Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-08-07

I of the Army, issued and reiterated the or.
der-"0N TO RICHMONDP'
While widely spread newspapers were
thus weakening the Administration by as
saults upon its Commanding General, his
embarrassments were aggravated by the
persistent hostility and every day asper-
sions of the Postmaster General, whose
Brother, prominent Member of Congress,
assailed him from the stump.
Meanwhile Congress assembled Sena.
tors and Representatives, with more zeal
than knowledge, caught up and reiterated
the cry, ''On to Richmond" The impa
tient Congressman were leading and inhu.
entail. They waited upon the President
to complain of the inactivity of the army
and upon Gen. Scott, urging him "0n tt
Richmond. l." Army Bills, prepared with
deliberatiOn by Senator Wilson, Gn ac
cOrdanee with the views of the Govern.
ment,) were emasculated by the House
Military Committee, of which Mr.. Blair is
Chairman. The President and his Cabi.
net had reason to apprehend-if not the
censures of Congress-the failure of meas.
ures necessary to the prosecution of the
war, unless the Tribune Order of "On to
Richmond, =" was obeyed.
And now the sensation Journals begin
to disparage the strength and courage o.
the rebel Brmy. "7he Rebels 4OiH MOI
fght!" The CoaOards 1ciH run ~ &C.,
appeared in flaming capitals over flashing
paragraphs. The whole popular mind wa.
swayed by those frenzied appeals. A
movement upon Manassas was universally
and blindly demanded. Passions and ami
mosities, kindred to those which once del
uged France in blood, were being excited
The Tyranny of the Press, the denunci.
aticns of Cabinet Minister, and the i'm.
petuosity of dozen Members of Congress
exciting the masses. moved Gen. Scott
''from his proprieties." For once in hi.
life, his purposes we're thwarted-for once
"his mind became the mind of other men. 2
The result has shown that it was a fatal
weakness. And yet, who knows what
would have been the effect of an adhe-
renee to his Plan? The New York Tri.
bune was educating millions to distrust the
wisdom of the Administration and the f.
deity of the Commanding Generals. Ev.
cry day emboldened its audacity-every
Rail7and Wire disseminated its treason
and every hour augmented the popular dis.
content. Congress. though its Session
opened auspieiOusy y, began to falter. The
Blairs-One in Cabinet and the other in
Congress organizing an son to Rich
mond2 faction. To have resisted these de-
mands tgOuLd have overthrown the Admins
istration-and might have destroyed the
Government "Maddess ruled the hour, "
and Battle at Manassas, right or wrong,
became, not military, but a political ne
cessity'
1t is not true, however, as has been as
serted, that Gen. Scott was constrained to
hazard this Battle by the President. Be-
tween the President, and with one excep-
ton. the Cabinet, and Gen. Scott, there
has been mutual regard and confidence.
Mr.. Weed urges that there should have
been no general engagement until we were
in the field with an army strong enough to
crush out rebellion, and that Gen. Nc
Dowell should not have made an attack
on Manassas under circumstances so une-
quail The .'0n to Richmond Dictators,
he says, have added another year to the
war, one Hundred Millions of Dollars to
its Cost, and opened graves for fifteen or
twenty thousand moro Soldiers And
what have we gained? Mr. Weed an
swers:
Alas, too little for such a fearful expen-
diture of time, treasure, blood and reputa-
ton We have learned, what few doubt
ed, that our Army is all that is expected
of it; that our men fought with the cOur-
age of Veterans; that we may always IN
der all circumstances rely on them. We
have learned what was, also, too well
known, that the Army was, in many in
stances. indiferently Differed. We have
learned. too. the Importance and necessity
of Discipline. Effective Troops, however
excellent the material, cannot be found in
work shops, the 'cornfelds or the cities
They must have military training. without
which ''0n to Richmond movement will
prove failure.
Though we have encountered a great
and disastrous check-though we are pained
and humiliated- possess the means and
the energy, to retrieve all, if these means
henceforth, are wisely employed.