, 1862-09-06

a Nedr 08o-Qur army 61je behind the Fort1-
fcations-MeDo1oe1ps M.s,nanagenac7at- /
Arnv .Factions-Whot is TO be the ResahS
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribune1
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Sept. s. 1862.
You say truly in your Mondays issue, that
"the war IN Virginia has now boxed the COM
pase," Your remark Is truer to-day than it
was when you penned 1t. For to-day our
army occupies the same camping grounds BE-
hind the fortifcations that protect the capital,
which it occupied last year; to day Gen. Nc
Clellsn commands all the troops massed for
the defense Of Washington, that is, all the
troops in Virginia, as he did a year ago, con-
stituttng an army properly to be called the !
army Of the Potomac, as the old one was called |
before it earned new name in the swamps Of !
the Chickahominy; and to-day Gen Mcclellan |
occupies the old headquarters, next to secre-
tary Stewards house, and shaded By the tree
that witnessed the shooting OF Key BY
Sickles. t'Eye1ythlng is as it was" chirped,
with glowing countenance, youBg captain
yesterday, who forms q part Of the stad-the
only portion OF the army, by.the-by, which
has returned from the Peninsula in better
health and strength than When it went tblther.
"EverY1hingI' = 'Everythingl' and the hap
py youth smiled In lis innocent JOY z Gen.
Mcclellan be relnstated, what matters 1t what
becomes Of the Republic ?-not that this "as
many dEvotees of the young Napoleon act as
though they were OF this opinion
We have boxed the compass in Virginia;
hut have you not rather more than boxed it
in Kentucky?
an sill unable to say whether the rebels
are to capture Washington Or not, or whether
they mean to invade Maryland and Pennsylva-
Lila. Our army is safe behind the Notifications
from immediate danger, suppose, and it
ought TO be able to msrch on the radius ofthe
circle 10 any point threatened, In as little time
as the rebels require to 60 around the circuu1-
| ftrence. ] hope this, bpt do not feel conf
| dent Of it: since the rebels may already be in
Maryland, without the knowledge Of our
watchful generals. As write battery Of
| filing artillery is just passing up Fourteenth
| street, with ammunition and baggage wagons
aud herds Of cattle are going in the sane di-
| reciion.
I have talked with not few officers and
civilians who have come from the front since
the battle Of Saturday, and flnd that they
are almost without exception, very little
against Gen. Mcdowell, to whom the soldiers,
almost to man, if these Witnesses may be be:
lieyed, ascribe the disaster which closed the
week and, as the rebels. their sym pathizers and
some fAinthearted loyal men profess to think,
| LIE WIT &Ab0. LIE Ulel1hG u 11EDuNt4l IL
the army before was strong enough, hut the
recent events have intensified it exceedingly
| Ii, is not confiued to the pr1yates and su oor
dtDate officers, but is shared by such men a
Sigel and Hein.ze'man, who speak most bit
1er]y Of McDo~elrs mismanagement. Ther,
can be little doubt that the same want O.
confidence in his generalship which. con
: tributed in no small degree to the panic ant
, rout at Bull Run on the memorabl
e1st OF July, contributed to 1hos
Saturday. II this be SO. it Is only
fresh exemp1i1cation Of the truth whic
: all military history establishes, that the grea
: test Of generals merit is success or lailure
S ard that government which does not alWaY
q and under ell circumstances reward the fol
? ner and put ish with terrible severity the la
l ter, can never yarq qnish its foes. We have n
: right to complain that we have been unable
e find great general, unless We eau show thi
:, the proper means have been taken to fln
i him. So long as officers are continued
command, on any grounds but that Of proTe
other considerations are allo~ed to weigh
J. farthiDg, the btur will lie vainly groping LII
Dlogeues, lantern In hand, for Its man.
ls a strong band>and strong head are aIs
o needed by the executive Of this republic
Le repress The army factions which prevail to I
- alarming extent. Staff officers who rehe
, their chiefs, never weary Of pralslng them
u the 6ispraiee of their rivals. Charges Of II
er nest serious character are freely made by Il
pa1tsans of each against others, and the &c
eJal is too frequently thought Of first
t. country second. There is TO one man pra
ticaily COMMANDMENTS chief over all, to say al
le etforce his word that these things must ceas
~ once and for all. begin to fear that if nj
ta,y despctism be nob established upon t
ruins Of the republic, it will be because t
at mau who has the power has not the coura
it or the Trains to do it. Why should We
n. exempt from the fate Of other repueli
u which lived as long and 1onrshed as bray'
IS ours?
have told you in brief, what the situati
il. I,cannot bear to describe it in detail,
On to give the particulars OF the past weeks OF
IN ations. CT to attempt to lift corner OF
mr. veil Of the future. Senators and journal
20 who arrived here this morning say that II
", bad no fdea of the true state Of facts, u
ae- they reached the city. Their faces lengtl
ore as they talk.
~ Aud the worst of it al1 is, that If We fai
putting down the rebellion, we fail with
as having struck one hearty blow for liberty;
Ter, are dlsgraced as well as vanqoishe1-