The Goodhue volunteer. [volume] (Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minn.) 1861-1864, 1862-11-19

Mcclellan suuerseled.


Gen. Mcclellan has been superseded by
the appointment Of Gen. Burnside to the
command Of the Army Of the Potomac
The country is prepared for this announce
ment, and it is a step that we have been ex
Ipecting for at least fortnight,
Strong as the popular faith was in Nc
Clellan's capacity as great commander,
several months ago, there are now compar-
atively few men who will not rejoice to hear
of his removal. He has come far short Of
public expectation. We have been disposed
to trust in him up to recent period. When
the rebel army was allowed to cross the
Potomac after the battle Of A ntietam, with
all their baggage and plunder, and were not
Immediately pursued into Virginia, the whole
country became amazed and disgu'ted at
what was SO plainly a lack Of energy and
good military management. This feeling
has beeh growing with each day that our
army has been lying inactive on the north
bank Of the Potomac, while the enemy was
concentrating and recuperat,ns his strength
|only few miles southwark. The opinion
is almost universal that most precious op
portuni:y was allowed to pass unimproved
by not following up and making the most
Of the advantages we had gained at South
Mountain and Antietam.
There are some things in McClel|an's car
reer for which he has been severely censure6
that We could not blame him for. We do
not believe that with the inferior force he
had under his command or the Peninsula it
was possible for him to have taken Rich
mond, which was defended by su :oerior
army and strong fortifcations. His failure
in that campaign is chargcablc to Others
He should have been reinforced, but was not
and retreat was the only alternative.
Why Mcclellan failed to relieve llarper's
Ferry, or to capture any portion Of the rebel
army before it re crossed into Virginia, is
difficult of explanation. Why he has de-
layel operations so long since the b1ttle OF
Antietam-why the favorable months of
September and October have been 50 uander
ed in non action, and why, since the move,
rnents now iu progress, the enemy has not
been encountered and beaten, arc equally
|inexplicabe.
We have sustained Mcclellan, as we have
other Generals who have been publicly as
sailed, because the President, in whose pat
riotism and praStical common sense We have
confilencc, kept m where he was but we
now accept his removal as proof positive
that the President has finally come to the
conclusion that he is incompetent for tho
high and responsible position he has occu
pied, and that his displacement is a necessity
no longer to be resisted. What effect the
change will have among the troops Of the
Army Of the Potomac, who, we are assured
are strongly attached to their late comman'
der, remains to be seen. But we predict
that ;tcy will acquiesce without mu h lnur
muripg, especially since McCle!lan's success.
or enjoys the confidence and respect Of the
whole army. Burnside is popular otlicer
as we'll as an able one, and, in view Of his
successful operations in North Carolina and
wherever he has had an opportunity to cx
libit good generalship, VIC have reason te
believe that he will prove fu!lv equal to his
new and more arduous position. At leas,
we hope so, and the country is disposed te
believe so.
In this important change by the President
we sec the first evidence that Mr. Lincoln
appreciates the recen: popular verdict rem
dcred at the polls, and that he will now in
fuse greater energy into the war operations
lie now sees clearly that III, country is
greatly dissati.fied with the conduct Of the
war, and will, we anticipate, henccforth do
his utmost to redeem his Administration
from popular distrust, and restore the conf
dence Of the country that has been so seri
,ously shaken during the past few MONTHS
Chicayo journal.