One of the fine arts.
--A friend remarks that the
Northern newspapers have elevated lying to one of the fine arts.
One of the ancient failings of the universal Yankee nation was its facility of lying, but it remained for the war to develop its talents in a way which has astonished mankind.
Bennett, of the
Herald. is a fair type of the mendacity of the
Northern press.
The veteran sinner is so addicted to lying that he would blush to the roots of his hair if he happened to stumble over a single truth.
Here he is, in a late number, describing
McClellan's preparations to swallow the whole
South at a single mouthful with as much audacity of statement and minuteness of detail as if every word that he uttered was Gospel truth.
The fact that all that he says now is but a rehash of his ‘"Grand Army"’ articles before the 21st of July does not abash him in the least.
He now informs us that
McClellan has been able any day since the 1st of September to overwhelm the
South with his prodigious numbers, but has graciously postponed it till a period fast approaching the annihilating blow.
The question then arises, why did he not amuse the leisure of the long interval by preventing the erection of the formidable batteries on the
Potomac which blockade the
Federal Capital.
If he did not know of their construction, occupying months as it did, then he has been outgeneraled, and has found in our Southern
Generals his masters in the art of war. If he did know, and had the numbers
Bennett reports, why did he permit the erection to go on?
The truth is, it has taken the ‘"Grand Army"’ a long time to recover from the back-breaking knock down of the 21st of July; and if it is in force now in numbers and discipline, it has yet to obtain the confidence and manhood necessary to meet men who are prepared and willing to die rather than surrender.
All the falsehoods that
Bennett can manufacture will never cloud the vision or daunt the souls of the Spartans at
Manassas.
These lies will only react on their inventors when the curtain rises upon the next grand collision of arms on the
Potomac.
