Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-10-24
THE CONDUCT OF TIE, WAR.

pie. They have poured out money and
men without stint. The world, has never
before witnessed so sublime an uprising of
great people. What has been the re-
sponse of the Government? United States
property to an immense amount destroyed
or left at Norfolk for the use of the rebels,
and that place of vast importance in our
naval aud military operations they are per-
mitted to quietly possess. Opposite Fort
pickens Bragg is permitted to build his
batteries and strengthen his position, the
only exploit on the part of our troops to
relieve the dullness of eight months inac-
tivity being the burning of a floating dock
which had been constructed at an immense
cost, and must again be replaced if the
United States Government ever establish
es its authority agian over the place. Then
follows the disastrous Big Bethel blunder,
which was passed over almost without no
tice or rebuke. Also railroad train filled
with soldiers is run out "accordiug to or.
DER" and dumped into a masked battery
of the rebels. Gen Patterson, after dis
play of extravaganza, disobediencs to or.
ders, imbecility or disloyalty unparalleled,
is "honorably discharged The Bull Run
adventure, which was to be the grand ad-
vance movement" of the, "Grand Army
ends in panic and rout as disastrous as
it was disgraceful; and it so ends because,
at the same time that the posts and
strength of the enemy had never been pro-
perly ascertained by the officers, they led
against them forces half-demoralized by
imperfect decipline, and incumbered by
the unwarrantable presence of throng Of
civilians. Then comes the draining Of
the whole country to surround Washing
ton with great army, which is simply
kept sin position" and viewed and review
ed day after day by Gen. Mcclellan, while
the telegraph sends out the joyful tidings,
"Washington is safe" Another move
ment of "lhe Grand Army of Occupation
is made. General Mcclellan marches
forth in grand array to attack the enemy
and dislcdge him from his advance posi-
ton; he, after losing several Of his men
in consequence of his troops firing on each
other, surrounds and takes-a deserted
camp. The great mercy and forbearance
of the Government are all the while shown
in the retaining of rebel clerks in the De-
partments, in the enlargement of rebel pris-
oners, and in the scrupulous arrest and
turning back of the freedom loving-slave.
We shall not attempt to make this cata-
logue complete; but there are other items
relating to the conduct of the war in the
West equally reprehensible. We will not
speak of the impolicy Of draining the West
to swell the Grand army of Occupation
around Washington, thus not only leaving
a long line of frontier utterly defenseless,
but rendering forward movement and
even the defense of Missouri impossible
We will attempt no defense of Fremont
He may be incompetent, arrogant, and
wasteful. Time and Investigation must
determine. But that he has been hunted
down by pack of politicians, is so patent
that the public mind can not be blinded to
the fact. We wish that the Administran
tion could be entirely vindicated from the
suspicion of completely in the matter, or
at least of the weakness of allowing itself
to be made the tool Of men who are as un-
principled as they are selfish. What can
justify the Administration placing mill
tary order for the removal of General Har-
ney in the hands of Frank P. Blair, jr, an
inferior officer, and leaving it discretionary
with him to serve it upon his superior off
Ger when he saw fit? Gen. Harney may
have committed mistake-we think be
did; but no man questioned his fealty. If
a sort of espionage is thus to be establish
ed, and inferior officers are to be set as spies
upon their commanders-carryiug about in
their pockets secret orders for the removal
of such commanders when they-not the
Government-judge proper, what is to
prevent universal distrust? What can
save from utter decentralization Then,
too, the indecent haste to forestall public
sentiment in regard 10 Fremont-thus pre-
judicing not the interests of Fremont alone
but in his person those of the nation also.
The proper Department finds from the bills
rendered by him that be has passed be-
yond the ''red tape" limits in the purchase
of material necessary to equip the i'm
mense army that is spontaneously fiocking
to his standard, and also that he has paid
few dollars more than "tbe regulation
price" in the purchase of pistols. Instead
of quietly suspending the account till it
was ascertained whether military necessity
required the purchases, and whether the
prices paid had not been occasioncd BY the
greatly increased demand and the short
supply in the market-instead of this, the
whole matter is trumpeted forth by tcle-
graph to the nation, and that, too, when
the Government has military supervision
of all the offices. The same is true of
other minor matters tending to weaken
confidence in the commanding General of
the West. What does all this meana Il
can signify but one thing, and that is a
determination, on the part of some high
in position and in favor with the Admin
istration, to hunt. Fremont down. He
may be guilty and unworthy; but whether
it be so or not, the verdict of all right
minded men must be that he has not been
fairly dealt by. He will probably he bro
ken down. We see no help for it. He is
everywhere crippled, and goes into the con-
fict with the consciousness that the wolf
is on his track and uncertain at what mo-
ment the blow will be struck. How can a
man command an army or fight battle