Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-08-18
Why she Battle Of Manassas was
fought.


From the n Y. Journal OF Comme1c,.l
An interesting and somewhat remarkable
letter appeared in The Albany Erening Journal
Of Monday evening, written By the senior Cd
itor, Mr. Weed We copy portion Of it and
place it on record as the explanation Of the
advance on Manassas, given by one holding
confidential relations to tbs administration
at least to gone Of its members:
Lieut.. Gen. Scott, in the discharge Of his
duty as commsBder-in-chief Of the army, con-
ceiges and perfected rian or program oY
means Of which be confidently, as lhe results
Of a GUNNER and a fall campaign, anticipated
the overthrow OF the Confederate army, aad
thus virtually to end the rebellion.
The plan, primarily, contemplated camps Of
ins ruction, where raw leVies might, during
the months of June, July and August, be sub
jected to discipline and iLured to service, send
ing The regiments, as they became ct for duty,
into the field, making room, as they departed,
for green organizations.
With bis disposable force (af.er the safety
Of the capital was assnTsd) Gen Scott com
menced operations at Fortress Monroe, near
HsrpeI's Ferry, ard in West. n Vi-gili7, she
latter point being most Favorable, prof Ing, As
no ether section did, by the cooperation and
s}mpathies Of loyal inhsbitant9 With Wash
ingtoa for his base Of opera lions, the western
wings Of his army were to feel and fight their
wa souhwaTd, until, the appointed time,
having resched tbeir designassd positions, as
his columns were to move simu iansoGsly,
Richmond falling, as Mexico fell, before an
irresistible army.
But this plan did not accord with the 7o7u-
lar IDEA. Prominent individuals, whose coUn-
cils and ciamcrs pIeciptated he outbreak, de-
manded pCcclpitate action. These demands
4 10 Z
peals TO popular feeling were coon followed
b7 oren asPersjoHs and denUncialiols OF Gen.
Scot. And, finally, with presumption and
insoleuce unhesTd Of, a leading i5urHal, as
suning command Of the arr Y, issued and Ic-
iteTaled The order" On to Eiclmoad -
While widely spread newspapers were thus
weakening the administration by assaults upon
the commanding general, his enbaTTassments
were aggravated BY The persistent hostility and
every day 5spersions Of the Postmaster Cen
eral, whose brother, a prominent member Of
Congress, asssiled him from the stump.
Meanwhile Congress assembled. HaloTs
snd Representatives, with more zeal than
! knowledge, caught u9 and reiterated the cry,
''On to Richm0Hl." The impatient Congress
men were leading and Influential They wait
cd apon The PrsBiden. TO complained the mac
! tivity ef the army; and upon GeG. Scot, urging
! hin 'sOn to Richmond" Army bills prepared
with dellberation by Senator Wilson, On 2c-
/ cordaDce with the views Of the government }
were emasculated by tie home military com
mittee, of which Er. Blair is chairmlu. The
| President and bis Cabinet had reason to apPre-
| hend-if not the censUres Il C0ngTess-the
| failures Of measures essential 70 tbe pTOsscu-
! ton Of the war, unless the Tribune order OF
"On TO Richmond" was obeycd
And now the sensation journals began to dis-
| paTage the strength and courage Of the TeSsi
| army. +" TEeTtbcIs triH not fght!" 'sThe cot5-
ards lCill run . etc, etc appeared in flaming
capitals over fash paragraphs. The whole
! popular mind was sT3yed by these fT5nZed
/ appeals. q movement upon Aia ASSES was
/ universally and blind!y dsmlLdcd Passions
/ and auim0sities, Kindred 20 those which once
/ delugsd France with blood, were being excited.
The tyranny OF the press, the dsnuBcistions
! Of a cabinet minister, and the impetu0sity Of
a dozen members Of Congress, exciting the
masses, ''moyed" Gen. Scott "from his Proprie-
ties" For once in his life bis purposes were
| thwaTted-foT once "bis mind became the
! mind Of other men.o The result shows that
| it was fatal weakness. And yet VINO knows
/ what would have been ke effect If an adheT-
ence to his plan? The New York Tribune
| has been educating millions to distrust the
| wisdom Of the administration and the fidelity
! of the commanding generals. Every dav en-
boldened its audscity-eveTy rail aud wire dis
seminated its treason, and every hour aug
| mented the popular discomfort. Congress,
| though It's session opened auspiciously, began
| to faiter. The BlaiTs-one IN the cabDet and
one in eOngress-were organizing an Goa 10
/ Richmond" faction. To have resisted these
demands would have overthrown he sdRinis
tTatiOn-aad might have destroyed the govern
ment. "Madness ruled the hour p and a battle
| at Manassas, right OF wrong, became, not a
military, but Political ''necessitv.D