The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-26

is beginning to rise up sternly and in manner
which must prevail over the individuals who
are personally interested in perpetuating so
shameful state of things
shifting the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Presi-
dent Really to Blame.
The President, the Cabinet, the military ad-
visers of the government and the Congressional
busybodies and assistant advisers are all in a
nutter before the storm Of popular indignation
excited by the gross blunder Of the battle of
Bulls run. They present spectacle which, if
| the occasion Of it were not so serious, would
shake the whole nation with laughter. Each
shouts out his innocence Of the crime, and turns
States evidence against his next neighbor.
Congressman retail private conversations in
their speeches, and Cabinet officers buttonhOle
reporters with desperate zeal. The whole
| affair is the sublime of the ridiculous, and re-
minds one of squad of schoolboys, hauled up
before the head master, all more or less gull
| ty, and all telling tales.
Here is a choice bit, the design Of which is to
shield Secretary Cameron from the charge of
refusing the cavalry regiments, so greatly need
ed at the late Enthusiastically Cameron has
accepted regiments which have been (afler.
wards) refused by General Scott, who with his
peculiar iteration of manner replied, Il don't
want any cavalry, sir-I don't want any caval
ry, sir. My plan of campaign doesn't require
any cavalry, SIR" AS if Secretary Cameron
did not know General SCOTS plan, and whether
it required cavalry-an ignorance which, Of
itself, ought to decide his withdrawal from the
Cabinet.
Again to shield General Patterson-of course
at General SCOTS expense-it is said that
Patterson had no positive orders, but only "the
strongest intimations that he was expected to
advance A skilful and sagacious officer
General Patterson was, to wait to be ordered to
cut off achievements from the enemy! Those
'.intimations' ought to have been enough for
him; for he knew that even "intimatons" would
not have been sent had he been doing his duty
properly. Did Mcclellan, in Western Vir-
ginia, or Lyons, in Missouri, or Banks,
in Baltimore, need and wait for "positive
orders" or "strong limitations" TO en-
able them to act? General Pattersons
defence seems to be conducted on the principle
that "a poor excuse is better than none," or
after the example of the Western lawyer, who
said, Gentlemen Of the jury, have nothing to
say for my client, but must talk-for my
fee ~
The Hon. Mr.. Richardson, member of Con-
gress from Illinois, rolls his bali at the head
pin, however and nails the President himself to
The rack as the author of the whole hunder.
"My colleagues and myself" says Richardson,
''werc present with the President, Secretary of
War and General Scott. In the course of our
conversation General Scott remarked, Il am the
biggest coward in The world | rose from my
seat. Stay said General Scott Il will
prove it. have fought the battle
against my Judgment, and | think the President
ought to remove me to-day for doing it. AS
God is my Judge he added, after an interval
of silence, Il did all in my power to make the
army efficient, and deserve removal because |
did not stand up when | could, and did not
Your conversation implies, said the President,
that forced you to the battle;' TO which Gen.
Scott replied:-I have never served under
President who has been kinder TO me than you
have BEEN But Gen. Scott did not relieve the
President from the charge of having forced him
to fight the battle. IL you let tie President
alone he is an honest man; but l am
afraid that he has not irmness to stand up
against the politicians around him.
Here we have the whole matter in nutshell.
General Scott was forced into the battle by the
President; and how meekly the veteran Ge-
neral himself so fou!ly abused, says this, more,
as it were, negatively and by avoiding reply
than by direct assertion and accusation, and
how noby he seeks TO draw the blame upon
himself and asks his own removal. Now, who
forced the President to force General Scott?
Why, "the politicians around him, in the Cabi-
net and in Congress. Let Honest Old Abe,
then, wake up to the real facts of the case. and
kick the Cabinet politicians out Of his councils
The people, when they get chance. will take
care Of those in Congress, and Of the fanatica
press which inspired them. But the President
is also clearly to blame and the sooner he CON
fesses it aud asks pardon, The sooner he will be
forgiven and his sins forgotten.
Mn RussEIL's LETTERS TO TIE LONDON TINES
We yesterday transferred from the London
Times to cur own columns Mr.. Russell's most
recent letter received on this side Of the Allan
tic. 1t presents II remarkable and satisfactory
contrast to his first epistlc from this country,
and we willingly endorse the opinion which the
Times cditorialy expressed upon its merits. 1t
is graphic, entertaining and instructive, and
clearly shows that when its author confines him
self TO the description Of what he sees and hears,
he is capable of conveying impressions with a
force and facility in which, perhaps he has no
| superior But it has become evident, from his
earlier correspondence, that when he specuates
and gcneralizes upon abstract ideas, lie succeeds
in writing nothing worthy Of his pen. The turn
Of Mr.. Russell mind is clearly not of the meta