Gen Lee's Pursuit of Meade.
The Yankees are obviously very sore upon this subject, as may be seen by the extract from one of their papers which we published yesterday. They are chagrined at seeing their latest Napoleon fleeing like a deer before his adversary, and they invent all sorts of excuses to cover his shame.--The most amusing is that which represents Meade as in vain seeking a battle with Lee! A novel method he adopted, certainly, to bring that about; running off like a race-horse, and never stopping to look behind him until he had gotten safe under cover. --If he had been really desirous to encounter Lee, it would have been the easiest thing in the world to have done so. He had only to call a halt for a few hours, and he would have been gratified to his heart's content.--Surely no nation ever approached the Yankees in the art of lying. Meade's pretended chagrin at not being able to meet Lee is in the genuine Yankee spirit. He would have given, it seems, one or both of his eyes to have been able to compass that desirable end. The question recurs, why upon earth did he not stop, while he was running, long enough for Lee to catch up with him?The movements of Lee have evidently damaged the Yankees enormously. He took about three thousand prisoners and a large number of horses, broke up the roads, and spoilt their campaign completely. Indeed, under his teaching, they have learned that is not the way to Richmond. The south side of James river, it seems, is the only true route, perhaps because it has not yet been tried. But, first of all, Meade is to get behind his works at Washington, and send off large reinforcements to Tennessee, to finish up things in that quarter. Then the whole combined force is to march upon Richmond by the south side. Such is the programme now, involving the small affair of destroying Bragg's army before it can be carried out. But Yankee Doodle never estimates little difficulties of that kind upon paper.
