, 1862-09-29

is devoted. Lucky viii it be for New York
Il such men as 1lc Gun always be called to
guide her destinies. He will assurcdly be
ABOUT GEN. BUELL..
Our dispatchss from Washington men
ton that the opinion prevails there that
Gen. Don Carlos Buell. is about to be re-
moved TO make room for a more cner-
eetic ard capable successor. Tho whole
West, from Ohio 10 Nebraska, hopes that
this report is true The General has moi, IN
all that region, dozen men who would
dare to shame their good sense BY defend
ing the policy that he has pursued, or the
campaign that he 1as made. The outcry
against him is az universal as tits necessary
and just. In truth, men have ceased to won
der at his cu1pablc. inctliclency, being now
accustomed to its results And in this matter
the people are not mistaken Their idea Of
what ought to have been done. squares
exactly with the military capabilities Of
the situation; popular instinct and the
strictcst deductions Of stratcgical science
are in perfect accord. And NC need only |
point out tie leading facts which COM
pclled his late, aud we hope, lis last re-
treat, to prove all VIC say and to justify all |
the indignant words that the people arc !
disposcdt to utter.
Let the reader take the map and study
tlc situation: Gen. Buell's line ex-
tended from Decatur, on the right, to Ste
ycnson On the left, d distance Of eighty-fiye
miles, the line Of occupation being covered
by railroad in perfect order, and with q
large equipment Of cars and engines. lie
Ind under his command quite $4,000 Of
the best troops in the army Of the United
Statesmen seasoned by the experience Of
the war, and whose fighting qualities wcro
unqucstioncd. The battle Of Shiloh had
been fought, Corinth had been evacuated,
the enemy had fled no one knew whittier;
but, as any general ought to hare suspect
ed, q larger part Of that dispersed force,
was sent eastward into East Tennessee
and 10 Richmond. Here, then, and at that
time, was the critical place and hour for
both the Eastern and Western campaigns
Gen. Buell. was intermediate between our
army at Corinth and the army Of the
Potomac; and had he had the energy
10 use the advantages thrown into lis lap,
he could have prevented tho disasters Of
the seven days fighting On the Chicka-
bominy, the advance Of the enemy upon
Louisville and Cincinnati, Pope's terrible
rcyc1Ees on the Rappahannock, and his
own retreat. No commander, since the
war begun, has hnd more brilliant oppor-
1uui;ics to make splendid reputation for
himself, and to confer un1ncasurcd benefits
upon lis country. But what did he do
With abundant military stores, Transports
tiop, artillery and ammunition, he gusrd-
Cd rebel crops until they ripencd. He
could have moved with q fraction
OF his force upon Chattanooga,
occupied it, and thus delivered East
Tennessee, and carried salvation tc
the loyal men there whom our Govern
mcnt has so sllamcful1y abused by its neg
1ecL But he was busy ID violating Ian
Of Congress By sending back the slaves O
rebels, who had escaped to our lines
Taking Chattanooga, which was then com
paratively upguarlcd, he would have hai
choice Of plans to move toward Atlanta
and compel a prccipitate rush Of the rebc
army from all quarters to Georgia, TO pre-
vent the occupation and subjugaticn o
that State; or he could have moved upor
Knoxville, and prevented the invasion o
Kentucky which las since been made
But he had not got through with his tc
drinking with the she:rcbels Of Alabama
who have dubbed him the "vcry best Gcu
eral in the Federal army"-for them an'
theirs. Within seventy miles of his left, q
Rome, were very extensive rebel iron, poH
der and percussion-cap factories, all Q
which were at his mercy when he please
10 take them. But the workshops are still
in full blast. Not IN inch did he move t.
ward them-not an inch. Here, along tt,
line TINT VIC have described, Gen. Buc
lay t.eo months, his magnificent army-t1
very flower Of the youth of the West-d
ing menial service for the sccesh by who,
they were surrounded. He was bus
court-martialing the officers under his cor
mand, for mixing war.
We should not complain SO much Of h
shameful inaction, if he had persuaded Il
enemy to imitatc his example. But viii
he was thus fooling away his time, i
enemy was busy. Kirby Smith was CO
centrating at knoxville, and Gen. Bragg
Chattanooga Asingle demonstration, n
j, 3 single battle in which our forces co,
-.-saot hdrc been beaten, would have compel
. both Bragg and Smith to fall back far il
Georgia, perhaps below Atlanta. ButBu
suffered their preparations to so On withe
interruption. And now see what was
result; our line extended from the "
to the East, as ne have said, from Decat
to Stevenson Our base vas Louisyl
and the line OF communication and s.
ply was through Nashville. r
line did not strike tie line Of our
cupation at right angles, bnt o6aqu4
Given, Decatur our right; Louisville, {
base; and Chattanooga the place Of re
concentration, aud 10 haos triangle
arhieh the leg from Chattanooga to Lo1
p;1e Is shorter than jrom Decatur todae &C
place Hence, when the rebels, after t
: months preparation crossed the Tennes
river at Harrison above Chattanoo
and commenced their march No,
zhey soers on the &tortest road to our b
and Don Carlos had either to suffer
communications to be cut, or to retreat.
chose the latter, aud the race began. {
NG up Tue fruits Of i 3eA'a ca1saYo1-