New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-12-19
ACAPECOATs.
favor.

destruction by Hannibal OF her grand army at
Canine, formally thanked the surviving Con-
sui Varro, who had gathered up and brought
away a remnant of that mighty host, that he
had not despaired of the republic, she eyinced
the high qualities which in due season made
her mistress of tie world. When our own rab-
BE- after the shameful defeat and race of Bull
Run, were mised by partly traitorous and partly
enyious press into attributing that disgrace to
the only journal which had promptly, fearless
ly, persistently, exposed and denounced the
mingled imbecity, incapacity, want of heart
aud treachery which led to it, and which could
have led nowhere else, they clearly pre-.
monished long train of disasters and dis
graces to follow. Should History take note of
that cowardly delusioD, it will be difficult to
so deal with it az not to leave dark stain
on the character of our cOuntrymen.
When Gen. Mcclellan was worsted before
Richmond and compelled to seek safety on the
bank of James River, like clamOr was
raised against Secretary Stanton and Gen.
McDowell-a clamOr the injustice Of which ali
now clearly appreheud aud nearly all have ad-
mitted. The very who had struggled
hardest and done most toward having Gen.
Mcclellan reinforced TO the fullest possible
extent, were for a time yebemently and gene
rally denounced as having prerentcd such re-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS it, too, for the basest
and most treacherous ends.
/ A third time have our arms sustained a serious
reverse, but under circumstances which reflect
tie highest credit on our heroes mainly fresh
/ from the plow and the workshop. We have
attacked and failed to carry position which
proved far stronger than our Commanding
General supposed it. The victory which our
army could not have failed to win en- any
tOlerable ground was wrested from US by n
combination of adverse iuiluences-the strait
ened limits Of our own position, the extreme
difficulty of depOying thereirom, and tie immense
strength Of The Rebel position and deitnses.
We have suffered heavy loss in men--dOuOt
less, far heavier than we uacted-5ut ne have
lost nothing else. Darkness closed the unequal
contest with our soldiers facing death aud H.
ficing it, generally in advance Of their posi-.
tons when the struggle began-and there we
remained for thirty hourJ longer, and finally
withdrew as if on parade--quictly, firmly,
proudly, without q Rebel shot moesting our
retreat or Rebel shout to justify verdict Of
victory Not gun, not u caisson, and We be-
lieye not flag remains in their hands to
verify such a claim. And to-day our army
stands watching them defaatly from tho ground
which it held before 1t advanced TO assail
them, aud most anxious that they should re-
turn the compliment by coming over to attack
us. But this they are far too wise to do
Hereupon a concerted howl 10 raised for
the displacement of the present Cabinet, but
more especially for that Of Secretary Stanton
and Gen. Halleck. The eXpediency Of any
such change, we DO not here discuss. simply
because we are without the requisite data
Wherein 10 form an intelligent opinion. II any
one has done wrong, or proved himself one Of
those "augcrs that won't BORE" let him be
superseded, by all means; but not because he
is clamorou.ly aslailed and DETAINED. Those
who raisa the cry are no better informed than
we are; and their assertions Of Gen. Burnside
having been ordered to attack as he did, or 10
cross at Fredcricksbur of ALL are the most
manifest iabriCations or peryerssns. A Gen
eral Commanding who would lead or send
troops TO an assault certain to DO sanguilary
aud oil but certain TO prove a failure, would
lie wholesale murderer, utterly uuft TO live
or 10 die. Gen. Burnside did nothing Of the
kind. lie was doubtless sent in quest of the
Rebel army, and instructed 10 beat it and thus
open the road to Richmond; but he was
never Instructed to fight in particu-
Jar place or Oh specified day. lie is
not the man to accept u command thus ham
pered, an neither the Secretary OF War nor
the COmmander-D-Chi ever dreamed Of thus
Stacking it. lie advanced to fight or drive
the enemy found them, fought but did not
drive them, nor did they drive him.
Ill. attack failed, and bis loss in men
VAS heavy; but no place or plan Of battle
was dictated to him from Washington, nor by
any one outside OF his own Division Generals
and Stat. Had he triumphed, the glory
would have been bis and his soldiers; HE
failure prOycs deficiency Of information or want
Judgment, but it proves nothing whatever as
TO the cXPediency Of replacing or retaining the
Cabinet, the War Minister, or the Generaln-
Chief. Those are matters that stand or fall
On their intrinsic merits, aud over which tho
hoarse cries Of faction and the clamOrs OF a
press al once trimming aud lruculenl should
avert ma Influence whatever
There are doubtless good mud true men who