Daily national Democrat., 1861-08-20
llallp natlonaln nrmotrai
T,urlow Weed tells who is Responsible
for the Disaster.
" w.mrsorox, Friday, July &c, .sGl.

When rebellion broke out into oper
",ar upon Fort Sumter, the people rose viii
,nnanimity unexampled in the worlds his
s.sv offering themselves and their posses
';o1s 20 the Government, asking. only, in re-
snrn that war thus wantonly and wickedly
nroyoked. should be vigorously prosecuted
p.sainp over an interval of three months. we
.arna 70 the disastrous battle at Manassas -
Who is responsible for this great Nationa
ds,ster2 Officials cannot answer-individ-
mia NAV speak-their answers passing f"i
wbat they are worth, according to the tsti-
maize which the public put upon their judg-
ment and means of information.
lieutenant General Scott, in the discharge
of lis duty as Commander-in-Chief oi the
Army conceived and perfected plan of pro-
oamme, by means of which, he confidently
p. the results of Summer and Fall cam
pagn, anticipated the overthrow OF the Con-
Lderate Army, and thus virtually 10 end the
rebellion. This plan, primarily, contempla
ted camps of instruction, where raw levie'
might, during the mouth of June. July and
August be subjected to discipline and inurec
to service, sending the regiments, as they be
came fit for duty, into the field, making
room, as they departed, for green organiza-
tions.
With his disposable force (aftcr the safety
of the Capital was assured) General Scott
commenced operations at Fortress Monroe
near Harper's Ferry, and in Western Virginia
the latter point being most favorable, profit
ing. as no other section did, by the co opera
ton and sympathies of loyal inhabitants
With Washington for his base of operations
fhe western wings of his army were to feel
and fight their way sonth ward, until, at The
appointed time, having reached the desgna-
ted positions, all his colums were to move
simultaneously, Richmond falling, as MeAico
fell before an irresistible army. But this
plan did not accord with the popular idea.
prominent individuals whose cpunsels and
camors precipitated the outbreak, demanded
preciphate action. These demands were
more and more clamorous Exciting appeals
60 popular feeling were soon followed 10y
open aspersions and denunciatious of General
Scott. And finally. with a presumption and
insoence uuheard of, a leading journal, as
cunning command of the army. issued and
reiterated the order-"On to Richmond"
While widely spread newspapers were
thus weakening the Administration by as
saults upon the commanding General his
emburrassments were aggravated by the per-
ssent hostility and every day aspersions Of
the Postmaster General. whose brother. II
prominent member Of Congress, assaied him
from the stump. Meanwhile. Congress as
sembled. Senators and Representatives, with
pore zeal than Wedge, caught up and
reiterated the cry: con to Rehnnnd" The
Inpatient Congressmen were leading AND in
fuentia They waited upon the President
to complain of the inactivity of the army /;
and upon Gen. Scott, urging him "on to Rich
mond." Army bills prepared with deliher-
alton by Senator Wilson lin accordance with
the views of the GovernmenD were emascu-
1ated by the Home Military Complltee. Of
which Blair is Chairman The President and
his Cabinet had reason to apprehend-if il not
the censures of Congress-lhe failure OF
measures essential TO the prosecution of the
war, unless the Tribune order Of onward to
Richmond" was obeyed
And now the sensation journals began to
disparage the strength and courage of the
rebel army. The rebels viii not fight y
"The towards will run etc, etc, appeared
in flaming capitals over flash paragraphs
The whole popular mind WAS swaycd 10y
these frenzied appeals. A movement upon
Manassas was universally and blindly deuan-
ded Passions and tnimosilics kindred to
those which once deuged France in blood
were being excited The tyranny Of the
press, the denuncialions of q Cabinet Minis
ter, and the impetuosity ef dozen members
of Congress, exciting the masses, moved -
Gen Scott from his prophecies" For once
in his life his purposes were thwared-for
once "his mind became the mind of other
men" The result has shown that it was
fatal weakness And vet who knows what
would have been the effect of an adherence
to his plan? The New York Tribune was
educating millions to distrust the wisdom of
.the Administration and the fidelity of the
commanding Generals. Every day emhoId-
ened its audacity- rail and wire dis
.aeminated its treason and every hour aug
mented the popular discomfort. Congress,
though its session opened auspicously, began
10 falter. The Blairs-onc in the Cabine,
and the other in Congress were organizing
an "On to Richmond faction. To have re-
sisted these demands would have overlhrown
the Administrations might have des-
troyed the Government. Madness ruled
the hour" and battle at Manassas right or
wrong, became, net military, but a political
necessity"
1t is not true however, as has been assert
ed, that Gen. Scott was constrained to haz-
ard this battle by the President. Between
the President and, with one exception, the
Cabinet, aud Gen Scott, there has been mu
tual regard and confidence
will not now stop 10 consider details or
critcise acts. The major blunder includes al
tHt UllnOr ones. lDefe SNOuIu nave Detn no
general engagement until we were in the
field with an arIsy strong enough to over
whelm and crush out rebellion. There were
other points at which we could have been
advantageously and successfully occupied.
Bat even if it were exeIsable to assault an
army equal in numbers TO our own, in s
chosen position, and behiS6 its entrench-
ineats, the purpose should have been aban-
dOned when the army Of Manassas was rein
forced by that from Winchester. Then. suie
iy, the conflict was too unequal. With all
the conditions and circumstances so changed,
General Mcdowell should have taken the re-
sponsibility of dsobeying orders The reason
%oald"havejustied him in the judgement OF
The Government and the people.
But the order of On to Richmond" was
oOeyed; md where does it leave us? Where
we were three months ago, with harder
conflict on our bands, and a dismal, if not
doubtful future? The "On to Richmond"
octators have added another year to the war,
"n hundred million of dollars to its costs, and
oPened graves for fifteen or twenty thousand
more soldiers.
,.. ana what have we gained alas, two
.i''ie Tor such fearful expenditure of time
treasure, blood and reputation We have
learned, what few doubted. that our army is
al That is expected Of it; that our men fought
with the courage of veterans; that we may
Always and under all circumstances rely on
'hem. We have learned what was also too
well known. that the Army was, in many in
stances, indifferently differed. We have
learned, too, the Importance and necessity of