The Premature Boasting.
The New York
Herald, of Monday, July 22d, is the richest newspaper ever published in this country.
We have been so fortunate as to obtain a copy, and shall take care that it be preserved in the historical archives of the
South.
It is crammed full of the particulars of the grand and magnificent victory of the 21st under the most flaming heads, and staring, big capitals, with a double-headed editorial leader, which we subjoin.
What a humiliation, to have to come out the next day, and announce the most disastrous rout of modern times; what a casting down of the whole Northern mind from the heights of rapture to the deepest abyss of misery!
But we must not detain our readers from Sawney's magnificent proffer of submission and peace to
Jeff. Davis and his Confederates:
"the great Union victory at
Bull's Run — now Brightly Breaks the morning!
"We congratulate our readers upon the capture of the rebel batteries at
Bull's Run in
eastern Virginia.
We think that the importance of this victory is not over estimated in classing it amongst those great military achievements which in ancient and modern times have overthrown or marked the beginning of the downfall of Empires, kingdoms and revolutionary enterprises In other words it is now clearly made manifest that the armies of our revolted States cannot stand before the armies of the
Union.
"We were prepared for this of the meeting between
General McDowall and
Gen. Beauregard, from the brilliant exploits of our Union forces in
Missouri, under
Gen. o and
Col. Siegel and in
Western Virginia, under
General McClellan in all those with the rebels, the superiority of our Union volunteers in all the essential which make effective soldiers has been very strik ingly displayed.
The prestige of the good cause — the cause of truth, justice, popular rights, national safety and individual security and happiness — the cause of law and order against anarchy and despotism, North and South, will explain this in vincible heroism of our soldiers.
Every man of them is inspired with the full weight of the great responsibility with which he is charged as a soldier fighting for the
Union, and thus inspired every man of them becomes a hero.
"Our soldiers, too, have the highest faith in the strength of our Government, and in Old Hickory's declaration that 'the
Union must and shall be preserved.' Our loyal native-born citizens, from our attachment to the old flag, which is full of enthusiasm, and our adopted citizens, from fidelity which is full of gratitude, vie with each other in arms in the righteous work of reinstating this old flag throughout the length and breadth of the land.
They all know that they are fighting for the best system of government that mankind has ever enjoyed; they all feel that such a Government cannot be destroyed without destroying the hopes of mankind, in arresting the progressive development of popular rights; while the
Government itself thus sustained in the hearts of twenty odd millions of our people, is invincible in all the materials, means and sinews of war.
"The moral effect of this late important victory in
eastern Virginia, will in the cause of the
Union be worth more, we hope, than would be an addition to our armies of two hundred thousand men. We know it will give a powerful impulse in every variety of manifestation to the
Union cause.
We are sure it deals a damaging blow to
Jeff. Davis and his confederates, from
Virginia to
Texas.
In the remarkable speech which we published yesterday, of
Alexander H. Stephens,
Provisional Vice-President of the
Confederate States, our readers will have detected from the beginning to the end a virtual confession of the hopelessness of the bad and weak cause of this rebellion against the power, the prestige, the forces and the resources of the
Government of the
United States on the land and the sea. We understand from this melancholy speech of
Stephens, that his mockery of a Government is without money and without credit at home and abroad; that its armies in numbers are completely overshadowed by the swarming legions of the
Union, and that the managers of this rebellion can only hope to succeed through the absolute exhaustion of the men and the means of the revolted States.
"Let us tell this mock heroic
Provisional Vice-President Stephens and his superior provisional confederate
Jefferson Davis that there is another, a shorter and a better way, whereby the revolted States may be released from their oppressive burthens of debts, taxations, conscriptions and forced contributions, present and prospective, and whereby they may secure again the blessings of a good and cheap Government, which they have thrown away.
They may do it in the simple act of laying down their arms of rebellion and in lifting up again, as the symbol of their allegiance and protection, the flag of the
Union; and the sooner they do this the better.
Now is the acceptable time — now, while the Congress of the United States is in session in
Washington and while the Confederate Congress is in session at
Richmond.
Under these advantageous circumstances for a treaty of peace and re-union, it is to be hoped that
Jefferson Davis and his confederates may make a virtue of necessity, and offer at once to the
President of the
United States, in an acceptable form, the submission of the
Confederate States to the
Union.
"If the march of the armies of the
United States in this war for the
Union can thus be arrested at
Manassas Junction, the safety and integrity of the peculiar institution of the
South may be secured; but if our troops are required to pass beyond the boundaries of
Virginia, the
South may suffer from the demoralization of her slaves the most fearful calamities.
This war for the
Union is a war to save the
South from the suicidal folly of this rebellion.
Let the sensible Union men of the
South demand accordingly of the
Confederate authorities at
Richmond their submission to the
Union without further delay, and the
South can be saved.
‘"The Message of
Jefferson Davis to the Confederate Congress does not touch upon the actual necessities of this position.
They are not the necessities of war, but of peace; but as this Message was delivered on Saturday, and as this telling conflict with
Beauregard did not occur until Sunday, it may be possible that
Davis may recognize the importance of other recommendations, better adapted to his desperate situation, than the ruinous chances of continued war. Let us hope that he may be speedily persuaded to intercede for the
South through the submission of the revolted States to the
Union.--It is their only way of deliverance and safety."’
