The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-05-01
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Yorktown.
General Mcclellan, with his great
army is at Yorktown and has. been for
nearly four weeks. The preparations
for attack and defense arc undoubtedly
on stupendous scale; and the great
results likely to flow from the victory
won or lost, renders the siege of YORK
town the one object which fixes public
attention, and thrills all hearts with the
lliveliest interest. We have thought
that such General as Mcclellan is
supposed to be, at the head of 10000
men, left no room to doubt of the final
favorable termination of this great
struggle. But we must confess our
faith somewhat shaken when the pecu-
liar organs of his command begin to
lose confidence. aoasel es1'ii l.-'i,','.
It is hardly Necessary to remind the
public that. so far as the Rrpublica'a
is concerned, it has had no part or lot
in the discussions concerning General
Mcclellan. We have been so careful
and observative in this matter that we
have even refrained from just criticism
when all the world could see cause for
lit. Knowing our President, and rely
ing on his proved sagacity and patriot
ism, we have been entirely content to
leave him to manage the conduct of the
war as seemed to bim best. But there
is class of journals who have at
tempted to force General Mcclellan up
the ladder of fame upon the shoulders
of our fighting generals, in other parts
of the country. And since he has been
put in position to stand or fall by his
own merits, his trumpeters are quake
ing as it were, in their very boots; and
are laboring to parry the stunning eff
feet of defeat from his reputation.
. Witness the following from the New
York Espress. 6a5
".General Mcclellan, and there is no
use to disguise it, is in tight place, un-
less the navy can open to him James
: river, or York river,-to bring which
about, there must be some dash, some
risk, or else he must return, and,
changing his tactics, first capture Nor
folk before he attempts Richmond.
: Pent up on a swampy creek or river
line of six miles-his superiority OF
force if he has it-avais him little
against continuous and connected rifle
pits, prolonged batteries-rear-gua
by other batteries, so that, as it were,
the work of Sebastopol is before him,
unless the navy enables him to tank
I these pits, and these heavy batteries.
All accounts agree in saying the rebel
, army have fortified this Peninsula ac
$ cording to the highest and latest rules
of war"
: While such reports as the above are
e undoubtedly gotten up for the purpose
;, of creating difference between the
!. President and Secretary Stanton on
: one hand, and Mcclellan on the other
we believe. them to be wholly ground.
less. tits certainly true that the Presi.
dent has withdrawn from Mcclellan a
!, part of his command, and relieved him
t from the chief command. But it is be-
cause he had good reasons therefor
and not as the Democratic papers would
!, have it because the President is jealous
r of his inferior, his servant, and wishes
! to set him out of the way, at the sac
rifice of thousands of lives. Were eli
o Their Generals Curtiss, Pope, Grant
o Burnside, Halleck, Banks, or Fremont
! in General McClellan's place, the coun
try woulk feel perfectly safe; and with
: such an army as is now before York.
: town any one of those Generals would
]. dare the whole Confederate forces tc
o combat; and we are not going to be
u lieve, just yet, but that Mcclellan car
. manage a single division as well as an,
of these. Beside it is perfectly plair
to any ordinary comprehension tina
: Gems. Mcdowell, Banks, and Fremon
are all cooperating with Mcclellan il
"a plan to crush the rebellion in Vir
ginia, and aid in the reduction of York
!. town, and with the large number o
h war vessels that are in the vicinity o
= Fortres Monroe, the York and Rap
: pahannock Rivers, who will not be idle
y spectators of the conflict. With these
e aud with leader who is half Gener
n al, a failure is scarcely possibility.
t. The Tax Bill.
& The last adrices from Washington
IS are to the effect that it is seriously pro