Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-01-17

| more skilfaly perhaps than any other, mas anato-
mixed the "night-side' Of human nature, that
most men are better pleased to be battered for
qualities which they do not possess at all than Tor
| those in which they really excel.
AS if to confirm the truth Of this generalization,
the New York Tribuae is, we perceive, much more
eager to be supposed nfalbe in its military judg-
mens than TO receive praise fer the zeal and ability
with which ii advocates cheap postage, economical
husbandry, and the duty of voting the Republican
ticket at all elections and in all kinds Of weather.
Recording few days ago historical fact open
to the observation of all, and With no thought Of
provoking contradiction, much less complaint from
our contemporary, we wrote as follows
Meanwhile it is gratifying to observe that the On to
Richmond cry has entirely ceased disturb the equao
nifty enbariass the orderly processes Of the Administers
ton. That cuckoo cry to end soon as Gen
Mcclellan had been dspaced for bis immobiiy While
he at tho head OF the Army OF tie Potomac never
fast enough TO please either the Government
certain class Of The people Alter he had been removed
appears that Gen Burnside Eve quote his own words)
requested by the President, tho Secretary OF War;
and the Genea.n- Chief be in haste ard the mill
tary editors who made the delay of Mcclellan aer the
bate OF Abtetam Of much complaint are
perfectly satisfied with the progress which Burnside has
made and is making in moving from Warrenton On to
Richmond via fredericksburg We cite the not BY
way of reflection Gen Burnside, but by way Of com
ment ihs animns which controls the art Of military
crit;cism in this es ghtened country"
| For SO writing, our irascible contemporary &C.
cuscs US Of wishing to be /" mischievous" and of
" succeeding only in being malignant" In ex-
ception to any such mild impeachment, we beg to
assure the conductors of the Tribune that in penning
the advocated paragraph, we did not have them in
our mind, and merely meant to make general obser-
walton applicable to entire class Of military
editors" But from the instantaneousness with
which contemporary winces under this deli
cate touch we perceive that we inadvertently laid
our hand on sore place, when we instaneed the
curious phenomenon patent to every bcdy's senses
| in the matter of the Goa to Richmond cry" Aud
as our contemporary still seems sensitive on this
point, deem it only gust, out Of respect for its
feelings, to cite from it's columns the following
animadversion on the paragraph above quoted.
! We cite from the Tribune of Tuesday last:
the to this is very simple. Gen Mcclellan,
after Antetam at tie head OF bet
ter equipped and every way better provided army than
opposed to hman army that in high spirits
the result Of the conflicts at Sharpsburg and Anetam
He very his base of supplies whls the rebels
very far from theirs and had great difficulties OF
transportation to contend with He ut to
Washington and to Richmond than Lee The
favorable, the roads and streams in the best
condition lie expected, desired ordered to preserve
these advantages by keeping his army between Lee and
the two capitals, and compelling the rebels to fight
ground proerng at least equal advantages to our troops
He deliberately dlscbeyed those orders and allowed Lee
to ouigeneral and around him. to nterpofe his
army more between ours and chmond and thus
compel TO fight him on ground OF bis own choice or be
conient with merely covering Washington 1t was this,
and not any clamor for immediate Richmond,
that doubtless caused lis remava aud justified the very
general satisfaction wherewth that change received
We are sorry that the Tribune, in now giving
It's reason for demanding the removal Of General
| Mcclellan in the mouth of October last, should
s, completely expose the transformation under
which it labored at that time with regard to Gen.
| McClelian's opportunities for moving the army
earlier than he did, as well with regard to the
military situation that existed at the time Of his
| deposition Under the latter head the military In
formation Of the New York Tribune is strangely in
conflict with that of the Generalin Chief, as ex-
p,ained in the correspondence published yester
| day from the New York Times. In that commu-
nicaicn it will be remembered that the writer held
| the following language
"Immed atey tie appointment Of Gen. Burnside
Gen McCl ans successor, the army being then at War
renton Gen Haeck accompanied by the Quartermaster
General visited the army for The purpose II afcertaang
its actual condition and requirements and comforting with
Gen Burnside TO its future movements.
Gen. Burnside then announced that u was his infen
tion instead of moving south directly upon Richmond as
had beea Gen Hsllecks pan in which Gen. Mcclellan
fully agreed to ateray upon Falmouth there cross
Iroaps the Rappahannocs and thence move
Richmond, making fredericksburg Tin railroad commune
cation with Aqua creek his bss OF operations snd supplies
Against this change Gen. Haleck urged many aud
ous obec ons calling attention to the fact that the higher
up we crossed the river the shaower would be it's waters
and the ts urds also to The fact that
the country along this direct line OF level cha
racter and presented fewer natural obstacles His chief
argument Lo,oeper soas that then morng
rior lines bettreen Richmond and the rebel army Gen
Lees forces mouing the Of circle of hich held
the chord We ,oere therefore, many MARCHES The
rebel capital than the rebel army and oh proper dis
patch ,coud therefore be impossible for Gen Lee to
take us before our arrival la Richmond
This latter was undoubtedly correct apprecia-
ton of the military situation existing at the mo-
mcnt Gen. Mcclellan was deposed Referring to
this fact on tho 18th ultimo we wrote follows:
"In his pursuit OF The enemy Cen Mcclellan directed
his movements hs TO keep Gen Lees army on bis right
and seized the gaps Of the Blue Ridge to prevent any
incursions upon his flank In effect he march
ing the chord Of the general direction of Rich
mond, while Gen, Lees army in reaching the same point
was compelled to the perimeter Of that In
all probability therefore, the Confederate General would
on the open fell ut such point Gen Mcclellan might
ptal Hut Tho rar