Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-10-02

1 - SASoO So AvOW AVvoS "usSne - - r
pears ia st. Louis paper long before
it could reach thst friend, we must taks
it for granted wes meant Tor the public
It, in this aspect, may be considered 81
his defence to the American people. Tbs
chief points in it I've yesterday publish
ed all Of it, may be found i'll the follow
ing extract:
II leave at 10 o'clock in the morning
and send you this hurried note in The
midst Of the last arrangement before
starting. We have TO contend with ~
enemy having no forts to garrison, and
no lines OF transportation TO defend Of
guard whose whole torce can be turned
at will At any one point while We have
from Leavenworth to Cairo and from
Fort Scott to Psducah to keep proteced.
| wish to say TO you that, the position il
difficult, sm competent TO meet it and
the enemy in the field, but am not able
at the same time to attend to the enemy
At home. Its shame to the country
that an officer going to the field, with
his life in his hand, solely actuated by .
desire to serve his country and win for
himself its good opinion, with no other
object, should be destroys ed by . system
Of concerted attacks utterly without
foundation. Charges are spoken OF
when there are no charges, -explana-
tons when there sre none to be made.
What is the object Of the repetition OF
these falsehoods, except to familiarize
the public mind to the idea that some
thing is wroDg?"
The statement here made Of the char
acter and disposition Of the enemy coin
cides exactly with the opinion iorme !
by the public, and lie one Of the reasons
why they condemn him. General Lyon
understood this perfectly, aud, instead OF
remaining at St. Louis, he followed that
enemy throughout Missouri, attacking
him whenever opportunity offered, and
never for an instant allowed him TO as
semble in large numbers or commanding
positions. Now, as then, "the position
is difficult" the task of watching aud
overwhelming such foe would burden
the energies Of any army under any lea
der; but the difficulty of the position is
the key to the campaign, and pointed to
slecpless vigor as the only method OF
conducting affairs successfully. Lyons
plan is the only one which should have
been pursued, and one which Fremont
could have adopted with his large forces
easier than Lyon did with his mere
handful Of men. Lyon prevented his
important points from being endangered,
by keeping the enemy at a distance. He
pursued in Missouri nearly the same
tactics which Beauregard pursued in Vir-
ginia. He rendered every step Of an
advance to his ultimate positions bat.
tie.
In regard to the attacks which have
been made upon General Fremont, they
princi pally come from men .cho at the
BEGINNING OF the campaign aoere his spe.
cial friends. Frank Blair, who urged
the President to give him the command
Of the western army, is bis chief accus.
or. Blair has been Lis sworn political
and personal adherent. 1t was not, then
from his personal or political enemies
that the attacks originated. They, al.
though they had little confidence in his
character or ability, were silent until he
made an issue with his commanding Of
scer, the President, against the consti
tuition and the authority Of the people
rs represented by Congress. 1t hoe lie
| henn wnn l------ throughout the West
that he has been exclusive. arrogan,
and incompetent at the bureau and in
the police regulation of his army. |,
was hoped that he might display vigor
in actual operations which would redeem
these detects,and consequently no one de-
sired TO create public sentiment which
would injure him with his army. lie
has, therefore, been treated with greater
deicacy than any other public man,
and it was only when he appeared to
sacrifice Colonel Mulligan and his brave
command that the full torrent of popular
Indignation burst upon him. We think
that he has no right to complain, but
should hereafter do his duty SO efficient
" that he may obtain forgiveness for
bis past neglect. A victory, not let.
ter, must be his defence. God send him
victory Chicago Times.