Year: 1861

4
af. Confidence in onr Leaders, sEssf


The calling out Of the immense adj
ditional forces, military and nayal,
should dispel from every mind the last
vistige of doubt as to the purpose of
the administration to prosecute the war


with the utmost vigor. The concen,
tration of such masses of troops i'm
plies action, for it necessitates it. No
one understands better than the Presi.
dent that this host rnshes forward to
his call with not only an expectation
but with burning impatienee to meet
the enemy; and the summons carrie


proof that he participates, too, in that
feeling. The manner in which these
troops are to be employed of course
does not yet appear. The administra-
ton has its plans, which it would be
weak and criminal for it to diyulge.
To publish them to the world would be
to forewarn its enemies to foil them If
possible. 1t is one of the prime merits
OF our present rulers at Washington
that they know how to keep their own
counsel. They quietly go staight on id
maturing their plans, with very little
concern for the clamor of that noisy
class Of Journalists who affect unconi-
mon wisdom, and are nothing if they
are not critical. But, nevertheless.
these journals, by their incessant COM
planning and carping, breed no small
amount of mischief. They produce
measure of doubt, mistrust, apprehen,
sion, at time when entire confidence
is especially necessary not only to the
unity and efficiency of the public ser.
vice, but to the moral impression to be
produced by the Southern mind. There
is nothing under heaven that can pre-
vent the glorious triumph of the Union
cause, but distrust and diseord here at
the North, that would paralyze the arm
of the administration. Let the spirit
which, we are sorry to say, animates
some of our contemporaries pervade
the people-let the fact that the gov.
ernment does not expose its plans be
taken as proof that the government is
without plans, and let every movement
made be querulously and censoriously
criticized by the great northern public
and it would not be possible that the
administration could retain that moral
power which is indispensable to the suc.
cessful assertion of its authority over
those who have revolted against it.
We seek not merely a material victory
over this black rebellion. Such vic.
tory would be no blessing 1t would be
deadly curse-if obtained by substi.
tuting, as has been intimated, military
dictatorship for constitutional rule.
We are battling for the Constitution,
and every man should feel it to be an
essential part of his patriotism cordially
to sustain our Constitutional rulers.
Eager fault-fnding, from whatever
quarter it comes, should be sternly re-
buked. In operations on SO large q
scale, involving such multiplicity of
details committed necessarily to a great
variety of agents, it is not possible but
that little mishaps and mistakes shall
occur. No great military or civil plan
was ever yet wrought out with absolute
scientific accuracy. Practical men do
not expect it. They are satisfied if it
works efficiently in the main, and if the
great end that is aimed at is substan-
TALLY realized.


The administration thus far retains,
in no ordinary degree, the confidence
of the people. The attempts which
have been made-and still continue
to weaken that confidence, have not
succeeded. But as new line of action
is to be entered upon-involving the
vicissitudes unavoidably incident to ac-
tive hostilities--it is well that the pub
lie mind should at once begin to school
itself to the necessity of a yet larger
trust in the directors Of these great
movements. Impatience must be
curbed. 1t is not possible for those
who have no hand in this unspeakably
momentous business to realize all the
difficulties which beset it. And if it
does not move forward with a celebrity
that shall keep pace with our impetu-
GUS desires, or if in some particular di-
rections it does not at once succeed az
we could wish, there should be no COM
planning nor repining. There will be
snarling criticisms, we doubt not, in
abundance-Wa ashington was subject
to it throughout his whole revolutions
ry career, and it logged every stepuof
Winfield Scott on his triumphal march
to the Mexican capital-but a generous
people will treat it with the contempt
it deserves, and will sustain a true.
hearted government with q constaucy
that BELTS noble cause. The whole
souled enthusiasm, in which we now so
much rejoice, we must cherish to the
end, and aim to carry with it a frmness
of spirit that shall be proof against
every pressing frown of fortune. If
true to our rulers and true to ourselves,
we cannot but achieve the most giori-
out triumph ever yet won for eoustitu-
tional freedom World oTEs % ysw


az Grandpa, did you know that
the United States had been in the habit


Of encouraging and acknowledging
fnrioc - z