The New York herald., 1862-12-18

to President Lincoln to save the life Of the
nation.
The Blosdthirsty Atrooity or the Radl-
Gals.
That infamous radical organ the New York
Tribune, says that 1--WE have by telegraph the
gratifying announcement that General Burn
side has regained his old position on this
side of the Rappahannock," and adds that
lin this last movement against the rebels
we see much cause for public satisfaction"
Is it of great victory, gloriously won by
the national arms, that the radical editor of
the Tribune wrtess Is it over a triumph of the
Union forces, which has made rebellion stagger
to its death, that the radical organ rejoicess
For the credit of human nature one would fain
bolieve so. But, alas! no self-deception could
conceal the truth. The gratifying announce
ment" which tho Tribune had to make yester
day morning was the announcement Of the most
overwhelming Union defeat Of the war. The
movement against the rebels" over which the
radicals tauntingly exult, was the retreat Of our
army across the Rappahannock. The news in
which the abolitionists "see much cause for
public satisfaction is the slaughter of ten or
twelve thousand Union soldiers by the insane
command Of the radicals of the War Depart
ment.
We hold the Tribune editor and his fellow
conspirators among the radicals responsible be-
fore God and the country for the disastrous
issue of the Fredericksburg battles. They and
their instruments in the War Department led
our gallant army into the trap which the rebels
had set for it, and caused the wanton and de-
liberate butchery of our brave soldiers. The
radicals of the War Department practically
superseded General Burnside, as they had effec-
tually superseded General Mcclellan, in the
command of the Army of the Potomac. All
that Burnside could do was to remain with the
army and try to save it from utter annihilation.
This he has fortunately accomplished, and for
this he deserves the credit. Upon the radicals
of the War Department and their colleagues
falls the whole crushing weight Of the failure.
If the army was delayed before Fredericksburg,
either by the want of supplies or the non
arrival of the pontoon trains, the radicals are
responsible; for it was the duty of the War De
partment to have the supplies ready and the
pontoon trains on the bank Of the river, 90 tha {
the army might Immediately cross. When
several weeks had passed, and the rebels had
made Gibraltar of the low hills back
Of Fredericksburg. then came the impera-
tive command from the radicals of the
War Department to General Burnside to
cross the river and begin the battle. In vain
did all Bsrnside's officers disapprove the move
ment. In vain did soldiers and civilians alike
agree that to drive out the rebels by assault
was an impossibility. The War Department
overruled all objections, and ordered this i'm
possibility to be attempted. The result was
the slaughter Of thousands of our bravest SOL
diers; and of this outrageous massacre we pro-
nounce the radicals guilty.
The people will remember the excitement
which followed the rout at Manassas but Ma
nassas was innocent and bloodless compared to
the magnitude and the cool atrocity of this
slaughter at Fredericksburg. The CORY ghosts
which rose from the plains of Manassas to appall
the Tribune editor into brain fever, and wiring
from his quivering lips trembling confession
of his criminaity, were meek and pacable in
comparison with the terrible, manned and
bleeding phantoms which must now surround
these radical wretches, who exult like ghouIs
over the mangled corpses Of the fallen. The
idea Of representing the disaster at Fredericks-
burg as "a cause for public satisfaction" is
worthy Of fiend. To the radicals, however,
we have no doubt that the news of our rcpulse
was "a gratifying announcement" To them
the battle was but the destruction of few
thousand conservatives, or new sacrifice to
the names of John Brown, their martyred
representative. II is the policy of
the radicals to rejoice over national
misfortunes. Their victories are the defeats o f
the nation Their life is the death of the coun-
try. From the very beginning of this war,
which was caused by their agitations and de-
veloped by their intrigues, the radicals have. in
every possible way, aided the rebellion. Their
object and that of the rebels is identical
The dissolution of the Union and the establish
ment Of an aboltionized Northern republic are
a. much the end of the radicals ambition as is
the establishment Of . Southern confederacy
the dream of the foul traitors who support
JEFF. Davis. The rebels aim their cannon at
our people, and the radicals march loyal men in
front of those cannon and hold them there to
receive the fatal discharge. The waste of loyal