Smyrna times., 1862-12-04

obstinately quiet ON the banks of the Poto-
mac, with only the pleasant incident of
second march of Stuart'S cavalry around his
lines, and into the loyal States behind him
Neither the urgent appeals Of the Comman-
der-in. Chief, the personal appeals of the
President (who Inundated himself and the
Nation by soliciting his subordinate to
mOye), nor yet the percmptory orders Of
the Government, were sufficient to rouse
the General to action. And when at the
last hour, Just as the snow began to whiten
the hills, and the rains to soften the roads
and make them impossible, snail-like adj
vance was ordered which in due time dis
closed that the enemy had again escaped,
and that the campaign Of 1862 was over,
After l5 months of time wasted, $780,
000,0 900 squandered, and 900 lives sac
rifced, the incubus which has so long
weighed down the army Of the Potomac.
the Incompetence which has thwartcd it,
and the insnbordination which has demoral-
lied it, all combined i'll the person Of Gen.
Mcclellan, have been thrown off, and the
Nation breathcs freer! A soldier is at last
ct the head of our gallant army. Burnside
in the East, and Rosecrans in the West re-
vive the hope OF the people They succeed
to responsibilities not their own, under cir
cumstances Of greatest difficulty But they
are patriots rs well as soldiers Neither
their associations nor their sympathies have
been with traitors in arms, as were McClel-
lln's and Buelrs. Unlike the latter. thew
know "what the war is about" May
Heaven, hitherto insulted by the Instruments
which we have put forward for our saliva
ton, aid their arms and strengthen their
Judgments
And now one word for ourselves, and
our alleged hostility" to Gen. Mcclellan.
None more Loyalty than ourselves concurred
in his appointment to the command of the
Potomac Circumstances seemed to indi-
cate him as the man for the occasion We
knew that he had been favorite with jeff
Davis, who sent him on the commission to
SebaStopol. We knew that he was the in
innate friend of Beauregard, L0vel and
Smith, and was implicated with them and
Quitman in their filibustering designs on
Cuba. We never doubted that had he been
i'll New Orleans instead of Cincinnati when
the war broke out, he would have taken
command in the rebel army, or have main
tanned "a dignifed neutrality" But with
the honors of the North cast sdventitiously
, full upon him, and with command of a
} grandeur rarely bestowed on one so young
and never on one SO undGserving, VIC
thought the Nation had purchased mis- fideli-
ty and secured the utmost exerticn of his
capacities 1t was left to experience to
prove how narrow these capacities were
: and to deveope that dogged conceit which
| have since made him impervious to remon
STRANGE, oblivious to censure, and ndiffer-
ent to orders. His delay in the autumn o
1861, his cruelty in keeping his army in
f srnmer quarters all through the winter past
t his imbecility in permitting the enemy tc
: escape from Manassas, illustrated again be
/ fore Yorktown, and on a scale surprising
# belief before Richmond, his base ingratitudC
:, towards Pope, and the latter development
y of the same deficiencies, superadded to in
: subordinatlon on the Upper Potomac, have
all contributed to weaken and destroy on
s confidence, and convince US that, while hi
L appointment was a mistake, his retention
Il has been q crime.
4 In the progress of the war we have freely
: expressed our opinions, never from person
t al consideration, but with reluctance, as
1t public duty. Their expression has subjectcC
it us to remonstrauce, to censure, and occa
IS slonally to abuse. So did our arraignmcn
l. AND we were the first to arraign them
&c of Stone and Buell., ct id hoe genus ornnt
1t Public reprobstion has overtaken them all
!. Our criticisms have been justified, and ou
{, predictions, as our readers will bear witness
d nave been fulfilled
y 1t only remains to purge the army of tn
d Fitz John Porters, Griffins and Summers
and all those who make the personalities q
4. command condition of service, and the re
d form will be complete Thank God, neithe
is fools nor traitors have compassed the det
le truction Of the nation, notwithstanding the
4, have brought it into imminent peril.
tz With the final removal Of Mcclellan com
is mences the earnest prosecution of the wal
n We shall no longer be compelled to ask:
K Have our troops swaked
df Or do they still, as if with opium drugged,
,s Snorc to the murmurs Of the Potomac's wave