall be mi


uore energetic aud determined,