, 1862-01-16

Fast R4sptnsibslit ty-.Resiyuation Of Secretary j
Cameron ard appointment Of Mr. Stanton- !
Rfaso7sS sSNlfT.Jo1-FuTther changes in The CaJi-
net F'obubtc-'Scc7eta7y Smith and Mi. Co.. :
str, tic.
From our own Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 1862 ::
Within few days past somebody on our
side has been very badly scared. Extraordi- !:
nary Cabinet sessions have been held with Ben .
Wadc's joint committee TO investigate the :
conduct Of the war. The story is, that at the
last meeting Of this kind, Old Ben made two
hours speech, ending by telling all hands that
there was no plan for carrying on the sear, ei1er
in The mind 81 Gen. Mcclellan or anybody ezse
/ am told that no one was more confoundcd
by this revelation than the President. Since
this meeting the town has been full Of rumors
of q change in the supreme command OF the
armies, some authorities assigning it to Gen.
Ha1leck, and others to Gen. Mcdowell. I do
not know that any change is contcm o1ated BY
tie President. He has been so long leaning
on Gen. Mcclellan that he may feel unable to
get along without him. When the time comes
in Which change can no longer be postponed.
let Us hope that the President will select from
among those who believe that this war is right
and just and necessary, and not from among
those, who, up to the 1st Of May, or there
abouts, declared that We ought not to
"coerce' South Carolina, and that We could
not do it Il NC should try. Perhaps Genern1
Mcclellan did nut Eo declare, but that was the
opinion OF his class and Lis party, the Brock
inridgc Democrats Of the North; and it was
more confirmed and ingrained among those
Ihn tnafr 71n1ifirE nf Ta-fp tnf
among any other division Of the party Now
| the generals Of this class either hold to the
same opinions still, that we ought not to, and
| cannot coerce jeff Davis, and arc hence seccs-
| sion sympathizers, or towards, or both; or
| they are scoundrtis and ought not to be trust
ed anyhow. 4 person holding high position
on Gen. McClellan's stuff HES member Of the
| Ohio Legislature, and at the last session Of
that body he opposed the war by speech and
vote to the last extremity. He is just about
| as fit, Judging from his record, to hold COM
mission in our army, as Valiandigham or
Bright, or Bill Hacker, or Breckenridge would
| be-
Let me not do Gen. Mcclellan injustice. 1t
would be idle to assert, and incredible to pub
lish, that he cntcrtaius anything less than the
| most ardent wishes for the success Of our
arms. If we fail, he fails more conspicuousIy
| than :lBy other; the world and postcsity will
write him down the most stupendous humbus
that ever held y military command or ruined a
great nation. Surely he cannot desire that dis
tinction: 1t may oyerfake him, but not by his
| own v0Gtion. suppose tho facts to be about
these: He has upon his shoulders grratcr
responsibility than ever fell to the lot of any
single man except Napoleon Bonaparte- He
isnot L Napoleon Beuapartc In any scnsc. II
wesuppusc him the equal OF one of Napoleon 5
stanee-probably no injustice would be done
him. Not one Of these able and tried COM
nanders would ever have been trusted with
CG0,o00 n:cn. Probably not one of them
to nla1age lalf that number. The RESPONSE
Utility is 50 vast and oppressive that II
might well oycrWllelm u greater HILL
tian Gen. Mcclellan, and take from him
tlc courage with which nature endowed hiul
"A colll,ege which would enable him to fight
four battles and win four victories in as many
days, and to charge at the head Of L division
inlo tic jaws Of death, but which is unequal
to the task Of coolly holding nations destiny
| and risling it upon one decisive blow
| HHH an hour ago 4 batch Of "ulcssayc:
; in writing from the President Of the Unitet
2 States " came into the Senate, speedily fol
lowed By m uncommon brzzfng on the foo
Of that body. Ilearned moment later thar
Secretary Cameron had rendered his rcsigna
F. tion Of the War Department, and that Edwart
N. Stanton, Of Pennsylvania, had been ap
pointed lis successor. went rs speedily a
possible IL tic telegraph otiicc behind the TT
. portcr's gallery Of the House, supposiny 0
course that the news was public iu Tint guar
j. the operator wa5 SO confounlcl that he wouI1
:, not send it. called to my hid reporter for
= New ork daily, and hc was so amazed that Ii
J. only laughed at my credulitg. Finally til
Is operator was induced to send my dispatc
y down to the general Office On Pcnnsylyani
i Avenue, to be conned By the Government cen
i sor. Now the galleries and 1obt3ies, floors
!; ante-cha1nbers and Offices all over the Capitc
=, - are tArobbng with the excitement. Putin
y this and that together, many persons decide
on account of his pronounced anti-slavery pc
II sition, and that, rs it was difficult to find
prominent Republican to take his place, VII
would not hold similar views, j member {
l. his place This theory was quickly dismissed
II as it deserved to be, and all hand
~ fell to discussing the Alexander Cumming
u business, and the other alleged frauds .
the Treasury, finding the cause of the eartl
quake in that quarter. cameron is going
the malicious cncs. Without offering any
H. thing on this point, know that there WAS
- very angry feeling in the Senate both as t
III the Cummings matter and the general waste
4uIHese anu lnCslFiclly u Lie war OLHcc, an
l. that tue feeling would have found expressio
:, at . very early day. It is estimated, for ii
e stance, that the country has lost fJfy miuio,
H. OF dollars in the item Of cavalry lone-eight.
le one regiments Of nearly I, 200 men each, ha7
" ing heen raised and equipped, while the Sc
- vice cali find employment for only twenty-1y
+ regiments at the outside.
lit l am convinced that the slavery question ha
had nothing whatever to do with this change
,r Stanton is very able, and very upright, and
~ ,s7y courageous man. Those who Know lii
intimately say that lie is ut heart Free So
L. Democrat. do not youch for this statement
e. but think there is very good evidence Of i
II Benot surprised to hear next that Caleb T
Smith has retired to give place to Schuyle
Il, Col1ax Dcfout men arc praying for this col
IN summation, and there is q high probabillt
,o that it may take place before many days.
Mr. Smith rctircs he will be provided with
&c place OIL the Supreme Bench.
l. If is runlored that Secretary Welles will n
nj sign, but it is useless to speculate on til:
ulattcr, The President is very much attaclie
to Gideon and believes him to be an hone
man.