The New York herald., 1862-04-10
GEN. AAllfcks OPINION Of GEN. MCCLELLAN.
Our Cairo Correspondence.


CAEo, ILL.,, April4, 1862.
The Dear0 @ Ne0s Lbst Casro-Isteyeaing Conversaos
Wsh General Halleck-Hts Optsien of General Nc
Cs'an-7As Reasons that Influence Success IN is Var
The Careful Strategy of kcCzsAn-TAe Deeds ft< Army
ofhe Wea-Haueck and AeClellaN agreed in Pr1asci-
pls-Presens DesOlae Appearanoe OF Cdire-HaaaA ef
TIE TNm-Austc Of the Bxllfro9s, &C., dc.
The dsarth Of hereabout il getting truly deplora
ble No fights, advances, retreats no nothing TO
vary the dull monotony Of camp and shpbosrd life.
In coAvsrsation with gentleman from st. Louis last
night, learned things that must confess were
70 mo, and think the idea will be to the
public generally, and - In presenting IL shall not
transcend the rules laid down for the of the
press will endeavor to jot IL down. The gentleman
ferred to know TO be personal friend TO General
Haleck and shares much Of that sterling officers favor
and confidence. Hence weight will be attached to what
he says such does not to the sayings OF ord
nary Iwould like 10 gvehis name that the public
might the moro readily comprehend the reason why
assign much paper TO the chronieling Of bis ideas.
The turned upon the operations Of the army
here and elsewhere. l asked
"what 10 General Halleck's opinion Of General Nc
Clellans'
"Sir said my friend "i have heard General Halleck
say in substance repeatedly that hs considered the
military Skill science and penetration Of General Nc
Cloan second to that of living that whatever
had been done In the West and elsewhere but the
carrying out Of McCleans great plan Of the war that
the general idea Of each and every Of these
tho fruit Of his foresight and knowledge Of and
Its appliances and that Mcclellan had rough hswn the
whole work and only left the finishing touches 10 the de-
partmsut and division commanders"
This coming SO direct from General Halleck, led
to push my inquiries still further. asked:-"Csn you
give any reasonable solution to the mystery that hangs
70 heavily the operations OF the army on the Po
tomacf
He replied:-'I cannot explain anything; but may
advance ideS 10 you that received from General
Halleck not month ago. In conversation with him
made nearly tho nterrogatory you have just pro-
pounded TO mo- and tho Generals answer 10 must be
yours. II IL this, as near in his own words as
I can repeat them This ID . war In which suecsss
rests upon considerations that do not generally
enter into mems calculations. You that the
rsvoltsd statos occupy vastly different geographical
position from the loys Health, incident 10 Gle
mate food, water, habits &c. II 40 different in the two
sections could be conceived Of that Of two distinct
tons. Certain hysienic principles to be studied in
carrying campaign well a. the external ap-
piances Of else disaster and defeat will follow. An
army must be sound physically well patriotic.
Ensrvaton, prostration and climatic maades must DO
avoided possible. Now tho seeded States cmi-
nenty unhealthy during certain portion Of the year.
The months Of August September and October those
during which the tropical diseases rage which fear
ly decinae the native population and the more
generally carry off those haDuatcd to different cmo
The yellow fever RACES through the South periodically
every three years and as that malady has not
appeared during the last two may naturally DO
expected this year. In visv Of this state OF well
tabshed facts farseeing general would try to devise
means 10 avoid the consequences. If Northern army
should be marched southwark TO the Gulf shore during
the sickly months, and should here be attacked by
maadac foe and cut off by sickness and tropical ennu
the sxecraons Of nation would be vented upon gems
raj who would thus expose his troops Hence becomes
necessary do what is 70 be done in tho extreme South
early in the year. Tho Southern Atlantic coast the Gulf
States and the Southwest must DO during
son OF comparative healthfuness Rebellion must be
crushed out and rebe troops driven back 10 the cooler
regions Of the mountains Of North Carolina, Western
Tennessee and Southern Virginia during thnt wheu
nature favor OF, instead Of against, ar aguj
then, hsmroed in by Ovsrpo"erirg tcf, ts
my:fknst fail-it is inevitable. Nov, c'd9 30 cir.
cumstaness, II is not hard to see NJ . ,mmand-
Chief should exert him III to Du.k Of
ensmys army in positicr hero he can al tho proper
time strike death blow Tia more surely. the flower
OF the rebel army BE- caxed to remain atManassas or
north sf Richmond. % much OF its strength is wasted
tcnd against d victories the certain. Tie
Western army clears the great Valley Of the Mississippi
Of secesso the Gulf squadron reestablshes the
stuton the populous cities Of the South the Roanoke
and BEAUFORT forces pushed inward and northward
and rext autumn whom the sickly season approaches,
all ontly driving the rebes back TO the locality
where IRISH army Of loyal mon are waiting tc receive
them, in a country whero Southron has DO advantage
over Northman Thcn comes the great decisye action
q. tho campaign. The Union troops, flushed
with constant victory, meet those disp!rtci
by con- ant Ievsrses. Who doubt the resultY
On the other hand will suppose that the Command
Ing General and tho War Department yield TO the
camcr OF those who only seek for carnage regardless Of
consequences and order an advance upon Manassas
Richmond. The result would be simply to drive the
rsbes away to come other point, where they would
make second stand, and third fourth, each time
leading tho federal troops farther and farther away
from the localities ofiheir acclimaton, and into more
sure and terrible mortality. Ne; let Mcclellan work.
Let him keep tho rebels concentrated ~ far north
possible aud keep rebel forces from coming farther
south, and next carly In the autumn .
dcnoucmeut will which will justify the present ap
parent inactivity Of the army Of tho Potomac If the
enemy shall retreat. let General Mcclellan advance TO
their positions; not let him remain in sot sso until
hs u ready 70 make every shot tell its most against
lroason.'"
There are thoso at the wes-csrtan Ti5ne-ated indi
vduas and clques-who will pot :: this theory, and
laugh st the philosophy, srct at It's humanity, and
Affect to doubt ito reasonaheao mon no will howl a.
every breath for an "advaaes up Riohmoud,p though
!, cost the life Of every Union soldier In Virginia
But, thank God, their number is small, and
llsir calbrs easily measured They are OF the genus
neseipaobi,' properly defined by wcbstsrpsoplc who
she'd great Of the wrongs Of snquasd
Afriqus, Inflicted BY tho juve, 10 Amoricu; men who
preach long hoses upon humanity and general
Tor fool because he will not sacrifice the chivary Of the
nation upon 49, u their negro mania. suppose
you have y such people at "a East
Cairo BE-. ms TO 4 ri Of Neapoitsn look, any.
thing but agreeable to the sye and no odors that salute
lhs ofactorcs fascinating as nitrous oxide.
one half VI tho sntro surface Of the town plot u
now uudor water tho streets impossible except for
hnats. tho wooden aidewalks are loatirg around In