Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-11-04
THE RICHMOND WHIG.
GEN. W. Il. T. WALKERS RESIGNATION.


lime his clients conduct deem it Of pace to
state ths. long before Provisional Congress met at
Montgomery my first choice for Provisional President
WIS J, iferson Davis. never bad him thtD, and
with hin have no personal :cquaiuarce now Personal
sympathes did lot control mesthen, and personal pr
udoes.csnnot control LOW, aud If that which may
now be compelled to cay should gTate barshly on ks
eenstlties have the consolation OF knowing it H, be
said "more in sorrow than in anger, andg that
love sr less, but Rome more" Ny predilectonsin in
mis- favor were controlled by the conviction thai war was
inevitable, that early foreign recognition was import
an and statesman soldier at the head OF our Gov
srrnent would be the most competent to conduct the
one ard encounter the least embarrassment Ia scouting
the other No other min in the Confederate States,
who regarded by the public as tho eqas Of Mr. Da
Wis in the catinet, commanded much Of public conf
Gsucs as he did insthe field, and vice rersd He wss
shtn generally supposed to b. filsntly endowed with
decision, frmness, quick opprahsnson, great foresight
and sH greater energy. Who is TO blame for havirg
been fascinated and daISsd with such cluster Of high
qualities and quaf ,alions, especially when ionnd
adornirg single character, "in one glow Of assccis
ted beauty" Added to ell This, he eioyed exalted
reputation as q christian gentleman. Surely, fuch
nan, thought everybody,' viii he ifourd equal to
the necessity OF losng himself in biz tfics,' and
when be rises to be President will not condescend TO be
jefferson Dlvs-thst such a man viii certainly scorn
tc carry into place individual aninoses when there
either listen to party prayers submit to be ruled by
the rod Of nepo;ism-thst in common grave he vii
commit TO the dus aud bid obivon laugh aud call her
own every recollection he had Of past fsuds either per-
sonJ or politicsl-tbat be will address himself TO tie
discharge OF the grave duties which involve counrys
wefare--ihe happiness and prosperity Of people
with heart intent upon accomplishing the greatest
coed Of the greaest number, by tho most direct
and simple Well, Congress met and made him Pres
dent ard his first ofcia &C. the organization Of his
CabiLs. and with Il excited little surprise and
with others not leEs modification to fad that be
had chosen every member Of that body from no
other political party than the to which he bad him
self belonged long had been sup osed TO have he'd
gu existence The Provisional Congress furnished him
no precedent for such conduct. After selecting him
rsn ore Of the old parties for the fs oce they turn
cd to another party to fad our lustrious Vice Pres
nj. and this patriotic st.emp. upon the part Of the
Provisional Congress- to strike the spiri! Of party NOR
tai blow, was hailed by the country with enthusiastic
eralation To the worlds gaze il exhibited spectacle
Of supsrDaursl subniiy Ia contemplating ii the clss
sic student could f.cy himself beholiug Hercules rising
frc his cradle sTsuge the ssrpeas that sought to
rob him Of his lie.
Hercules did crush the life out Of lis enemy. Was
the effort of the Provisional Congress to do as much
for theirs and ours successful II nay vhys Has the
President contributed TO prevent t. and has he net tho
expectations eIsted in the public mind by the reputs
lion for sagacy foresight and ndomitable energy upon
which he ~ea into power, and, wtha Is be or not still
f.rson Davis? Ii truthful to thsse sieries
entirely satisfactory to the people and rscoacsc with
their bes. interests cannot be given, will itnot be we'll
for Congress to be tls guarded in their legsA
tion upon the limit Of hs powers and correct at early
day As |, may be practicabls, whatever mistakes may
have been made in that direction BY their predecessors
The Secretary of War; Ia the defence he seemed to think
the Presidents conduct needed, says: "The law
pres.y vests In him hs Pfesdsn) the p,Her to ehOos,
clc,rs to command Srgaaes s1d Divisions and /! Is no
cement 10 any ofcsr, Whatever may have heen
bis services tia thu Pfesidsa! prsrs another as d.
vsion commander. Ia the army rank" 10 more 'thsn
the guuea's stamp"
Suppcsing ab setu dd p3ns ratt tlldto, enough, l
opns has already transpred to suggest the repeal Ct
90 obnoxious a statute. It s onNttins, however, TO
read tho letter Of the aw.and not up quenty quite
other to construs its sprt That Mr.. Benjamin has
given u, correctly tie letter Of the law prcbabls ss
il Is certain th. President has rudey violated its spirit
Arms Is rcisnce and the army Is an institution The
soldiers rank ard honor are Sansss tuins, and one
cannot survive the other.
Promotion ha, been resulasdfor centuries 10! these
many BY laws the wisdom of hch has been recognised
I'D respected ia every civilized cline under tho SUM-
Under their protection the hero that Is covered with
scars can retire to his pillow night without the reno
test apprehension that he can wake Up in the morning
aud fsd himself infamous How loag he u TO wear
the surels he has depends not upon tbs Whim OF
an Executive The iAuspcs shed by the lofty tons OF
the rues that co jealousy guard the soldiers rank aud
bonor-his rights ard his feelings throughout armies,
ia universally sauiary. An sttemp. to organise an army
and ignore their existence would be csr1sin to incur
wide spread cotemporsneous military dsgus, aud inherit
the wishsriDg sco-n Of every true and gallant soldier
destined to wear sword In fature ages Is Il probable
our Provisional Congress contemplated anything Of the
kjudp We think not The Same Congress from which
the law referred to emalated made Mr.. Davis President
To that BODY tee facs was well known that Re was
wes Point graduate and had seen servics under the
sg Of his country. and when they placed In his hands
absolu dominion promotion, they did It, dare
say, with profound conf icncs 10 the natural preump-
ton th.t an educated soldier would thoroughly under
ssa9d how to appreciate the sacred dOcaey of the au-
hcri,y With which he clothed and wish the eIpse
taton dare sa ha. he would not carry into his exalted
ofce the bitterness of PERSONAL prdaices, and allow
hiose to be by them bsirayea into the abuse ,of that
authority Itwascisaly the intention OF Cosgress that
the President should 80 Of the army Tor Bgsdisr
or N.or General ouy when there was no ohoer IN the
mmtd line OF promosisn ia Is ~orthy OF promotion,
or when the preennent fnsss of s'm' distinguished
private cits,n (as in the ins.ircs Of Bishop POlk for
military promotion, foro;d his name before the country
Then i would SEEM Nr. Benjinln hAs produced IL"
under witch he regards bis client a. entitled TO an &C.
oui,a which, when look into, find hs has vioa-