The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-06-17
OUR GEN ERALS.

We have often noticed with surprise and morti6ca-
tion the attacks made upon leaders in the field
for what the thousands of grumblers and faufnders
are pleased to term their ineciency and tardness If
ajudicious retreat is made, some would -be-SolOmon
predicts our ruin, and frghtens some of the women
and children in his immediate nghborhood by crying
"All is ostP If one of our Generals does throw
himself, with small army, upon FIVE times his force
of the enemy, strongly entrenched he is held up by
these grumblers a coward. If some General, by
accident, gets into position where the only
left him is TO strike overwhelming enemy, and is
worsted, he is at denounced incompetent and
indscreet. This is all wrong 1t ought to be remem
bered that man do his duty in the field whose
reputation is thus between hawk and buzzard at home
1t may be that many of insubordnate officers are
incompetent This is almost inseparable from an
army organized is But nearly, if all, our
general officers thoroughly efficient and should be
obeyed aud supported.
In reading Macaulay's History of England, few
days ago, struck by paragraph bearing
exactly this point His words should be remem-
bered drops of wisdom from one of Englands most
giant iuteects.
The Duke of Monmouth, among the English and
Lord Argyle among the Scottish exiles upon the Con-
tinent, during the forepart of the reign of James
II, got up expedition against the tyrant, and pre-
pared for descent upon England. They landed upon
the shores of Britain. Monmouhs adheren;= rallied
around him by thousands did likewise the follow
of Argyle But jealousy. sprung up between the
Scots and Britons. The of the other were
alternately applauded condemned. The result was,
that Argyles expedition proved miserable abortion
Not because there was not suthciency of nen ans
material, but simply because ault-hndng had posi-
lively Iaken all command and authority out of the
bands of the leaders. Upon this Macaulay remarks
follows, VOL |, p. 400:
But of all the discussions by which the little band
was distracted, the most serious that which arose
! between Argyle and portion of his own followers.
Some of the Scottish exes had in a long course OF
opposition to tyranny, been excited into morbid sta tie
| of understanding and temper, which made the most
inst and necessary restraints nsupportahe to them
They knew that without Argyle they coald do nothing.
They ought have known that, unless they wished to
headOng rnu, they must either repose full con-
fdrnce their leader, relinqnish all thoughts of
military enterprise Experience has fully proved that
in every operation from the greatest to the small
lest, ought be under the absolute direction of
mind and that every subordinate agent in his degree
ought to obey implicitly and with the show of cheer
fitness, orders which he disapproves Of hich tie
kept from him Representative
bies public discussions and all the other checks by
which, in civil affairs rulers restrained from abus-
| ing power, out of place in camp. Machiavel
justly imputed many of the disasters of Venice and
Florence to the jealousy which led those republics to
interfere cih cUeyy Of their Generals. The Dutch
| practice of sending to army deputies, without
whose consent no great blow could be struck, was
| equally pernicous. \ If men determine to try
| the chance of war they WILL if they wise entrust
to that plenary authority without which cannot
be well conducted. 1t is almost certain that, if they
withhold from him that authority, their enterprise will
| end like the enterprise of Argyle
| Let be careful that do expose leaders
to the fate of Argyle and Monmouth Detracticn and
lost Sydney Johnston; and is it possible
that will disregard the teachings of both history
| and experience? We fighting a tyrant than
James II but it is greatly to be feared that the habi
tudes and impotence of our people under restraint
may cost unnecessary blood and treasure and put
off the ultimate doom of the Lincoln despotism. We
| have too many newspaper, street-corner and paror
| Generals, who wiser in their concets than
| seven who render reason When will they
| learn that ignorance is tolerabe only when it is
| silent
| TRUE GRIT.-The ladies of New Orleans appear to