Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-06-04

Of vigilance with an eye open to " mistakes" and
weaknesses" which the Chronicle does not deny
to exist, but which it only proclaims to blink
Shame on such dragon, which does not know how
to be either more discreet or more honest !
| As for ourselves, it is known that we do not
profess to give any body in the Administration OF
out Of it, an unquestioning support" We seek
to address ourselves to the merits of all the "mea
sures " and of all the departments Of the Go
vernment In 50 doing we are able to give to
them each and all the support to which We think
them entitled on grounds Of law and expediency.
When we approve, we have done 80 for reasons
given, and We are not aware that the value Of our
support has been impaired by efforts to base it
on what the Chronicle has no use for-reason and
right ascertained by candid and independent in
quiry. When we disapprove, we have equally
done SO for reasons given, and if We have stated
our views with the frankness Of honest men wri-
ting for intelligent readers, the latter will bear us
witness that we have never forgotten what was due
to them or to ourselves in the animadversions we
have felt it our duty to make on public men or
public measures at this crisis
Wehave never found it necessary to rail at the Sec
retary Of State like some Of his political friends"
nor have we aided or abetted Senatorial cabals to
procure his removal from the high place he holds at
the head of Mr.. Lincoln's Cabinet We have not
given him an unquestioning support" it is true,
because we have often vndcated his conduct, in the
light of free inquiry and shown it to be unustly as
sailed by Republican well Democratic cavillels
The Chronicle has allowed Republican abuse and
Senatorial combinations against him to 60 unre.
buked or unnoticed.
We have not given to Mr.. Chase, in his Depart
ment, an "unquestioning support" because we
have brought the light of financial discussions to
the elucidation and enforcement Of his iudicious
and successful revenue measures but we have never
heard that he felt our "support" was any less
valuable for being inspired by a candid apprecia-
tion of his merits rather than by the par pris of
professional aduation.
just As little have we given an "unques-
tioning support" to the present Secretary of
the Navy, for at one stage of his admins
tration we felt it our duty to inquire into cer-
tain charges brought not only against the eff
cheney but even the probity of his official man
agement. We then defended him against these
reckless imputatons, and if we have had no recent
occasion to defend him from fresh aspersons it is
simply because the unostentatious but effective man
ner in which he discharges his duties has enabled
him to lipe doon censure, and thus enjoy, in addi-
ton, the inappreciabe felicity Of escaping even the
inept fattery of the Chronicle.
As to the War Department, we have not given
to it an I" unquestioping support any more than
to any other branch Of the public service. But
since its distinguished head has been left free to
confne himself to his appropriate civil duties, and
no longer divides with the martial committee Of Con-
gress the responsibility Of directing the conduct of
the war, we have found in bis administration mo-
thing to condemn. II We do not approve Of mill
tary arrests where they are made in violation of law
we know full we'll that We have the countenance
and cooperation of Mr.. Stanton in confirmation of
our opinions on this topic, for we have never had
occasion under this head to do more than reiterate
the declarations with which he sgnalized his acces-
sion to the Office he now holds.
AS to the merits of the Generals retained in mill
tary command or dismissed by the President We
have repeatedly expressed our opinion, not, it is
true, in the way Of giving an unquestioning sup
port to any body, but after due examination made
Of the facts in the case. We have not discovered
so many Napoleons in actual command as our more
favored contemporary, the Chronicle, which draws
Its military inspirations doubtless from the highest
sources but just little have we practsed that art
Of military criticism which consists in trying to
pull down military regulations by idle abuse, and
to construct others by equally idle praise. Facts
are facts, and as such we have treated them, whe-
ther we were discussing the movements Of McCel-
Ian on Richmond, Of Halleck on Corinth, or OF
Hooker on Charlottesville. We have seen nothing
very Napoleonic" in any Of these demonstrations.
As to the Department of the Attorney General
Of the Interior, and Of the Postmaster General, we
may have had little 10 say, but that little, we be-
leve has been said in the way Of oommendation,
| not because we are in the habit Of giving praise
like our professional neighbor, but because we
deemed it due.
| We wish it to be distinctly understood by the
| Chronicle that we claim no merit, such .,
aspires to, on the score Of what is called |" con
formity to the views Of the Administrations" We
propose to ourselves higher standard, however
far we may fall below it, when We make all the