Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-12-14


ty:a large majority, and larger az
grcgate vote than they ever before
gave to candidate on any question.
:: Kentucky, too, for some time in
doubt, is now decidedly, and I thinl,
Interchangeable ranged on the side of the
Union.
Missouri is comparatively quiet, and
Il believe cannot again be oyorrun by
the Insurgents. These three States of
Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri, nei-
Their of: (which would promise single
soldier at first, have now an aggregate
ofnot less than 40 900 in the field for the
4 Mon, while Of their citizens, not more
than q third in number are. among the
insurgents, and they of doubtful where
abouts and existence. After q some
= what bloody struggle of months, winter
closes on the Union people of west
ern Virginia, leaving them masters Of
;. their. own country.
IAN insurgcnt force Of about 1900 for
months dominating the narrow PENN
sular region, constituting the counties
OF Accomac and Northampton, and
:. known rs the eastern shore Of Virgin
IA, together with some contiguous parts
:. OF Maryland, have laid down their arms
and the people there have renewed
!, their allegiance to, and accepted the
s. protection Of the old flag This leaves
no armed insnrrection North of the Pc
toniac or East of the Chesapeake. AL
SO we have obtained footing of the
isolated points in the Southern coasts
of HatteraS, Port Royal, Tybee Island,
near Savannah, and Ship Island. And
we likewise have some general accounts
OF popular movements in behalf of the
UNION Ill North Carolina and ,Tenncs-
see. .sn-l 49,. ..-,. -
These things demonstrate that the
cause of the Union is advancing stead
lily Southwark. Since your last adjourn
ment Lieut. Gen. Scott has. retired from
. the head Of the army. During his long
lite the nation has not been unmindful
OF his merit, yet on calling to mind how
faithfully, ably and brilliantly he has
served the country for time far back
III our history, when few of the now
living had been born, and thence for
award continually, cannot but think
that we are still his debtor. | submit,
then, for your consideration what fur
ther mark of recognition is due to him
and ourselves, as a grateful people.
- " It'll the retirement of Gen. Scott,
tire Executive duty of appointing in his
stead 4 General-in-chief of arms, it is
fortunate circumstance that neither in
council nor country was there, so far as
| know, any, difference of opinion as to
the proper person to be selected The
retiring Chief repeatedly expressed his
Judgment IN favor of Ger. Mcclellan
for the position, and in this the nation
seemed to give. a unanimous concur
renee. The designation of. Sen. Nc
rCIellan is therefore in considerable
degree the selection of the country as
we'll as OF the executive, and hence
.Ihere Is better reason to hope there will
pc, given HIM the confidence and cor
dial support thus by fair implication
promised, and without which he can
not, With 50 full efficiency, serve the
country. : ~
1t has been said that one bad Gene
rails better than two. good ones, and
the saying is true,'f taken to mean no
more than that an army is better direc-
ted by a single mind, though inferior,
than by two superior ones at variance
ana cross-purposes with each other.
And the same is true with all Joint
operations wherein those engaged can
have none but a common end in view
and can differ only as to the choice Of
means. In a storm at sea, no one on
board can wish the ship to sink, and
yet not unirequently all go down to-
gether, because too many will direct,
and no single mind can be allowed to
control.
It;cpntihtles: to develope that the in
snrfection is largely if not exclusively
a war.upon the first principle of popu-
lar government-the rights of the pco-
pie. Conclusive evidence of this is
found IN the most grave and maturely-
considered public documents, as we'll
aslh the, general tone of the insurgents.
lu those documents, we find the abridge-
mcnt OF. the existing right of suffrage,
and the denial to the people of all RIGHT
to'partlcipate in the selection of public
officers, except the Legislative and bod
lily, is .aslyoeated with labored argu-
ments to prove that large control of the
Government by the people is the source
of all political evil. Monarchy itself is
sometimes limited at as possible ref
uSe from the power of the people
In1my present position, could scarce
y be justified were | to omit raising
warning voice against this approach Of
returning despotisn.
'1t'is not needed nor fitting here that
general argument should be made in
t;ssor.of popular institutions; but there