The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-11
The Report of the War Committee.

the War; brief abstract of which we have prirt-
ed, is, 10 its naked and unargued statement, a
most terrible indictment Of the management of
the Army of the Potomac. And it is Lot alone a
condemnation Of Mcclellan, although it proves
more than the most uncompromiSing conGemneIs
of that officers generalship ever charged against
him, but 1t reaches higher and farther, and shows
that President Lincoln came utterly short of put.
ting in practice his own opinions of McClean's
incompeency, and retained an officer in command
against whose methods of conducting war he was
continually protesting, and whose criminally dila-
tory strategy be was almost daily arguing against,
both by letter and by telegraph. Let us look at
some of the facts, as they appear in this report.
All through the Winter and Spring of 1862
the President chafed at the delays on the Poto-
mac. In January he began to order forward
movements. As sson as he commenced to make
these orders Mcclellan commenced disregarding
them. Though ordered to move on the 22nd of
February, he did not move until the middle Of
March. This delay only provoked remonstrance,
but no sharp command. The President tells Nc
CelI4n that he thinks the route by the way of
Manassas and Gordonsville the best to Richmond.
Mcclellan chooses the Peninsula. The President
demonstrates, and acquesces. The President
tells Mcclellan, when the latter commences the
slow eye of Yorktown, 100000 troops against
1900, that it will be the old story of Manassas
over again, and orders him to 90 ahead AIcClel.
Ian sends back an argun ent, asks requirements,
but makes no haste with the attack. The Presi-
dent tells him that he has no more troops to send
him. Mcclellan says he will do as we'll as he
can with what he has, and leave the responsibility
for defeat, when it comes, where it belongs. The
President mildly pockets this insult from his SUBJ
ordinate, and feeIingly tells him that sit pains
him" to be talked to in that way. And so on to
the end of the disgraceu chapter, when the Presi-
dent, twelve months too late, stopped arguing
with subordinate and ia-subordinate officer, who
had snubbed him from first to last, and termina-
ted McClellap's connection With the Army of the
Potomae,--a connection which had cost ths Ma
ton 100 900 lives and five hundred millions of
treasure frulessly wasted, and whose evil results
the Republic has yet by no means escaped.
Ii is plain from this cord that the President,
in his relations to the Army Of the Potomac, has
all the time done too much or not enough. There
was but one way to deal with Mcclellan. He I
should, on the first appearance Of disposition to
Disregard the Presidents orders, either have been
at once given to understand that there was no al
ternatre but obedience or removal, or else he
should have been allowed to have ever, thing just
as he wanted it, his will being made the supreme
law. Neither the dignity Of The Chief Magistrate
and Commander in. Chief, nor the safety of the
country, we're consistent with any middle course.
But instead of this method we find the President
continually expressing to General Mcclellan dis
spproblti of his military plans and movements,
and arguing, arguing, arguing, when he should
have commanded or kept silent. In short, the
President dealt with Mcclellan as tenderly as a
man would deal with beloved though dsobedi- !
ent son, without seeming to have considered that
the Ife-bood of the nation was all the time ebb
ing away. He, all the time protesting, gave him
money and men, and months Of time, apparently
forgetting that it was the vitality OF the Republic
of which he was so prodigll, and not his own pr
yste estate. And yet he was all the while no
better satisfied with the course of this dilatory
General, than the people who continually cried
out against him. .s f.-.I ..
1t is of but little consequence now to speculate
upon the reasons for this conduct of President
lincoln. We know that it sprung from no in
difference to our military successes, and from no