Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-09-19
AND THE FIRE IN HIS
REAR


Of the whole Army Of the Potomac, and that
he has taken the field against the foe the re-
evolutionary radical press open from their
masked batteries calling fie in his rear, for
the purpose OF impairing confidence in his
generalship and loyalty, aud demoralzing and
dsorganzing his troops in the presence of
the foe. What greater crime could be com
mtted againsl the republic than thisf In
what other way could aid and comfort be so
efficiently rendered to the enemy They ac-
cuse the General Of the guilty ambition Of
aspiring to a dictatorship and charge him
with being In league with an unknown num-
Der of unknown conspirators for the purpose
Of usurping the authority Of the government
and overthrowing by violent revolution the
President and his Cabinet Any person who
desires to sec those accusations in detail may
consult the flies of the Post, Tribune and
Times for the last few days In charging
Mcclellan with such designs the writer's
look into their own black hearts, and there
find the treason they would cover up by inn
putting il TO him In the beginning of the
war some Of them openly threatened to su.
persedo the President and appoint dictator;
while others insisted that the rebellious
States had legitimate right to secede, and
ought to be allowed to depart in peace. ac-
cording to the principles Of the Revolution,
as embodied in the Declaration of lndepend-
ence. The development of the martial spirit
of the people and their determination to
maintain, the Union at all hazards soon
caused the radical organs to play a different
tune. They suddenly affected the most ex-
trayagani zeal for the war, and under this
cloak of hypocrisy assaiIed the generals be-
cause they were not going fast enough for
them, the real object Of the attacks being to
drive them off the track and make general
smash, they having treacherously placed OBJ
sttuctlons IN the way, while they camorous-
ly called on the engineer to put on steam.
The first result Of this crooked policy was
the disastrous break down at Bull Run
Gen. Mcclellan was then called upon by the
President, with the sanction of Gen. Scott
and the acclamations of the whole country,
to take charge Of the Army OF the Potomac
and prepare it for victory. Before the organ
ization and discipline were half completed,
the radicals and their organs again clamored
for an onward movement but as soon as
! they found Mcclellan had taken the field and
commenced operations on the peninsula, with
, view to the capture Of Richmond, they new
) er ceased abusing him for the slowuess Of
E his movements, while the stipulated condi-
tions on which he undertook the campaign
were violated by the radical influence in the
Cabinet, his department divided, and the
troops under his command distributed among
several independent generals over whom be
could exercise no control. His calculations
were based upon the co-ope. alton of the 9TH
er generals as well as the aid of the gunboats
in the James river. The failure of the Navy
Department to destroy the Merrimac in time
and its subsequent failure to capture Fort
Darling, delayed and embarrassed his move
ments. The generals with Independent COM
mands in Virginia egregiously failed TO ac-
complish the parts assigned them in the
programme. While Mcclellan successfully
fought his way up to the very suburbs Of
Richmond, driving the enemy before him at
yorktown, Williamsburg, and every other
point where he made a stand, not only did
the Union generals at Fredericksburg and in
the valley of the Shenandoah and Central
Virginia fail to come TO his aid at the critical
moment, at the subsequent battles of Han
over Court House, FAIR Oaks, or the seven
days fight, but they permitted the enemy to
be reinforced with large bodies of troops
which turned the scale Of victory on the
, wrong side. The sound of the cannon at
Hanover Court House was heard at Freder-
oksburg, and yet Mcdowell gave no sign. -
Had the subordinate generals performed their
parts half well as Mcclellan acquitted
himself in the principal role, not only would
Richmond have been captured but the whole
rebel army would have been made prisoners
Of war, and the rebellion would have been
crushed at blow.
BY the failure of others, over whom he had
no control, and by the Indignant influence of
the radicals, his plans we're allowed to fail
: Yet, by his mastery retreat he bafiled the
rebel army in its main purpose, and, iortifJ ing
himself IN an impregnable position, asked for
relniorcements to advance again upon Rich
: mond in cooperation with the gunboats He
t felt that the moral effect OF complete aban-
donment of the peninsula would be highly
injurious, and the moral effect of an advance
- equally advantageous. His opinions were
overruled, and he was compelled to evacuate
4 his position and retreat to Washington in or
der to form junction with the army of Pope,
whose severe defeats we're the result of the
retrograde movement which General McClel-
Ian was forced by the highest authority to
7 make. How did Gen. Mcclellan act on this
t occasionf With an army so attached to him
4 that it was in his power to have created "a re-
volt against the government, he calmly and
silently submitted to the order of his supe-
rior, however much his judgment might con
denim 1t. Such was his respect for the con-
1 shtuton and for law and order lie effected
, his retreat from the James river to Alexandria
without the loss of a man or a dollars worth
OF the property of the government. He was
now deprived Of the whole of his army, with
the exception of ninety men and thirty-fve
"contrabands' though earnestly asking in
vain to be allowed to take part in the battles
at Manassas, and do what he could to stem
the torrent Of retreat. Did he now retolt
against the authority of his superiors SO
far from It he again submitted in silence. And
when, in consequence of the failure Of other
generals in the field, the capital was endan-
gered by the advancing foe, flushed with vic
tory, crossing the Potomac into Maryland and
threatening Pennsylvania, to whom did the
government and the country turn in that dark
hour? To Mcclellan. Mr.. Lincoln fell back
I upon him as the anchor of hope in the COM
+ ing tempest, and he was appointed to the
( command of the whole army. From the mo-
, ment the appointment was made known to the
foe his boldness was checked, and he was com.
{ PEELED to look out for his 'bases of supply"
$ and Zines Of retreat" From being conf