, 1862-03-20

Ihere being no othcf business the tonFen-
ton adjourned.
THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
By John $. c. Abbott.
WASHINGTON, Feb. q, 1852.
To the Editors Of the Evening Post:
There are two parties IN Washington aud
throughout the country, taking somewhat op-
posite views respecting the mode Of conduct
ing this var. The one party is anxious still
to cen.ilate the South, and not strike so
heavy rs TO exaspeIate them beyond all hope
Of reconciliation They think that if ne make
very great show Of strength, SO as to con-
yince.thcm Of the hopelessness oi their achiev-
ing their object By force Of arms, and if we
can satisfy, them that We are still their
friends and haze no disposition either
their slaves, but On the contrary arc rather
disposed to aid them in holding the slaves in
bondage, VIC may thus regain the confidence
Of the South, and lure them back again into
the Union. Persuasion alone will not do this.
There must be tremendous military display
and some signal victories, to convince tue Sc.
ceders Of the power Of the General Goyerll-
ment. and then, when the prodign1 is stary-
ing among thu swine, ne must meet him with
! th. best robe and the fatted calf 3lsn Of uu-
doubted patriotism and Of high Intelligence
take this view. It is unquestionably, in the
| main, the view taken By Gen. Mcclellan, while
| he is still disposed to push the war with yinor
| for the accomplishment of this end.
There is another party il Washington and
all over T. the country, who take different
serious light. 70 them it is an atrocous and
desperate crime, which has been the sloT
| growth Of years The leaders of the rebel
lion, men Of the highest position in rank,
| wealth and abilities, lave placed upon the Is
sue OF the conflict their earthly ALL With al
most maniacal energy they have Summoned
every TcsonTce at their disposal to dc1no1ish
| the Constitution Of tie United States. Upon
the ruins Of our free Institutions they would
reconstruct another another government,
in the lands Of a 6lave-holding oligar-
chy. This government, like the aristo-
cratic republic Of the Venetian Doyes, would
develop great power, and gradually extend
its sway over all the Middle and Eastern
States. leaving New England outside, helpless
in its weakness and Of necessity tributary to
ment, which could at any time iu1lndate New
England with her armies. They say that It is
q marrial that this plan lad not succeeded.
Many ihfuentcf men iu tho North were in
sympathy with it. Many leading papers were
ready to advocate it. Nothing but the sinful
tancous aud almost miraculous uprising o1
the muses. at the North, after the I'LL Of Sum
ter, checked its career.
4 prominent member of Mr.. Buclsanan's
Cabinet said to me last evening that day after
l
in anguish, alike appalled, BY the eagerness
aud cxn;tation Of the South in the successful
progress Of their plans, and by the apparent
arathy Of the North, which seemed both blind
and deaf.
These men affirm that even now the rebel
lion is i far more fearful reality than many I'M
agfnc; that tho leaders are men of great ad.
minist1ative power, impelled by the eager
! rcss Of despair; that millions Of money arr
yet to be expended in defense of onr country
| 11i ttrreorHc 1f 1fvcS IN IA tarrifraH FThH{
say that this foe is too powerful to be dal1iet
with, and must be asEailed with all, all tht
!; forces at our command I think that thest
: are the views entertained by Secretary Stanton
Had tlese views been cherished by thoss
who had command Of our armies at the com
mencement Of this strife, in their view, it cal
: hardly be doubted that the strife would nor
| hare been at an end. Had the decree bec1
Issued: "Our country is in peril, and e,e,.
. | man who will rush TO its rescue, black or white
! | bond or free, shall be lonored and rewarded,
I the battle would have soon been over
/ am in possession of information whic]
:, allows nc to say, without any fear of contra
diction from any military officer in Washing
Ton, that lad the generals known, as the
e 7so1g Ino4u, what vas the real condition Of til
e rebels ut Manassas last December, there woul
! have been an immediate advance, and the IT
= bels would hare been driven from their strong
: holds in utter Eout Why did We not kuo
: this? The answer to tbs question is very il
$ structiyc.
!, In all Napoleon's wars he found no dificu
Z ty in obtaining the most accurate informatio
1 respecting his foes. he was fighting for th
rights Of the people against aristocratic usurE
atioD. Even when on the continent, the pei
, pie knew, as b. instinct, that he was the
# ing to his camp with intelligence, and read
: to act Is guides. Nov, there were tens
t Thousands Of men in the vic nifty Of Manassa
y many Of whom were white n'cn, and nearl
a1l partially white, Who we're men Of encrg.
and who were our friends, eagerly watchit,
e for our coming. Familiar with every rsvin
n and niorass, and forest path, no earthly poY
IT CT could have kept them from escaping to OF
6 camp il, with intanity almost unparalleled
II the history Of the world, We had not discou
4 aged them from coming.
e Will future ages believe that, under the:
Le circumstances, some OF our generals issue
j. orders not to allow these our friends to ent
our lines? Others, like General Stone, wl1e
l. obe Of these men happened to get within tt
y though rebel against our flag, to ride int
a. OUT camp, and there, under the Stars 81
% Stripes, TO which this patriot had lied foTpr
tcction, to tie rope around his neck and tt
of, dragging him back to bondage As soc
Of as this Wfetcbed victim Of this insane poli'
y was again within the entertainments Of Muna
D. sas be was scourged, as m example to othe
1e 10 beware how fheF carried intelligence to Il
st Stars and Stripes. And then, with lis Bat
1e laceTltCQ VIII tne iaSn 1fCm HfcG TO leels,
m was driven into the trenches to throw up ral
es parts which our fathers, brothers and sol
&c were to attempt to storm, and before which,
N in that awful day Of Bull Run, they were to
ke mown down before the artiuery Of the foe.
We wonder not that French writer has
marked that stsuch mode Of conducting #
&c excitcs the contempt Of every military mar
as Europe And we wonder not that 6
should frown upon such outrages. There =
no necessity Of any general act OF ernanci{
ton; simply the cordial welcome to our Lin
e1- Of every man ready to aid in the defense
e OUT imperled country would have given
that Information which last December woI
~ have placed Manassas and al its stores in o
II hands. Millions upon millions Of money
r. =, have lost by the policy which has been p1
10 Eued, a1d no one can tell how many thousau
~ Of Ealuable lives.