Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-12-10

l OF Congress enacted dt Inc l6tS sessAon Aux
closing those port; also obeying the dictates
of prudence as well as the obligations of
law instead Of transcending have adhered
to the act of Congress to confscate proper
ty, used for insurrectionary purposes. II
a new law upon the same subject shall be
proposed its propriety will be duly consid-
cred. inoaa
The Union must be preserved, and hence
all dispensable means must be employed.
We should not be in haste to determine what
radical extreme measures, which may reach
the loyal as well as disloy al-are indispen-
sable, The inaugural Address at the be-
ginning of the administration and the Mes
sage to Congress at the last special session
were both mainly devoted to the domestic
controversy out of which the insurrection
and consequent war have sprung. Nothing
now occurs to me to add OF subtract. from
the principles or general purposes stated
and expressed in those documents 4sa
The last ray of hope for preserving the
Union peaceably expired at the assault up
| on Fort Sumpter, and general review OF
what has occurred since, may not be IN
profitable What was uncertain then, Is
much better defined and more distinct now,
and the progress of events is plainly in the
right direction. The insurgents confidently
| claimed strong support from North OF
Mason and Dixen's line, and the friends OF
the Union were not free from apprehension
on this point. This, however, was soon
settled definitely, and on the right side. On
the south of the line, noble little Delaware
led off right from the first Maryland was
made to seem against the Union. Our
| soldiers were assaulted, bridges were burned,
and railroads torn up within her limits, and
we were many days at one time, without the
ability to bring single regiment over her
soil to the Capitol. Now her bridges and
railroads are repaired and open to the Gov
eminent. She already gives seven regi-7
ments to the cause Of the Union, and none
to the enemy, and her people, at regular
election have sustained the Union by large
majority, and a larger aggregate vote than
they ever before gave to any candidate, or
on any question. Kentucky, too, for some
time in doubt, is now decidedly, and think
unchaugeably ranged on the side of the
Union. Missouri is comparatively quiet,
and [ believe cannot again be overrun by the
Insurgents. These three States Of Maryland,
Kentucky and Missouri, neither of which
would promise single soldier at first, have
now an aggregate Of not less than forty
thousand men in the field for the Union,
while of their citizens not more than .
| third in number are among the insurgents,
and they of doubtful whereabouts and ex-
ccs
of months, winter closes on the Union peo-
pie Of Western Virginia, leaving them mas
tiers of their own country An insurgents
force of about fifteen hundred, for months
| dominating over the narrow peninsula re-
gion, constituting the counties Of Accomac
| and Northampton, and known as the East
ern shore of Virginia, together with some
contiguous parts of Maryland, have laid
down their arms, and the people there have
renewed their allegiance and accepted the
protection of the old flag. This leaves no
armed instruction north of the Potomac,
or east of. the Chesapeake. Also, we have
obtained footing at each of the isolated
points of the Southern coast of Hstteras,
Port Royal, Tybee Island, near Savannah,
and Ship Island; and we likewise have
some general accounts Of popular move
ments in behalf of the Union in North Car
,olina and Tennessee. These things demon
strate that the cause of the Union is adj
vancing steadily southwark.
Since your last adjournment Lieutenant
General Scott has retired from the head of
the army. During his long life, the nation
has not been unmindful of his merit, yet
on calling to mind how faithfully, ably and
brilliantly he has served the country from
time far back in our history, when few of
the men now living had been born, and
thence forward continually, cannot but
think that we are still his debtor. 1 SUBJ
NIT, therefore, for your Consideration, what
further mark Of recognition is due to him
and ourselves as grateful people.
With the retirement of General Scott came
the executive duty of appointing in his
stead, General-in-Ch Chief of the army. 1t
is fortunate circumstance that neither in
! counsel nor country was there, as far as /
knew, any difference of opinion as to the
proper person to be selected. The retiring
chief repeatedly expressed his judgment in
favor of General Mcclellan for the position,
and in this the nation seemed to give a
unanimous concurrence. The designation
Of General Mcclellan is, therefore, in con-
siderable degree the selection of the coun-l
try as well as of the Executive, and hence
there is better reason to hope there will be
given him the confidence and cordial sup
port thus by fair Implication promised, and
without which he cannot with SO full eff
feet and efficiency, serve the country. 1t
has been said, that one bad General is bet
ter than two good ones, and the saying is
true, If taken to men no more than that an
army is better directed by single mind,
though inferior, than by two, superior ones
| at variance and cross purposes; and the
same is true in all joint operations wherein
those engaged can have none but COM
mon end in view, and can differ only as to
q choice of means. In storm at sea, no
one on board can wish the ship to sink, and
yet unfrequently all go down together be-
cause too many direct, and mo- single mind
is allowed to control.
1t continues to develope that the insur-
reetion is largely if not exclusively q war
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