Daily national Democrat., 1861-08-15
aalIp Nationallr lrmocrat.
77i--,c 1.on, the New York Times, (Republican.)
changes In the Cabinet.


That portion Of the press which, by Its IN
lns lsafe urgency, brought about the casu-
tsmP of sunday, has turned its energies in a
ANY ~ ~ where it Is likely to do even greater
direIS;of For the cry "Onward to Richmond, "
mlson1b mS1 hos covered the fields of Virginia with
"l ye fellows, slaughtered while gnllantly
ou olaavoring to achieve the impossible, they
,,as substituted a cry for the dismissal OF the
t',inet as if this moment of national agony
~ effort were timely for a revolution OF the
S%arsru,uent, S"u and the displacement of the
ososidents actual advisers by untried and
lively inexperienced men. 1t is possible,
ehsngb It strikes us as extremely improb-
able that hostility to the cause OF the Union
uId take more malignant and dangerous
fO"'1 f'.", The Cabinet has been guilty of no
~. ,bo, should lose it the confidence of the
aVv vntrv unless it consist in yielding too
'sJ;;v 10 the counsels of the very journals
,L;ch now demand its overthrow. Neither
C1remment or people is in the temper to
u,,on again to the advisers whose coGnses
,aro brought us TO shame and added a year
.o the war; and we may hereafter eonhde
,t oaly In the wisdom but in the independ-
',re of the Administration in conducting this
great contest
Bat while SO much is trne Of the Cabinet
as a unit, there is no question but that well
grounded distrust, tending strongly to dimin-
ish the patriotic impulse of the people, exists
in regard to one or two Of its members. The
two Departments which have Immediate
charge Of the prosecution of tie war, are
not filled by men who command e@ougli OF
the public confidence to perform their duties
with vigor and success. The Secretary OF
War through whose hands the larger portion
IL il l-ali
"a cost must necessarily pass. is surrounded
Iv influences utterly incompatible with the
ryoner discharge Of his functions. 1t is his
dangerous partiality which has converted
one-half the population of Pennsylvania into
cnntraeters-has given the army one Penn
eylyania General whose criminal inactivity
has cost us q defeat, and the waste OF II
thousand live; and another, whose only
service was to dishearten the Union sentiment
of baltimore, and encourage traitors like
Kane who but for the loyalty and energy of
General Banks, would have proceeded to
dcclore insurrection. To him we are indebted
fon the muster into the national service of
Pennsylvania regiments whose clothing was
rags. and whose destitution appealed pain
fnIv to the charitable; and who ended 10y
presenting to mankind the unprecedented
snectaele of soldiers deserting en- masse a
battle field where their fellows were waging
desperate conflict with the enemy. For
other characteristics of Cameron's course,
neither undue partiality or any other con-
ceivable cause is sufficient to account. Why
the numerous regiments which he is now too
anxious to accept on any terms, were origin
ally rejected why he has uniformly declined
to encourage the enrolment of cavalry, the
want of which has crippled and almost de-
stroyed the army; why it required absolute
compulson on the part of the President and
General Scott to overcome his opposition TO
the acceptance of regiment OF marksmen,
who might have counterpoised the admirable
use of that arm which the enemy made in
the late action why he consigned the manu-
tacture of the entire amount OF much h-needed
cannon to one Pennsylvania firm, instead of
dividing the contract, if it had to 60 to that
State, among score OF foundries, which
might have furnished the guns in tenth OF
the time; why. neglccting the greater inter
ests OF his office he devotes days to quarreilng
over the appointment of suffers and messen-
gers, and arranging minor matters oil the
least possible eonsequ to the public; why
these, and a long catalogue of similar phe-
nomena have marked the rule of Cameron in
the war department. We have no theory to
explain; but we are quite sire they present
ample reason for the Withdrawal Of public con
fidcnce Charged with the management OF
the only vitality important bureau OF the
Administration, Cameron has failed to ac-
quirc any hold upon the public faith 10y ehi-
cheney, energy and honesty. 1t is evidently
proper, therefore, that change should ut
oace be made in the office.
Fortunately for Secretary " eles, the uni
yersal conviction Of his inadequacy to fulfill
the difficult duties of his position has not
been accompanied 10y an impeachment Of
Ills integrity. But the same iudisposition to
enterprise which char0cterizes the War De-
rartment is observable in the Navy the
same insensihiity to the advice and sugges-
t;ons of practical men; the same reluctance
70 accept aid plainly needed, when rendered
10y our patriotic citizens and owners of ship
ping Thus to isolate himself from the coun-
sells of a wise experience would be ineXcQsa
hle in a man who brought to his position all
the knowledge offs long maritime career
but in the case of Wtlles, who hasno knowl-
edge or experience whatever, and who
should seek it at the best sources. it is simply
objectionable And we are little likely to
forgive that Incidence and indifference which
renders the blockade merely formal where
it might be thorough, and which neglects to
cover the ocean with vessels in pursuit of
the busy privateers For the millions of
money already lost by our merchants through
this inefieency it would be well if we could
hold the Secretary to pecpniary response
blty.
The Government may be assured that to
leave the two Departments We have -desig
mated in the charge of their present admins
tration, will tend powerfully to diminish that
confidence the Nation gives unreservedly to
its support These changes fortunately, will
not affect the integrity of the Cabinet. or in
terl'upt the movement Of the wheels of gov
eFnriept. On the. contrary, it will Introduce
more thorough harmony into the deli bera-
tions of the one, and reloubled velocity and
efficacy INTO the other. They may, there
fore, be made without the hazards of a more
radical revolution, which would lose the
country the services of statesmen it cannot
afford to spare, and whose presence is
pledge thatthe popular will is to be fully and
honestly put in execution.
death OF Hon. A. II. SrEpHENs--The
i.nIiI Iavi1l