The New York herald., 1862-09-15
Meole.I~. and the Fire IN nj. Rear.

just as We sHfNcipatcd, the radical Journal
are again out in sck cry, like 80 many hounds
on the track Of General Mcclellan. Now thai
whole Army of the Potomac sud that he has
taken the field against the foe, tue revolution
ary radical press open from their masked bat
teries CALLING fire in his rear, Tor the purpose
| Of impairing confidence in his generalship and
loyalty, and demoralizing and disorgsnizing
his troops in the presence Of the foe What
greater crime could be committed against the
| republic than thss In what other way could
aid and comfort be so efficiently rendered to
the enemy? They accuse the General of the
guilty ambition of aspiring to dictatorship.
and charge him with being in league with an
unknown number of unknown conspirators
for the purpose of usurping the authority Of
the government and overIhrowing by violent
| revolution the President and his Cabinet. Any
person who desires to see those accusations in
detail may consult the files Of the Post, 7ii-
b,ne and Times for che last few days. In charg-
| ing Mcclellan with such designs the writer's
| look into their own black hearts, and there find
the treason they would cover up by imputing
them openly threatened to supeFsede the Presi-
dent and appoint q dicsstor; while Others in
sisted that the rebelious States had legitimate
right to secede, and oaght to be allowed TO
depart in peace, according to the principles of
the Revolution, a. embodied il the Declaration
of Independence. The development of the mar
tal spirit Of the people, and their determination
to maintain the Union st all hazards, soon
caused the radical organs to play different
tune. They suddenly affected the most extra
VACANT zeal for the war, and under this cloak
of hypocrisy assailed the generals because they
were not going fast enough for them, the real
object Of the attacks being TO drive them of
the track aud make Q general smash, they
having treacherously placed oAstructions in the
way, while they clamorously called on the
engineer to put on all steam.
The first result of this crooked policy was ,
the disastrous break down at Bull run. Gene
raj Mcclellan was then called upon by the
President, with the sanction Of General Scott
and the accIamations of the whole country,
to take charge of the Army of the Potomac
and prepare it for victory. Before the organi-
cation and discipline were half completed, the
radicals and their organs again clamored for
an onward movement; but as soon as they
found Mcclellan had taken the field and COM
menced operations on the peninsula, with
view to the capture of Richmond, they never
ceased abusing him for the slowness Of his
movements, while the stipulated conditions on
which he undertook the campaign were vio-
lated by the radical influence in the Cabinet,
e :lol
his command distributed among several inde-
pendent generals, over whom he could exercise
no control. His calculations were based upon
the cooperation Of the ether generals as well
as the aid Of the gunboats in the James river.
The failure Of the Navy Department to destroy
the Merrimac in time, and its subsequent failure
to capture Fort Darling, delayed and en-
barrassed his movements. The generals with
independent commands in Virginia egregiously
failed to accomplish the parts assigned them in
the programme. While Mcclellan successfully
fought his way up to the very suburbs Of Rich
mond, driving the enemy before him at York
town, Williamsburg, and every other point
where he made q stand, not only did the Union
generals at Fredericksburg and in the valley
Of the Shenandoah and Central Virginia
fail to come to bis aid at the critical moment, at
the subsequent battles Of Hanover Court House.
Fair Oaks or the seven days fight, but they
permitted the enemy to be reinforced with large
bodies Of troops, which turned the scale of vic
tory on the wrong side. The sound of the
cannon at Hanover Court House was heard at
Fredericksburg, and yet Mcdowell gave no sign.
Had the subordinate generals performed their
parts half as well as Mcclellan acquitted him
self in the principal role, not only would Rich
mond have been captured, but the whole rebel
army would have been made prisoners of war,
and the rebellion would have been crushed at q
blow.
By the failure of others, over whom he had
no control, and by the malignant influence Of
the radicals, his plans were allowed to fail.
Yet, by his mastery retreat he bafled the rebel
army in it's main purpose, and, fortifying him
self in an impregnable position, asked for rein
forcements to advance again upon Richmond in
cooperation with the gunboats. He felt that
the moral effect of . complete abandonment
of the peninsula would be highly inju-
rious, and the moral effect Of an advance
equally advantageous. His opinions were
overruled, and he was compelled to
evacuate his position and retreat to Washing
ton, in order to form . junction with the army
Of Pope, whose severe defeats were the result
Of the retrograde movement which General
Mcclellan was forced by the highest auth ority
to make. How did General Mcclellan act on
this occasion? With an army SO attached to him
that it was in his power to have created re-
volt against the government, he calmly and
silently submitted to the order Of his superior,
| however much his Judgment might condemn
it, Such was bis respect for the constitution
| and for law and order. He effected his retreat
| from the James river to Alexandria without the