Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-07-16
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tal-Seeretary Saaions Rigid and Mistake
Rerime-Hs ReSHltS-RHmoTS Stai Rife
Special Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial
WAsHtSGToE. July AT last the great tes
Of the country has come Three hundred thou
sand more men for the acar' With what a fear
fu significance are these few little words freight
ed. Three hundred thousand more lives to b,
staked on the establishment of the principle iha
we are government and not an anarchy. Thre,
hundred thousand more living arguments {,
prove that secession is an aceuIsed heresy, to bt
put down by this generation, and not left K
postsrity to settle And who doubts the exped
ency or the wisdom of settling it forever now
To establish beyond all future quarrel the
equality Of man aud the indeteasible right Of
the majority to rule, would be eheaply pur-
chased at the loss of a million lives, and the re-
motess ages of postelity would applaud US for
the sacrifice
The proclamation was made public here ST
about / o'clock last night, af.er which it was
sent over the wires to all parts Of the country.
To say that it was received with enthusiasm
would be fer from truth. Nothing like the eager
response which attended the first proclamation
for 10000 men, fourteen months ago, il looked
for. Rather Is it a deep solemn paUse-almost
fearful in its meaning-Which tells not Of lack Of
decision, of csurage, nor of determination to
strangle az ali hazards tais foul Iebeihon--5 5U
of an earnest, determined anxious demand that
these new offerings On the shrine of country
shall be better used than in the too disgrsceful
past.
Last night was nighto of gloom in tho nation
al capital. In high official and military circles,
mems faces wore serious and anxious look,
while all over the city, the discussion of what is
now generally believed the reverse sustained by
BIcClsllan at Richmond, was alteTnated with
confident rumoTs Of foreign Intervention, aud
agitation of the all-absorbing queston-what
nextl Meanwhile, in the midst of all this ex'
citing suspense, the continued, obstinate reti-
cence-nOw lasting five days and nights--ot
the War Department, adds to the excitement
and discomfort to an incredible degree. II there
is one man in the nation more unpopular at this
moment than any other, that man Is Secretary
Stanton His " tight rein over the newspa-
peTs, which even the President refuses to relax,
is seen and felt by the whole people to be wan
ton and ineXcusable aggra7aton of the difficult
ties under which the government labors. 1t il
pretended that the object is to keep any intelli-
gence of the real result at Richmond from reach
ing England by the next steamer. Bat this is
to leave England like our own people, to infer
The worst and bloodiest defeat of the national
arms. That is to give every semi sec9ssiOuistin
the North a carte blanche to croak his version Of
the tale in the ear Of the British public, through
the facilc friends of the London Times, uncon-
afflicted by any official version whatever
The letter to the President from the Govern
oTs of eighteen States IS understood to have been
the product of a consultation between the Presi-
dent, tie Secretary of State aud other members
of the Cabinet, in conjunction with eminent men
from various parts Of the country, and to have
been at once assented to by the high offi.ialS
whose names it bears. 1t may, or may not be
indicative of a new policy in the conduct Of the
war No doubt is entertained here that one
leading object of the call at this time is to pro-
duce a wholesome effect abroad The remAka-
bic absence Of the names Of Governor Andrew,
of Massachusetts,, aud Governor Sprague, of
Rhode Island, is attributed 10 their refusal 20
pledge their States to furnish any more men TO
be sacrificed in such a style Of warfare as has
too generally been pursued, and which consists
in unlimited indulgence and tenderness toward
rebels, and unlimited hard labor and sacrifice
and expenditure on the part Of the loyal army.
SIGMA
July 4-The impenetrab,e and cloudy veil
which covered the facts of the recent terrible re-
verse near Richmond is at last lifted, and the
country knows q part, at least, Of the sad his
tory OF defeat. That it is defeat, unaccompa-
MED by disgrace, and at least as severe and
bloody TO tie rebels as to ourselves, is the only
matter of congratulation now discerni5le to your
correspondent. The details Of the almost IN
precedented conflict are, in great part, before our
readers, and no commentary can add to the har-
rowing and breathless interest with which they
are deyoured Bat the intense aud oYeGbearng
persistency with which the policy which led
to this result IS attacked on the one side, and
defended upon the other, demands word of
notice.
And first as to the great question of reinfo,ce-
ments to Gen. Mcclellan. That none were sent
in time to save him from falling back from be-
fore Richmond is unquestionably true; but that
the means existed to reinforce him to any cOLsid-
cradle extent from this quarter is wholly untiue.
Washington was stripped of sll but half dJzen
regiments, to swell McClellan's army on its de-
paIture hence for York river; nor have sgbse-
quent lcvies or transfers recruited to any consd
erable extent this small force. Were it not for
the sTmy corps now under command Of Gems.
Mcdowell, Banks and Sigel, the way 70 the
Federal Capital would be wide open to the reb-
els and if McDowells force-the only consid-
erable one out Of there then,-had been sent 10
the support Of McClsllsn, as urged and expected
by him six weeks ago, it is tolerably certain that
the rebels would have willingly exchanged their
Capital of Richmond for Washington. They
would have known, far better than your readers,
the utter weakness Of the force left in defense
of the Federal city. Their allies and cosd utoTs
here, who still luTk in Bwarms about the city,
would have taken good care to furnish them
with the information, and the rebel raid upon
Washington, at time when jackson drove
Banks out of the Valley of Virginia, is now
known to have been designed, from captured
dispatches of their general himself. Nothing
but the menacing strength aud vicinity Of Nc
Dowells army prevented it. It's withdrawal il
rfry ,,I e TUavb
ington open, would have saved Mcclellan, very
likely, but it would very certainly have lost
Washington. Which is the most important, let
the country judge.
Next-as 10 the plan of Gen. Mcclellan him
self. 1t IS known here beyond controversy, thai
the circuitous and protractsd route of approach
to Richmond ria Yorktown was wholly Gen
McClellan's own. 1t was disapproved by al
Least four Of his ablest generals of diYisiOn-by
the msj0Tity Of military men-by the Secretary
of War; and by most Of the Cabinet. Bat be
was sustained by the President who insisted
! that he should have his way, and chance fol
fair trial. Now that he has failed, it is at
tempted to throw sll the responsibility upon the
/ failure of the government to reinforce him. But
who rendered it necessary thathis 1901 600 troop:
should be augmented to 100000 before he could
| attack Richmond Who consumed the ninC
weeks of precious time and the thousands O.
| yet more precious lives in getting the army o
the Union in sight Of that rebel stronghold
VINO caused the long delay that enabled thc
rebels to concentrate three armies at their seat o
power, thus far outnumbering any force that We
had there to oppose them? Why was the
| flower of our army confined for weeks in the the
marshes of the ChickahOminy, until compelled
by an overpowering sortie of the rebels to seeE
| a more wholesome and commanding locality
! If the James river and the gunboats are now
found to be such valuable auxilisries for oul
salvation, why was it not discovered before
General Scott long ago declared that the james
river was the route to Richmond, 'JseauSs ii ,oa!
a heqlHty Touts;" and General Mcclellan wa.
forewarned, months ago, by repeated and ear
nest representations, OF the tremendous hazsr(
he would incur by being caught by the hot sea
son, owing to too long delay, in place froH
which the greater skill and bravery might fail Il
extricste his army.