Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-10-31

a nh1ou OF Ircctneu thai 1All fall,
Whca iis stars shall be raird Oh the ground.
----~-----..1-
1T is really astonishing to see the pro.
gress the enemies of the Government have
made in reducing fault-fnding to science
and the facility with which many of the pro.
fessed friends Of the Union have fallen into
the wake ofthese cavilers at every act of the
President or the army for the suppression
Of the Rebellion, and the preservation oftho
Government
That part of the Northern press and peo-
pie that, by misrepresentation of the prin-
ciples and purposes of Mr.. Lincoln and the
Republican party, had done so much to in
fame and intensity the hatred Of tho people
ofthe South towards the people Of the North,
and precipitate upon the Administration of
Mr.. Lincoln the unnecessary and unnatural
war that is 80 fearfully wasting the substance
OF the country, were not expected to view
with much favor anything that might be
done by or under tho authority ofthat Ad-
ministration, and the people we're prepared
for, and really expected, oil the msrcpre-
sentations and abuse that have been heaped
up mountain high in the columns of such
papers as the Day Book, Journal of Com
merce, Crisis, and Enquirer, and peddled
out in smaller quantities through the col
umns of the Dayton Empire and st. Clairs-
vile Gazette. Whilst these papers were
openly arrayed against the Government,
their efforts to injure il we're ha"mle -. the
people, apprised of their true character,
viewed with indifference their .1ecia plead
ings on the Unconstitutional acts IF lin
. coin" in calling out volunteers and suspend
ing the writ of habens corpus, a we, as their
efforts to force the impression that he Job.
ject ofthe war was to abolish Sai cry"
Foilcd in their efforts to divide the peo-
pie by bold opposition to the war policy of
the Administration, or Misrepresentation
of the object of the war, aud yielding to the
crushing weight Of public opinion that was
90 fearfully setting against them, and threat.
sning thom with the doom of the traitor;
they are suddenly seized with changing,
and the denunciations of the war, aud their
advice to their readers ''to have nothing to
do with the unholy thing give place to
professions of devotion to the Union, aud
sfirmations Of the duty Of all good citizens
to sustain the Government in its efforts to
put down the rebellion" In this strange
bold change lies tho danger; for the people,
too easily pleased with arattlc and tickled
with straw" have been thrown off their
guard by the specious plea of friendship,
and are now drinking in the slow poison that
is weekly distilled through their columns, in
the shape Of faultfndins and cavilng at
the action of the President and his Cabinet,
the officers of the army, and all who have
anything to do with the management of the
war, that they would have rejected as trea-
son whilst they were opposing the war and
having thus obtained by deception the ear
Of the people, they eagerly seek after every
rumor, every extract from letters, every
thing they can get hold of that will show u
want in the supply Of the army, or a fault
in the management of q battle; magnify
the interchangeable the iau!t-and then
with an assumption of knowledge not war
rnted by the iniol nation, attribute all tho
difficulty to the NAL administration Of the
war department.
II Is astonishing how wise tho men who
control these papers have become One
would DO led to suppose from tho manner
in which they dispose Of President, Cabinet
officers, Generals, Colonels, Quartermasters
and Captains, they were Lieutenant. Gen.
erals by education, and were possessed Of all
knowledge on tho subject ofihe war, and the
condition Of the. army, and that tho only
wrong there was in the matter is the per-
sistent refusal Of Lincoln, Cameron, Scott,
Mcclellan and Fremont, to vacate theil
positions, aud give the management Of the
whole affair in.o the hands of these receni
converts to the war policy, who appear to
poucss so much more knowledge on thu
subject than they.
But, seriously, these men are to-day more
dangerous, because by the assumption Of the
gaIb Of friendship the; hide their true pur'
pose. and are securing the cooperation Of
many good Union men in tho work Of de-
tracing from the merit Of those who are
actively engaged in the service Of the coun-
try,& who arc frequently heard rc.iteratins
tbecomplaints ofthese men against Fremont,
for not re enforcing Lexington & preventing
the surrender Of Muligan and his command,
tho commander Of the Blockadins Squad
ron at the mouth Of the Mississippi for suf
teriDs the surprise Of the feet by the at.
tack Of. Hollins' ''batteripg ram" and fire
ships,-the commander Of tho Upper Po.
toipae forces for not crossing more men u,
Edward . Fery,-with Gen. Mcclellan fol
not making more progress in bis march to,
wsrI.Richuopd, and with tho msnsss-