Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-08-07
MILITARY CRITICIsMs.

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Falls, on Tuesday Of last week:
"Several calls were made for Col. Stoughton
and, in obedience thereto, he made his appear
ance on the platform, when he was greeted with
the most tumultuous applause. He briefly de-
picted the state OF affairs on the Peninsula and
ascribed the blame of all our defeats to the
radicals at Washington, intimdting that If the
army could hdUe reached Congress ate, the
Richmond fight, they ,oould haze made short
toork of that abolition neSt."--Bello,cs Falls
Argus: July 81.
"Capt. T. A. Barker and Col Sloughton were
also present, and were called upon for speeches.
| They were fresh from the battle field, and re-
ceived with nnbounded applause. A portion Of
their remarks were devoted to bitter denuncia-
tons of Mr.. Chandler of Michigan, and
sthose of his way of thinking who are not sat
isfed with the management of the Virginia
campaign, which, as yet, has failed to give us
any decisive success."-Bello,cs Falls Times,
Aug. /.
1t is the universal judgment of this commu-
nifty we believe, that since his appointment as
Colonel of the 4th Regiment, Col Stoughton
has discharged the laborious and responsible
d uiies of his position well and bravely; and
none bear more willing testimony in this hehalf,
than those who honestly believed that his youth
fulness, and consequent inexperience, afforded
sufficient ground to fear that he might be de
fcient in that calm self control and mature
judgment, so indispensable in those who hold
the health and lives of their fellow men in their
hands. But all such fears have passed away.
He has fully justified, in his military career thus
far, the high expectations of his friends, and
has happily disappointed the fears of those who,
for the reasons above recited, were less conf
dent of his success. Thus far, we'll
But in our judgment Col. Stoughton did
neither well nor bravely, and not even decor
ously, when, -holding commission in the SER
vice of the government, he SO far forgot him.
self rs TO utter the sentiments attributed to
him relative to those in authority over him, and
especially relative to that branch Of the gov
eminent, upon whose will and authority the
army depends for its very existence. Is il in
deed true, as has sometimes been asserted, that
a spirit of INSTRUMENTATION has been systematic
cally cultivated or ostered in the army of the
Potomac, until it has come to be considered al.
lowable to contemplate even, the violent over
throw of the civil government Has it come
to this, that Congress-the repository of nearly
all real power under our frame of government
is to be threatened and b1lled, and be be-
spattered with foul epihets, by military officers
of high or low degree, because, forsooth, they
decline TO shout peans, in advance of victory,
TO this or that military leader Such q spirit,
if it exists, will neither preserve republicansm
nor win victories.
In denouncing the abolitionists-a class, by
the way, who, whatever their former sins, now
stand almost to a man shoulder to shoulder with
the loyal hosts of the North in support of the
President or government-Col Stoughton sim.
ply follows the lead Of the unthinking crowd,
who mistake slang phrases for argument. He
should be capable of something higher and bet
ter. Col. Stoughton did, and probably still does,
claim to be Democrat; yet he, and scores
like him, have been generously placed in posi-
tons where great emouments are sure, and
high honors s,ay be won, By the official organs
OF party nineteen twentieths of whose men,
bers he now denounces for by the term sab
olitionist," he evidently means, like many of
similar political faith, all who do not love
slavery for its own sake. How far such Ian
guage or conduct COMFORTS with good taste, to
use no harsher term, may be safely left to the
more sober reflection Of Col. Stoughton him.
self to decide. 1t is exceedingly fortunate that
these evidencies Of youthful indiscretion crop
out in his oratorical rather than his military eff
forts.
A word in general. While we have been
exceedingly careful to publish nothing which
might seem to reflect injuriously on any general
in the field, we have been panied to discover
a disposition in certain quarters to dragon
and bully the public into exclusive admi-
ration and laudation of some particular general,
and that, too, in the face OF defeats, and of
hope deferred which maketh the heart sick.
This is both unwise and unpatriotic. True
merit is sure to be discovered and rewarded by
a generous and grateful people; while no am
cunt of bullying will buoy up for any consid-
cradle length of time either an unfaithful or
incompetent leader. The people cannot be
forced to admire and glorify any man, but they
will surely enshrine in their heart of hearts him |
who will bring deliverance to this sorrowing
land, be he Democrat, Republican, Wing or
Abolitionist! Let us cease, then, to wrangle
or fight for the reputation or glory of this or
that man-these will take care of themselves
but let us rather unitedly spend and be spent,
if need be in fighting for the salvation and
glory of the nation.