Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-03-07
Washington Correspondents Of the Fremont Journal.
letter from washington.
w .rnrrnrn.. Ern QRih 1870

III Nhe mousse OF Representatives Dy the hon
d. w. Gooch, Of Massachusetts, who is men,
Der of the Committee on the conduct Of the wal
that 1.-THE men who have believed the true pol
icy to be to bring large armies into the field and
make display of power and force to enable ne
COLLATION., compromise, or diplomacy, 10 reconstruct
The Government 'cithO'a Hoodshed, are either con-
verted or overruled."
In view Of that sentiment, let us glance at the
policy of the Knights of the Golden Circle es-
peeially those Of them who reside in the loyal
States. Right here will say that their designs
are well understood by some who do not belong
to that order.
The first part of their programme was to dis
courage enlstments wheresOever they could
when these enlistments were to sustain the
power of the general Government; and you may
set it down as a solemn truth that all persons
who opposed the enlistment of soldiers for the
United States service, were either Knights oi
the Golden Circle or under their influence.
Their second step was to retard in all possible
ways the movements of the army when it was
organized. The most effective way to accom-.
Plish this was by having as many Knights OF
persons under their influence, get into the army
as possible so that they, by their united inAu-
ence, could accomplish more toward retarding
operations when in the army than out of it
This second part of their programme win ex-
plain the reason why so many persons who
were anti-admnistration, anti-coercion anti
war, anti-everything only anti-rebellion, wheel
ed so suddenly into line and joined our army
The sudden change of tactics of the aforesaid
gentry caused good deal of surprise in the
minds of many persons; but in view of what
has Just been stated the change was quite nat
ural. And what is still more strange is these
same suddenly -made-govemment converts OBJ
tanned goodly number of commissions in this
very army to which at first they were so much
opposed.
How well the operations of our army have
been retarded you, Mr.. Editor, know as well as
any one else, and when Mr. Gooch made the
remark above quoted, it is but fair to presume
that he had his minds eye fixed on the afore-
said people who became so suddenly attached to
our army, but who have not helped one iota to
advance either our military operations or in
terests.
There has been another recent Government
convert lately. Mr. Vallandigham appears,
since the expulsion of Mr.. Bright, to have been
on the stool of political repentance, and it has
been supposed that he was gradually, it may be
reluctantly, approaching the outer verges of
loyalty. The matter of his repentance was
speedily settled the other day by the introduc-
tion of Mr.. Hickman's resolution.
The Baltimore Clipper had, the day before the
resolution was introduced, made statement that
letters from Vallandigham and others were
found in the office of the Southern Press, sup
pressed rebellious paper of that city, sympa-
thising with the rebels in their discomfeiture and
suggesting plans by which the Yankees might
be defeated. Mr.. Hickmans resolution was to
investigate this charge, and in the discussion of
the resolution the brightness of Mr.. VS. con-
version shone out conspcuously. All doubt as
to his loyalty was forever suppressed by his
utterance of more loyal sentiment in one half
hour than he had ever uttered during the whole
course of his life before. Notwithstanding his
loud professions of loyalty, he opposed the res
olution with all his power. The idea of inves-
tigation seemed to well nigh throw him into
spasms and bis efforts to display his patriotism
were very spasmodic indeed.
Mr.. Hickman withdrew his resolution, leav-
ing him, Vallandgham, under the cloud of sus-
picion which must attach to any man opposing
investigation in case like this. Mr.. V. op-
posed the only course which an innocent, or an
man would have seized upon to clear
himself of such charge as this. If Mr.. V. is
innocent of the charge made, by the Clipper, his
course is exceedingly foolish; if guilty, it viii
do him no good, for if any such letters were
found by Government officials as reported, they
will be deposited in the State Department and
the State Department will of course refer them
to Congress, SO that Mr. ", if guilty, is sure of
an investigation.
Our grand army of the Potomac is penetra-
ting the soil of Virginia--in virtical direction
however, and this penetration will not, it is be-
lieved, alarm the garrison at Manassas very
much. The continued rains and SHOWS of the
last four weeks seem 10 be sent as punishment
upon our army here for not moving when the
roads were good and the weather fine Drilling
and training for both men and horses, when the
ground is in such horrible condition, tends to
evil and evil continually. If the ground is not
fit TO move an army it is not fit for drilling and
II our army can neither move nor drill, IL has
surely come to state of the most sickly as well
as Improbable and mastery inactivity. 1t is
supposed by those having the best means Of
knowing that 10000 men up to this time have
been rendered unfit for military service in the
army of the Potomac by camp sickness alone.
There are thousands more who have not yet be-
gun to feel the influence of the rheumatic pains,
or the secret diseases which, during the course
of their after life will with painful certainty be
revealed TO them.
history of our campaign on the Potomac comes
mense game of bluff, in which the rebels were
the blulfing party and in which, owing to some-
body's incompetency, they will have made good
their oft repeated boast that one Southern man
is as good as 6ve or six Northerners, for il be-
gins TO be feared that from the beginning there
never We're more than about 10000 men at one
time in or about Manassas. These facts are
gathered from very reliable data. If there be
any Disgrace attaching to our army operations
throughout the whole country, that disgrace will
attach to the army of the Potomac.
From time to time you may sec 1t stated that
the Committee on the conduct of the war have
done this, that and the other. In one of your
late issues you have copied dispatch from some
paper, in which II is stated that the Committee
called on Secretary Stanton and urged the re-
appointment of Gen. Fremont. This is not true.
Another one Is that the sub Committee COM
posed Of Messrs Wade and johnson, visited
Gen. Mcclellan to urge him TO raise the block
ade Of the Potomac. This is equally untrue.
There never has been anything published yet
in the papers concerning the different steps ta-
ken by that Committee which has amounted to