The Portland daily press., 1862-09-15
Sfafe Of HEHine,
Gen. Pope,s Official Report.

On the first page of this paper, we have pub
lished the official report of Maj. Gen. Pope, of
his late campaign in Virginia. twill be read
with interest. Gen. p. makes statements which
show very great wrong somewhere We are
not blind to the fact that he is accustomed TO
making ford reports; that he reported four
times the number of his killed and wounded -
whether to give more Importance TO his battle
or through an honest mistake, we know not -
we are aware that when near Corinth. he re-
ported large captures from the enemy which
no one else has been able to discover, but after
all these considerations are allowed their full
weight, we cannot avoid the conviction that
Pope was suffered to fail in his recent struggle
through somebody's fault.
He fixes the blame upon certain Generals
whom he names, but when the other side is
presented it may turn out that those whom he
blames had their reasons for nen-action, and
are not entitled to the censure that his state
ments imply that they deserve. One thing is
pretty clear, that the country is allowed to
suffer through the strength of red tape. 1t is
to be feared that West Pointers and civilian
ness which patriotism would desire.
Ii seems strangely inconsistent with the
great purposes of this war that men should
stand too much on puncto-on mere eti-
quette. Somebody, it would seem. knowing
Popes necessities, knowing the severity of the
struggle in which he was engaged and the i'm
portance of his being sustained, did not sus-
tain him as they might, because they had re-
ceired no orders TO do so! This is what we
call being held back by red tape. 1t is too
much like the common constitutional objee-
ton to dealing severely with traitors--that we
must be careful how we hit them lest we go
beyond the express provisions of the Constitu-
ton! Gen. jackson never acted upon any such
principle. If he found a rebel in arms he would
first disarm him and then defend himself as best
he could; if he found traitor, and the saliva
ton of the country demanded his hanging. he
would save his country by hanging him first
and look up the authorities afterwards. We
mean to say by these references to jackson,
that prompt action is sometimes necessary and
that neither ceremony, formality, etiquette nor
vague scruples about authority, should hold us
back when the death grappe between right
and wrong is being exhibited before us. The
highwayman must be knocked down; the arm
Of the assassin must be paralyzed; the torch of
the incendary must be extinguished, and not
till after three things are done should we stop
to hunt up officers to make arrests, or trouble
ourselves about precedents or authorities
While Generals stand on punctilio and are wait
ing for orders, it is possible that the most gi-
gantic disasters may happen.
The pluck that wins was well exhibited on
the Peninsula-at Winchester we think-when
our own Gen. Berry, knowing the critical sit
uation in which Heintzelman was placed. with
out waiting for orders, rushed to the rescue,
and was barely in time to turn the tide of bat
tie and save the fortunes of the day. Had he
waited for orders the day would have been lost.
Heintzelman-military man as he is-przed
such manliness OF the down east officer, and
was so eiated at his timely interposition that
he actually embraced him, throwing his strong
arms around him, and holding him close to his
warm, generous, grateful German heart