The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-07-18

expects men to enlist with all the horrid mutt
lations OF war staring at and discouraging them.
| New recruits consider it an honor to belong to
| a veteran regiment of tried valor; but such re-
! giments, when decimated in BATTLE are not filled
up, but are allowed to dissolve and merge into
| other regiments Thus the prestige, the eciat,
| the experience of tho veterans are lost to the
raw recruits, who are obliged to form new and
raw regiments, like some i'll Caseys brigade at
Fair Oaks. The Secretary Of War makes no
provision for accident or emergency, and issues
| a call for three hundred thousand troops, not
just before battle, when the people are enthu-
| siastic, but just on the heels of repulse, when
the people are depressed. When Stanton divi-
ded McClellan's command he himself assumed
| the practical direction of the campaign. The
people knew and the press announced that jeff.
Davis was massing all his troops at Richmond,
just as good business man concentrates his
means where he finds the best investment. The
Secretary of War could not understand this.
Consequently our troops at James Island retreat
| ed from a foe who had gone to Richinond our
troops in the Shenandoah built intrenchments
against jackson, who had gone to Richmond,
| our troops at the West stood on the defensive
against Beauregard, who had gone to Richmond;
and Burnside sought in vain for the North Car
| olina rebels, who had also gone to Richmond.
| Mcclellan was, therefore, overwhelmed. Now
let the Secretary of War reverse his policy. and
call our troops from the West, the South and
| the East to reinforce Mcclellan, and the rebels
will reconquer Corinth, Memphis, Newbern, the
Shenandoah and Hilton Head, by returning as
hastily as they left. This is not strategy, but
simple common sense. We hope Secretary Stan
ton will not thus complete his long list of blum
ders through ignorance, conceit and incapacity.
Omitting for the present references to the ex-
travagance and corruption in financial and con-
tract matters which are openly charged upon the
War Department, we have space only to refer
| briefly to the official errors from personal and
political .jealousies and abolition intrigues. The
public no longer doubt that certain parties in
Congress and the Cabinet regard this war as
mere machine to make Presidents and achieve
emancipation. Every general officer, therefore,
who distinguishes himself Or adopts a decisive
policy, is at once attacked, and, if possible dis
graced by this half political, half abolition
clique. McClelan's plans have been disastrous
ly disarranged. Fremont was supported in Mis-
souri, when he ought to have been removed, re-
moved when he ought to have been supported,
and appointed to the Shenandoah when he
should have been kept in retirement. Banks
and Mcdowell have been sacrificed. Butler
has managed New Orleans so we'll that it is said
the War Department has rebuked him. Hun
ter is first ordered, and then forbidden, to arm
negroes, and is accordingly disgusted Dupont
is kept idle. at Hilton Head, while Goldsbo-
rough, who was implicitly rebuked by the Pres
ident for not destroying the Merrimac, keeps
our iron-clads idle in James river. Farragut
is detained weeks before Vicksburg, because ig-
norant of the capture of Memphis and the ex-
istenee of Davis and Ellet's fleets. Incompe- |
tent officers kept down by the influence of these
political and abolition wirepullers. Is this war
What other government ever assailed its own
generals in the ield2 What other Secretary
or w ar weuIu nave rUrcea tho P1rsi,lent 10 sso
ito West Point and submit McCleIlan's plans to |
General SCOTS supervision? How much Ion
ger m ust the people endure this transformation
of war for the Union into political squab-
bleand an abolition intrigue? We all feel sure
that President Lincoln is honest and well-mean-
ing. How much longer, then, willie allow him.
self to be deluded-to be separated from the
people-to be misrepresented and misled by
these intriguers? How much longer will he
allow our brave soldiers to be sacrificed? How
much longer will he permit defeats? The cri-
sis demands the sublimest craftsmanship, and
we seem to have no statesmen in the country.
We express but the opinion of the people |
when we suggest the removal of Secretary
Stanton, who, rightly or wrongly, is unanimous
ly regarded as the tool of the Abolitionists, the
organizer of disasters, the author of defeats
The President may rest assured that the Sec
retary of War distracts the confidence of the
public, and that his mere retention in office de-
lays enlistments and dscourages enthusiasm.
The people desire, also, the suppression of alb
clifton traitors, who injure the Union cause by
their intrigues, by their public utterances and
by their asserted familiarity with the Presi-
dent, who has more to fear from Charles
Sumner than from jeff. Davis. Abolitionists
cannot take an oath to support the Union
as it is without deserting their aboltionism; and
thus abolitionism is proven to be treason
The President, General Scott, General Nc
Clelan and General Halleck should consult,
and arrange a new campaign, and the Pres
ident should see to it that it is carried out,
and our generals supported firmly against all
cabals. Thus reassured for the future, the peo-
pie will contentedly endure the prolongation of
the war, the increased expenditures of men and
means, and the possible foreign interventions
which past official errors have brought upon
us. Thus will the Union be speedily and glo-
rio,isly restored.-Ne,c York Heald
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