Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-05-14
From the Daily of May ia.

| NEWSPAPERS AND DECENTRALIZATION
Mcclellan entered upon the command Of
the army of the Potomac with the highest
confidence OF the people without distlnc-
uon OF party. When, after long and re-
peated trials, he had worn out the pub
le faith and patience, by his lack of en-
ergy, his wearisome delays and disastrous
failures, those who are now his especial
champions We're the loudest in their de-
nunclatlons of the folly and presumption
oil civilians, IN newspaper Offices, or else
where, IN cnticisng the conduct of mill
larry operations in the field.
The general tendency, in this fast age
and country especially, is doubtless to
hastily formed, and consequently i'll found
ed judgments, and not least so upon this
subject. A generals skill is apt to be
measured by single movement, the turn
ing point of which, whether to victory or
defeat, may be pure chance. In addition
to this general tendency to premature
Judgment, particular mania has appear
ed to affiict our leading newspapers for
the reputation of astuteness in military
Judgment, leading them further on in this
direction of hasty criticism, in their rival
ry TO be the first discoverers and champi-
ons of military greatness. Finally, it has
become, with reference especially to one
general now on the shelf, purely polit
ical matter, which, of course, puts an end
t2a toto, to honest and impartial criticism.
so far as relates to him, and by conse-
quence as regards his successors in the
same command.
For the reasons suggested above, fair
trial OF Mcclellan was advocated by many
papers noe opposed to him as command,
er of our armies. He was tried for more
than year, and until series of failures
proved too clearly that it was not aeci-
dent, but an inherent lacking of the right
qualities, to which our want of progress
must be attributed. He was tried until
he could be Judged fairly and rightly
until no amount of clamor about great and
lncomprehensible strategy could conceal
his shortcomings; until it was plain to all
not wilfuily blinded by prejudice or par,
tlsanship, that whatever other qualities he
might possess, he was not the man to con-
duct the rapid and offensive movements
accessory to pat doaon rebellion.
But there is class of newspapers
which, Notwithstanding this, still clamored |
against the presumption of unmihtary
people IN Judging the campaigns of their
generals. Now then, how do these papers
abide by their declarations against eriti-
cisms by civilians, even after so long a
trial of their subject? Gen. Hooker
made his first advance couple of weeks
or so ago, admittedly the first possible
since he assumed command. After swift
movements and heroic fighting he was
forced to cross back to this side the
Rappahannock, preparatory to anoth-
ar advance, After this campaign" "
and grand trial of nine days, he was
pounced upon by these clamorers before
the real cause of the retrograde movement
was known, and pronounced utterly in.
competent for his position. viii they be
good enough to explain why civilians may
'rtlcise Hooker and not Mcclellan p
|" nile no one doubts that Hooker is a
brilliant, daring and successful fighter. it
'annot be said to be fully demonstrated
ret, one way or the other, whether he pos
esses all the higher qualities of great gen
raj. That yet remains to be determined,
We hope it will be determined affirmative
7. But the grand insincerity of the pa
ers to which we refer, in their denuncia-
on of presumptuous military criticism,
demonstrated in the most sublimely
larlng manner. 1t is criticism as an
he'd to their immaculate general, only.
'hlch the people have no right to IN
ulge in.
IHE ATTACK ON CHARLEsToN.-The