, 1862-12-22
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

@1As-
The Fredertekshurg massacre-who
is ResPonsib1e2-HoH It was Perpe- |
Strategy of the seeretaTy Of Ststs1A
Next Procia1natioaCThe Doom Of
q Slavery Kentucky Poucy-meas-
nrcs Before Congress-.
xtFrom Our Own Corfespondent.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. II, 1869.
TEE FREDERICKSBURG DISASTER.
Nearly six months ago left Washington
enehrouded in gloom on account Of the Chick
ahominy reverses, ut that time denominated
''changc Of basc.n return to find it plunged
in deeper gloom, occasioncd BY another dis
aster, the product Of more dep1oruble blum
dcring than ever before overlook the brave
army Of the Potomac. It is brave army.
The yalor Of the soldiers in crossing the Rap
pahannock and rushing upon these fiery bat
teries is only equa1ed in degree by the inca
pacity Of the General who gave the enemyno-
tice Of what was intended, and then waited
until he was fully prepared to meet and hurl
back the assailipg force. Upon whom does
the responsibility Of the repu1se and the car
mage rests can only answer that the Wash
lngton public are nearly unanimous in point
ing to Gen. Hal1eck as the directing head Of
the entire Rappahannock campaign. Yet it
is not certain that he ordered the crossing at
that particular point, or that he directed IN
assault at the particular time and place when
and where it was made. Whether he or Gen.
Burnside be the guilty party an awful crime
has been committed, ardieh must 6eexpiated.
/ Fault-fndfng with ones friendsi is not pleas
ant, yet the dead and wounded Of the Freder-
lcsburg nights, and the stricken heart of the
naticn, demand redress for the past and above
all, security for the future. Theflrst question
to be asked in the premises is: Why vas the
only point chosen, for crossing the river and
attacking the rebels, which they were able to
defend with the most amazing resourcts2
Why was that point chosen, which General
Burnside had seen fortified day after day, even
to the number Of guns placed in position, and
the number Of cubic yards Of earth cxcayatcd
for our destruction? The Rarpahannock was
| no wider or deeper few miles above or a few
| miles below Again: If the Rappahannock
could be crossed bg bold dash Of q few hun
| dred Michigan and Massachusetts volunteers
| last FIiday, after the rebels had got their
forces concentrated, ,and the works constructed
why could it. not have been done two
| weeks earlier, while they were feY
in numbers and comparatively defense.
1ess3 In word, why was every maxim o1
war and every grain Of common sense set al
defiance in an attempt to accomplish thing
utterly impossible on its face, where halt 8
| million Of soldiers would have been as power
| less as one hundred and fifty thousand
Where was sigel with his flank attack, whicf
everybody said he was executing, because ev
crybody knew he ought be doing it? He #.:
.obeying his orders, and that was not ono o
them Where was Banks whom nine -tenths 0
| The people believed to be coming up on th'
rear Of Richmond, because they knew b.
ought to be? Gone to the Gulf Of Mexico
| executing the orders Of his superior.
/ GEN. BAsKs' EXPEDITION
Turning from one sad affair to another, th
next most important question relates to th
Forney's Press about the Chowan River and
movement On Petersburg, WAS exposed By tn
fact that Gen. Banks had taken twenty y-six Sc
going steamers, not one Of which could &c
Sound Gen. Banks has undoubtedly gon
to New Orleans to supersede Gen. Butler
There are only two harbors in the Gulf whic1
he can enter-New Orleans and Pensacola
He must be destined for one of these, and h
will probably turn up at the former plac
by Grant and Porter. If the forces now pre-
ceeding southward from Cairo arc not sutf
clent to capture Vlcksbnrg, reason sat1sfat
tory to Western people may be found. 70
sending thls new army to cooperate froi
below. But it now looks us though goo
officer had been sent with q powerful arm
from place where he was needed, to suppressed
| another officer with whom the country wa
well satisfied, and to land his forces whe1
their utility would be at least doubtful.
MIR. SEWARD AS 4 sTRATEG1sT.
General Banks expedition is in reality III
SeWard's expedition, and although Mt first OF
posed By General ualleck was finally assente
to BY him, Mr- Seward has not given up til
idea Of putting down the rebellion by Titcl
craft. General Buffers administration Of a
fairs at New Orleans has shocked his mors
nature, beside getting him in trouble with th
! secession French Consul It would not do
send Banks to New Orleans without an arm,
because that would imply censure upon hill
as we'll a6 Butler But, while Banks and hi
! men are greatly needed in Virginia, and Will
Butler is, in the estimation Of the countF,
equally needed at New Orleans, there is muc
: and cool determination Of Banks Place hil
anywhere and he will do well. Put e., 5,N
! troops at his back and he will find an cneH
for them to punish. Let him feel solid grouu
: under his feet and he will soon make It ecl
to his trump.
i WHAT Is TIE RENEDYs
. The general aspect Of affairs in the East
considerably worse than it ever was befor
!: The news is current to-day, but not contirmt
7 By any authentic advices, that General Bur
4 sides army is dcmoFalized, and everybody
. prepared to believe it. Some say that the SC
diers demand the immediate removal of H.
p 1eck. That also has an air of probabiit
ing Oh Washipgton-that being the climax
0 all campaigns in Virginia. Not few q
: looking apxiously to the West to finish Il
= var. # there be any comfort to be gott.
I from the military Situation ii is there. tt
+ The armies Of Grant and Rosccrans mu
# win, or the prospect before us "
be dark indeed. But is there 10 remedy
= the grand series Of crimes and blunders
r the Potomac? There ought to be. Place
nlaa atthe head Of oMr armies THO bf1ienes tn
Il our canse is right. Let that experiment
tried. For twenty months have we entrust
the direction Of military affairs to men wh
like Buell., didn't know what the war "
Is about.n Despite the thunder clap which f
s. upon Major Key some months since, his pl
J. cy still Teigns at headquarters. The lit
- loins. Undoubtedly he would like to succee
ID hut he has no more heart In the var than
70 has in the Chinese rebellion or the wars Of Ini
"a pendent Tartary. Therefore he never n
~ succeed. When he gave the order "not
g. let the gunboats 60 higher than Clarksvills
let Commodore Foote achieve the credit
e. taking Nashville he allowed Sidney Johnst
Al to escape with his whole army from BOWL
Green. And still later, rather than let Gra
IL acquire any further distinction after Don
n son, he put the clamps upon him at Pit
e. burgLanding and held him fast till Johnst
~ was well nigh ready to overwhelm him. VT
le cared he for the country aud its cause the
st Yet, after everybody else has been hroue
to account, the responsibility comes upon
head of the President. While the couni
~ does not expect the President to furnish fri
=: his own brains the requisite skill for the N:
IL agement of military operations, it does
IS, quirc that he shall sumnaarily dismiss and
ke pose every incapable whose incapacity
proven as Halleck's is. Since the world
gan success has been held the true test
military merit There can be no other te
IL Gen. Hal1eck has failed miserably, bringin
m great calamity upon the country, and
Of direst distress upon the President and
a. friends. Will he be removed? I think
will not hold his present position ten d.
longer, and there is a high probability that
retirement will be followed or accompan
BY important changes in the Cabinet.
n. TIE PROCLAMATION OF JAsUARI i, 1868.
ag The proclamation Of freedom to all sla,
lie in rebel States and parts Of States, which
President promised should be issued on
1st Of January next, seiz surely conc. Whe
er victory OF defeat be our portion, Mr. I
coin is firm on this point. For this, all tha,
and all praise. If there be any reward
doing right we shall reap and taste it. {
o1 very, as L political power in the nation,
ea doomed and damned, for even though
~ " next Presidential election should be carr