Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-07-09
Misfortune Rsuaired.


l! very true that in times Of great public trouble
nothing should be doae to weaken the confidence or
abate the hope of the peOr. This will be tho Argu-
ment of those, Who in view of the fall of Yicksburg,
believe the first duty Of the press and the people wi be
to renew their of confidence in the Admins
tration and thereby in the hacknied language Of the
sycophant strengthen the hands of authorities"
Su CRITICALLY this is plausible; radically, it is most false
and dangerous.
Mifor;uues Ike diseases be treated successfully
ouly b. thorough and fearless examination Of the
siuses which produced them. If the investigation re-
veals want of head or of heart IN any official,
however conspicuous should nevertheless be fully
posed To conceal these deficiencies is to leave the
Oluss of the misfortune untouched and necessarily to
prolong it; Hence no radical treatment no permanent
cure Of the cyl; temporary expedients mere pala-
tv,s, alone are possible. The time for paiatiyes in
this Conlederscy is past We to strike AZ the root
o. cur troubles OF are lost
The causes of the fall of Vicks6urS three fold
tn, scattering of forces, the PREJUDICE against men Of
proved ability, and the Partially for of proved in
competency. Unless these causes aBe removed disas
trs will continue to befAl our arms surely as night
follows day.
If al The troops low or until lately scattered far and
VIDE, uader Bragg PemberlOn, Holmes, Maguder and
Kaby Smth had seen concentrated in one great army
aud that army place under the command Of General CT
proved sy-And such has been left in ideness
Tor nearly year i, cannot be doubted that affairs in
The Southwest would have worn very different aspect
There il disposition just this time to blame this or
that Gsneral-Brsgg, Johnston, PembertOn, Holmes
Bat granting that the President ignorant Of their
CAPACITIES, i evde0t that they could accomplish moth
hg of importance long as they we've ISOLATED. Bragg
had failed sgnaly in the Kentucky campaign and at
aurreesboro tie President retained him; Johnston had
rsueaped from Htrper's Ferry, from MAnassai from
yorktown and had fought the bloody battle Of Seven
Pines. The President put him in command Of very
ex:ens We department but refused his petition to con-
een,rate PeubertOn and Holmes PembertOn, while
a. Charleston proposed 10 disman.lo Forts Sumter and
II utrie and to destroy them utterly. The President
and General Lee dsapprOved of this sngar plan of de-
fence and the former promoted him to the Office OF
Li,u,enaut Gsneral. Neglectng to for ify GranaGuf
properly aud being entirely inexperienced in the field
ne. with fifteen or twenty thousand men, offered but
feeble rsisiauce to Grant tn eighty one hundred
thouand With the loss Of nearly all his field artillery
he was drsen atO Vcks5urg, where he has made stub
bora defeacs Il is easy perceive what else he
could have done under the circumstance; y be has
been so much praised that he VIII again be entrusted
vii tie command Of men in the field and the conduct
OF i campaign. Those who expected Johnston to sue
cor PecOertou forge. his ante edents HIS past hi-
to,y would teach that be fights until compelled
Of course lie delayed At Canton, and every days delay
made him relatively weaker than Grant. Blu. it is not
certain that he could at any time have offered eecual
assistance As for Holmes be nearly imbece fnot
il Otto that he may be dismissed nOnentity exc pit
81 far as he was able acting under instructions from the
War Department, to keep Price from doing anything
Counting Pember;Ons paroled army, JOhnstons forces
and others, there are both sides Of the Misss-
sp2i al least 100 600 men, Whether they can ever be
got together We de not know Whether the President
thinks the country has suffered enough at the hards of
bic fyores it is impossible to say But if he thinks
the qualification Of his evil passions and his fantascal
preferences, CT il he supposes the persistence in his
sysom Of divided forces under pet Lieutenant Generals
of more consequence than the independence of the
Con ederacy then We need longer doubt what fate is
in store for us.