The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-16

losses Of our commercial ships and cargoes the
worst feature of this business. We have much |
more to fear from the moral effect in Europe of |
these audacious rebel depredations upon our |
commerce If we cannot enforce our blockade |
against q Southern rebel privateer, here and |
there, how can we imagine that this feeble bar |
rlsr will be respected by England, France or
Spain? Already we are menaced with some |
trouble with the Spanish authorities from the |
facilities afforded to the privateer Sumter in |
the way of temporary port for her
prizes and coaling station at Cienfuegos
Clearly our Secretary of the Navy has been
caught mapping, and is not equal to the duties
and responsibilities devolving upon him at this
crisis.
Comparisons in such cases may be distaste-
full in certain quarters and yet we cannot avoid
comparison between the activity OF our war
Department and the sluggishness of our Navy
Department since the outbreak of this South
ern rebellion. The Secretary of War, fully
alive to the exigencies Of this tremendous
struggle of life or death to the government, has
done wonders in giving embodiment, organizes
ton and practical power to the great patriotic
uprising of our Union people Thus, under his
immediate auspices and supervision, within
three months we'll appointed Union army OF
| three hundred thousand men has been raised,
armed, equipped, disciplined and judiciously
| distributed along line of operations extending
around from Fortress Monroe to the frontiers Of
Missouri and Arkansas. We are aware that
much of this activity on the part of Secretary
Cameron is charged to his alleged active pro-
pensities as Spectator in great jobs and fat
contracts; but we have no evidence thus far,
| that he has, in a single case, shaped a job OF a
contract as private speculation.
| But while we have no faith in these '"HN--
iobbing accusations ana insihuations against
Secretary Cameron-whfe we believe thai .. "".
emanate from disappointed lobby jobbers and
sharpers-we are free to say thatif something of
his warlike activity and energy could be infused
into the Navy Department, the country would
consider 1t great acquisition even if it were
mixed with some little dabbling in jobs and
contracts. We cheerfully grant that Secretary
Welles is an honest man; but he belongs to a
past age-the old jog-trot peace establish
ment. He is slow, and has not yet been able to
bring bis mind to grasp the great necessities of
a state of war. Honesty is good thing, but,
coupled with incapacity, it is good for nothing.
The head of the Navy Department at this time,
above all things, should be capable, active
and powerful man Of war; but Mr.. Welles is not
equal to these acquisitions of capability activity
| or calbre.
The responsibility, in the premises, rests upon
| the President of the United States The def
| ciences and inefdciencies of every Executive
department of the government fall back upon
him. 1t is his duty to put the right man in the
right place over every department. At this
crisis the loss or the saving of millions of the
| property Of our mercantile and shipowning
classes is dependent upon the management of
the Navy Department; and the question of Euro
pean neutrality or non-intervention in this war
is yet to be determined by our Southern block
ade We must hurry up the Navy Department
to the activity and energy of the War Depart
ment; we must stop the outlets through which
our Southern privateers escape to sea, or our
negligence may soon bring us into collision with
England and France. We call upon President
| Lincoln to see to it that the success of our
Union cause on the land shall no longer be
thrown away upon the sea-
Gen. Mcclellan, the Napoleon Of tho
Present War.
In every war il is necessity that there be a
leader whose deeds excite and whose successes
concentrate the fervor of popular enthusiasm
1t is necessity not only to the army, every
man of which shares his leaders, fame and
emulates his glory, as planets catch their fires
from the sun, but also to the people at large,
whose Civilizations or whose fears cheer on the
soldiers to new victories or discourage them to
renewed defeats. These leaders are the Wash
ingtons, the Napoleons, the Garibaldis, of their
times. They make their troops invincible
They inspire that enthusiastic confidence among
the people at home which reacts upon those
already in the field. They inaugurate victory,
and make success inevitable. Such leader as
this, in the present war, is Major General
George B. Mcclellan, the Napoleon of Western
| Virginia.
The masses, who look only at successes
and never can fully appreciate the slow prepa-
rations necessary to achieve them, cannot pro-
perly appreciate the veteran General Scott,
who, like an Atlas carries the country upon his
shoulders. Indeed it is the greatest proof of his
greatness that he does not excite fervid and loud
voiced enthusiasm, but commands, in its stead,
the deepest and most heartfelt respect, conf
dence and affection. He plans, he contrives
he orders, and the people trust his experience
and sagacity, and wait more patiently for the
triumph they are promised than they would at
the bidding of any other living man. History
whose calm verdict Gen. Scott, like all great
heroes, is content to wait-will pronounce him
our second Washington-the preserver, as the
former was the author, of our liberties. Only
posterity can oil up his need of fame, the sweet
foretaste of which he can reap now. With suoh
surprising glory in store, he can well afford to
leave to younger men those more immediate
popular honors the delight of which he has