Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-02-26
GEN. MCCLELLAN AND GEN. SCOTT.


that in the National Inteigencer Of December 9th
we inserted Gen. Halleok's official report made to
the Secretary Of War, under date Of November
28th Of military operations since the 23d of July
last, when, in compliance with the Presidents
order Of July llth, he assumed command of the
army as General-in-Chief"
In that report, the Generalin-C Chief after allud-
ing to change in the projected operations of Gen.
Mcclellan, held the following language:
"What caused him to change his views, or ohat his
plan Of campaign oas am ignorant for sbout this time
tions, sending his reports direcyto the President"
Commenting on this point in the same number
Of the Intelligencer containing Gen. Hallecks re-
port, we wrote as follows:
at appears that towards the close of Gen. McClel
sns military administration he ceased altogether to
spond ,oi the General Chief and sent all his reports
directly to the President This must say strikes us
extraordinary pr,ceeding considering that Gen. Halieck
sras the General-in- Chief and such had, in bis
wordr. assumed the command Of the army Why he
should have been shorn for time OF bis just prerogatves
with regard to the Army OF the Potomac does not appear
think for some explanation If he is TO be held respon
sible rs Chief he should be the General
in fact and not in continuously and not at intervals
Such were the comments We thought proper to
make in the month of last December on this dis
closure Of what seemed to us military impro-
priety, encouraged by the President on the part Of
Gen. Mcclellan at the expense of the General-in-
Chief For it appeared that the President, avail
ing himself Of his prerogatves as Commander
in-Chief, did not think it even necessary to COM
municate to Gen Halleck the nature of the reports
he received from the Commander of the Army Of
the Potomac.
AT later day. in the Intellgencer of the 9Th
instant, we returned to the same topic for the pur
pose Of giving it more elaborate discussion, and in
an article the functions appropriate to the
and style of the Office nominally held by Gen. Hal
leck, we sought to show the repeated instances
which evinced complete subordination of the
military views Of the Generalin- Chief to those Of
the President in certain matters which, from their
nature, would have seemed rather to fall within
the province of Gen. Halleck.
So long as the military character and official dig
nifty Of Gen Halleck were at stake in this discus
sion, the impropriety to which we allude passed
among our contemporaries without observation or
comment. So far as we are aware, this journal
was the only one which signalized the informality
in question, and called for explanation 1t does
not appear that Gen. Halleck himself made any
representations to the Secretary of War or to the
President by way of protest against what he might
have justly regarded as derogaton from his legi.
innate prerogatives
A publication which will be found in our report
Of the proceedings had in the House Of Represen-
tatives on Tuesday evening last comes to shed
more light on the matter. 1t is presented in the
shape Of letter addressed by Lieut. Gen. Winfield
Scott to Mr.. Secretary Cameron, under date Of
October 4, 1861, while the former was nominally
holding the Office Of Generalin- Chief, but when,
in certain instances specified by Gen. Scott his
legitimate authority was disregarded by General
Mcclellan, not only with the knowledge but with
the consent of the President the Secretary Of War;
and some other members of the Cabinet For it
is part Of the complaint of Gen. SCOTT that Gen.
Mcclellan had "hardly entered upon his new du-
ties when encouraged 10 communicate directly aoih
the President and certain members Of The Cabinet,
he in few days forgot that he had any intermedi-
ate commander, and has now long prided himself
in treating me with uniform neglect, running into
disobedience of orders"
No notice, SO far as appears, was taken by the
President or Secretary Of War of the complaints
thus made by Gen. Scott, though the latter had
asked, "has, then, senior no corrective power over
junior officer in case Of such persistent neglect
and disobedience" Gen. Mcclellan, we are left
to infer continued to make reports to "the Presi-
dent and certain Secretaries with the concurrence
and support of the Administration.
In accordance, therefore, with the intimation
contained in the concluding part Of the letter Of
Gen. Scott, now first brought to light, the veteran
GeneraIin Chief three weeks after this protest, to
wit, on the 31st Of October, rendered his resgna
tion, which was accepted by the President, who
Immediately appointed Gen. Mcclellan to fill the
vacancy created by Gen. Scotps retirement from
the Office Of General-iu- Chief.
These who recur to the period when this trans
action took place will remember with what pleasure
the accession Of Cen Mcclellan to the chief CON-
mand was hailed by the country, especially by that
class who had sneered at the llustrious Lieut. Gene
raj Scott, on the score of his advanced years and his
military prudence. The President, in his annual
message to Congress, in the month of December,
following the appointment Of Gen. Mcclellan to