A Boastful Base.
The people of the
North are greatly given to extravagant jubilation.
Whilst representing the
South as an excitable and demonstrative race, and themselves pre-eminently rational and sober- minded, the truth is directly the reverse.
The
Konixing of
Kossuth, the crazy demonstrations over the
Atlantic cable, the furious toadying of the
Prince of
Wales, and a hundred like examples prove what manner of men they are. These celebrities excited little sensation in the
South.
During the fast war with
England the
Yankees illuminated and hurrahed over every victory, and when the war was ended, they illuminated and hundred because peace had come.
In every victory of this war they have fired salutes, rung balls, and made themselves generally frantic.
The great
battle of Manassas, on the other hand, was not celebrated in the
South by any public demonstration, nor did any of our victories call forth any such childish exhibitions.
Our people have felt and acted with the sobriety, and simplicity, of men engaged in a great work.
The Yankee success at
Donelson capped the climax of their madness.
Such extravagance as they exhibited in their self-glorification was never before perpetrated by a people in their senses.
For the hundredth tine they were sure that the war had come to an end, and that the whole
South was in their clutches.
The plain old saw, not to hurrah till you are out of the woods, is unworthy their consideration.
What great results have followed the fall of
Donelson?
It has had no other effect than to awake the
South from its lethargy, to redouble its energies, and intensify its determination to die in the last ditch rather than surrender its independence.
The
battle of Shiloh has since shown them that the work, not of conquering the
South, but of taking the cities of the
Mississippi Valley, is not fairly began.--We never read in print such glorification of an army, of its men, its discipline and equipments, as those which the
Yankees uttered about the grand Federal army that was moving on
Corinth, nor a more contemptuous account than they gave of the
Southern forces at
Corinth.
The boasting last year about the
Grand.
Army of the Potomac afforded the only thing that approached a parallel.
They were going to bolt
Johnston,
Beauregard,
Bragg, &c., at a mouthful.
But look at the result.
No sooner were they away from the protection of their gunboats than their superior numbers, discipline and equipments availed them nothing, and another
Manassas smote them to the earth.
We believe that thus it will be to the end; but the
South will continue to fight on, fight ever, and leaving to the
North the penile part of howling itself hoarse over indecisive achievements, and boasting grandiloquently of victories before they are won, address itself with indomitable determination and inexhaustible constancy to the great work of our Independence.
