Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-11-18


Of General McCleiiaRS Enemies No Battle
s5dt be Fought lntd General Lee IS Rea1g, ETC.
| Special Correspondence Of the Chicago TiuesI
The question is being asked here with some
per,jnscity, Why is is that Richmond las not
been taken during the last eight weeks2 During
thst time, it has been understood that the bulk
Of the rebel army bss been with Gen. Lee, near
] Winchester. Way. then. while Gen. Mcclellan
has been holding Lees army there, has not Gen.
I Hslleck organized an expedition for the capture
| Of Richmoud7 There can be but one aheTna-
| tive: Either we have not got troops enough to
spare for such su expedition (Which is sn idea
not to be eHtertained for a N 1ment) or else the
defenses of Richmond, both 10 troops aud foTti-
icst9ns, are much more extensive than have
been supposed, and this fact is known TO the
4 mlliGsry authorities here. o. no other hypothe-
sis, indeed, can it be supposed that General Lee
would be allowed to keep 10000 troops at Win
chester 10000 at Or near Culpsper, and 40 600
at Gordonsviile.
] Il cannot be supposed for e moment that the
/ rebsl leaders depend upon GaR. Lee or Gen.
Lees army 70 defend their capital. That task is
understood to have bsen committed TO General
| Lo7gstrset, while very different service is e1-
pected Of General Lee. The rebsls must have
very poor opinion Of General Halleck if they
dOubt his ability 20 iute-p0ss enough troops be-
tween Washington and the Blue Ridge 70 keep
Gen. Lees srmy on the west Of those noun
tsins and TO prevent lis getting back to Rich
moud without bringing on q general engage
ment between the whole armies on both sides
Il is the opinion of military men here there
fore, thst an expedition for the capture OF Rich
mond, sent by way of the Peninsula, would
have been successful if properly organized, sad
if it had been set on faOt Immediately after the
battle Of Antislam, or at any time since. BY 2
properly organized expedition is meant, Of
course, a column Of two hUDdFed thousand we'll
drilled troops, snd hset of irOu-csd steamers
and mortar boats. The government has The troops
and the vessels; and there are oficers enough
and willing 10 lead them Why, then, such an
expedition has not been organized at soma time
during the fine weather OF the las! seen weeks
Is an uasXpsined mystery. Is is too late 10 do
il nov. Winter with all It's rigols, is upon us.
The snow here yesterday was near foot deep,
snd the weather was bitter cold. Nature, whose
mandates will net be disregarded, has now laid
an embargo On al military operations, and the
latter must now, Of necessity, be suspended till
spring,
Il is impossible to give you suy adequate idea
Of the CONSERVATION which prevails hers IN OH
cisI circles in consequence Of the results of the
election en- Tuesday Of this week. The Prssi-
dent aud his advisers (sIth the exception OF AI,.
Seward, who knew betteT) had perSistenlly
closed their eyes and their ears TO the revolution
that was moving along in its irresistible course
They foudly hoped sud really believed, thar the
Republicans would carry these elections and
even now they are stuPtfsd with ast5nishment,
aud cannot realize the extent aud consequences
of their defeat. When the President RECEIVERS
from the shock there ls no telling whss may tslIe
plscs, ilr be is at heart an honest man, and
means to do well. l. is his weakness and IL
resolution that csuse all his false steps
Il is reported that be declared before The cleo
ton thst, II It did not result in large Republican
mai j5ritios, he would consider it as d decided
condemnation of the whole course Of his ad-
ministrati01. Toe remark is characteristic; aud
if the President really did say 90, and will acs
upon the declaration, there is yet hope Of good
from his administration. For he WI Of course,
change his Cabinet advisers. aud remodel bis
course, so IS TO make the latter sgree with tue
wiz Of ths country that has been 80 plainly ex
pressed.
But it makes very litte diff renee. really. /
whether be does so or not The c0untry is
Sa5sd,-but not by him, nor his administration
To the Democratic party is owing the salvation
of the country from the imminent peril With
which it was threatened until q week ago Had
the elections resulted differently y--hAd the iutim-
i6aticn so freely used been successful-the cOun-
tTy would ave been given up b despodsm of
which we have already had a flretaste. Gone
would have been the hight Of fee. speech, tie
right Of personal liberty, the right sf being Sc
cure from unreasonable searches aud seizures
and the right of habeas corpus and every other
right guaranteed in the Constitution Nay. it is
not too much to say that the Constitution itself
Was in danger Of being superseded and sbro-
gated.
Tue extremists Of the radicals here have net
- 60 f.g-g Al
was not Only the right. but the duty, Of the
President to disregard the cam0r of tiaid souls
and 70 take into his own hands the supreme
power TO issue 8 proclamation declaring that
TIE government was IL danger Of being ever
thrown By traitors under the name OF Demo
Gratis; and that, in order to circumveut their
designs, the Constitution would be suspended
and remain suspended until the end of the war
and that. in order TO prevent divisions Of council
and useless chickering's and excitement all elsc-
tioEs would be postponed until the war was
over. Such was the counsel given to the Presi-
dent by men of the radical Republican school
The President has shrunk from adopting it up
10 this time But there is little doubt that. had
the elec ions resulted in Republican victories,
be would have been persuaded that such a re-
suit was popular verdict iu favor of the radi-
Gals, and would have adopted their crazy coun-
sells. X.
Special Correspondence Of the Chicago Times
WAsHIEGToN, November 9-Tha untimelv
death of the brave and able Gen. Mitchell has
msterislly dissusnged the plans of the admin
jstratIcn in his military department His recent
failure in the direction of Charleston had been of
great service to him, for it had taught him in
Whist his department was deficient He had
taken steps TO supply that want It is under
stood here that the government was convinced
Of The justice Of the representations which be
sent to them, and that steps were On foot here
to supply him with what he so much needed
But before be was so supplied comes the unwel-
come news of his death
The duty now devolved On the government,
not only to supply that department what they
have promised 30 its lsts head, but also to find
a successor to tho gallant astronomer. Il is
not an easy ihipg to do. There is & powerful
interest at work to eff set the reappointnent of
General Hunter, and it is believed that the Presi-
dent is willing 70 send him, and 50 is the Secre-
fsry Of war. Bat somebody else is not willing.
snd a very influential member Of the Cabinet
has protested earnestly against sending General
Hunter there again. Hs is not the man for the
place. Sill, the chances are row that he will
be ssnt there
The csse Of Comm snder PEBBLE, Of tbs navy
strikingly illustrates the remarks I made IN
recent letter in regard 10 the unjust and capri
cious dismissal and restoration of Off GERS of the
army and navy. This gentleman, whose ser
vices to the country have been far greater than
those OF Mr Lincoln, and extend back for Sc
ries Cf years. is dismissed 5y the latter in fit
of e.pncs, without the slightest opportunity be-
ing given to him to make bis defence When
the facts in this case come to be sscertained it
will be found that Com. Preble did al in his
power with the means at his disposal and ne
elected nothing that he could have done. The
Darty to blame in the transaction Is the Secre-
tary Of the Navy, through whose neglect the
blockade, not only Of Mobile, but Of Charles
ton aud several other ports, hss constantly been
violated, and continues 20 be violated yet II
any one ought TO be dismissed, be is the msn.
There will be great csmor, ia short time,
when it is sscertsined that our army will have
TO 90 into winter quarters Without forcing the