Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-12-23

FROM the New 1ork Independent, Dec. T.
MI. Lincoln has not had a strong Cabinet. The mem.
bers Of it have not been united in aims and influence
The President has not had the over to maintain discip.
line, nor to give unity and energy 70 its bureaus. The
administration has been loosely thrown together, ineo.
herent 10 purpose and even secretly divided by selfish
aspirations and ambitions, and therefore this govern.
ment has struck rebellion with its open fingers and
palm, and never once with clinched fist.
This has been the vice of the administration. It has
not known its sphere. It has been wasting its time in
studying out problems that belong to another depart
ment Of government, and neglecting the duties that be-
long peculiarly and exclusively to il.
Its business has been TO make war. That has been
neglected It's the duty Of Congress to legislate. The
administration has been studying legislation. The last
session OF Congress was largely occupied in investigat-
Ing the conduct Of the war, in urging its energetic pros
ecution. It was, in other words, striving TO do the bust.
ness Of the Executive: Now, the President, not to be
outdone, repaysi it by laying before it speeulations upon
emancipation, and ciDheTiHg out problems for the year
nineteen haudred and onward.
And 50 we have d message that is full Of wise politi.
cal sPeculations about probable and possible changes
Of society, but containing almo.t nothing about things
as they are-thingg 20 be done nOw-thngs which be-
long to the Presidents duties, as emancipation specu-
lations do not--the things on which the government
depends. We have an army Of 100000 men. We have
lost g year Of campaigns because there was nobody who
had a practical head TO choose the right men for the
right place. Discipline ran down, generals qUarrelled,
and nobody had any skill to manage them generals
were imbecie, disObedient, and fatal to their own army,
and nobody had pluck to remove hem. Battles were
lost by mutinies right in the face OF the enemy, and no
BODY dared to touch the mutineer general; battles were
half fought, ard not followed up the autumn WIS
wasted with Intentional and foolish daIIving by
generals that did not believe IN the policy of the
administration, and meant to defeat it by military pre-.
tnces; and nobody dared to remove them till it was too
late for a winter campaign. A vast army, under 8 new
commander, changes its base, and adopts a new line,
with every f0retoken of victory, when it is paralyzed for
want of help from a department that has been prepar-
ing for war for a year and a half. The Pre- sident hast
ems down to see the general. The general runs back to
see the President. There is one supreme and impera-
tive want, The nation wants somebody that knOwshow
to conduct national business.
We are an intensely practical nation. We are essen
TALLY a wise business DeOple and we have an admins
trstion made up of philosophical dresmers and political
theorists.
The Presidents message is very well in its way. tits
pleasing TO know the opinion Of any intelligent man on
public topics. But President Lincoln was not placed in
the presidential chair to read lectures to Congress on DO
iHcal economy, nor 10 manage = war with reference to
New York politics, nor 10 undertake to draw out on pa
per how we may settle the questions Of the next cen
fury. He is the Executive. He Is not the thinker, but
the dOer. Congress is to think. The President is the
man of Action