Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-27
fnros tbs Row York WarE..l
HEADE.S AND ROSECR4NS' RE-
PULSES DEMOCRATIC DEFEATS
THEIR CAUSE.

by which these elections have sech carrleu
furnish both II motive ard . reason FOR q d!ia-
tory military policy. The war cry having
been found by trial tn he the most efficient
electioneering engine the Administration can
use, they have i political interest IN tho o9n-
]tinuance Of tho war quite distinct from the
general interest Of the country, which re-
| q~uirrs that the rebel armies shall be destroy
cd and the lcynl States relieved of their heavy
| burdens ut The earliest possible date. The
country has no interest that he war should
| continue fr q Single day beyond the shortest
period within which it is possible TO subdue
the rebellion: bur every interest 20 the contra
~. Tic Republican party. on the other
hand. has no less q stake than its own exist
cnce in the continuance Of the war, 50 long rs
war CRY is the most stirring legend 1t can IN
| scribe on its ~pUlitica! banners. Here, then.ls
a moiire which the late elections furnish Tor
| al unnecessary prUtractlon Of the war: and
| the means by which these elections have been
carried suppiya rsas"' why the war Will
drag its slow length along is the Administers
ton desires.
| We, nf course. understand that in asc:!bing
to the administration such a motive III the one
now named, we are impeaching It's honor and
its patriotism. We arc making a charge
| which, il sustninablc by proofs, ought to
| work a complete forfeiture OF public CONT
| dencc in our present rulers. Shall we be
told that their high sense Of honor and duty
f1rbidS them to weigh the. possession Of row>
CT a~rainst The good Of the country We can
in reply only appeal 70 indlsputahlc' facts
That tile administration ought to he restrain
ed by honor and duty from seekingt to strength
en- their hold on power BY proceedings which
tend to prolong the war, is true enough but,
unfortunately, n question Of right Is not III
| this case Identical with II question OF TACT
We ask 10 reader to follow us into the doubt
I'll domain Of hypothesis; our appeal is to
| facts actually accomplished, and to the conSc-
]ouencCs which necessarily result from those
facts. The evidence is such that Il taken
| down in tho form in which testimony Is given
in a court nfiu-ticc; it would procure Il coz
| ~y;etiun Of the party incnlpatcl without any
x!Ior Of summing ur. 1t could safely DC sub
mHittcd to the Jury without comment.
Question. What is the number Of Rerih-
| lean soldiers furIonghed 90 go home and vote
in the Pennsylvania election? Answer
| From twelve % fifteen thDusard. Question:
VIVA. is the Republican majority in Pcnnsyi-
vania Answer. From twelve to fifteen thou.
sand. Question. VIXEN were these soldiers
| withdrawn from Gen. Mcadc's army? An
swc:. Two or three weeks ag". ~slueStion -
| When did Cen. Meade lcsin biz arrange
mcnss ia retreat from the advanced position
! in rhc cncmy's country, which nc then ccc%-
ric,i? Answer. Very soon after his army
| was weakened By tli" taking away Of Rnpub-
! lean soldiers Tor f~,0iit;rai duty in Pennsylra-
| nia. ,,Gc,;ion. Was Gen. Meade suffered by
the enc!ay 10 make his retreat unmolcsted =
! Answer. No: It was FASTENED and made
| compulsory l,ya vigorous advance Of the rebel
army. now relatively 50 strong that General
Neade dared not ilnpcril what remained .oi
bis own army is staying and giving battle
These simple, uavarnishcd facts, stated in the
| rlainsst aud dsyest form without rhetorical arti-
| fee, prove tlrat the political victory wen by tbs
I administration i'll Pennsylvania has been won st
| TIE expense Of = i;sgracefml retreat by the army
| Of the Potomac. The cost Of this political victo-
| nv 10 the national treasury cannot be estimated
| with arithmciirai accuracy for tho want OF exact
date bu: il mus; amount to MANY millions.
| The pay. subsistence, ana transportation of the
| settlers sent into Pennsylvania. is Less than n
| drop in the bucket. The retreat thus made ne
ccssary by converting the army into 2 political
machine to carry elections fer tie Republican
nartv, has rendered abngtive all that has beeI
| lone hy Cen. Meade since he re-c:ossed the 20
/ fnEilHt III Ils pltll WI IL LS'b uaA-A I'M Df"'S ~
| GETTYSBURG. Not: onlv has all the expense Of
maintaining tue army OF the Potomac in this
long intrrva! been sguandarrd but what is still
mere importantly precious time has been wasted
81 . season Of the wear which. precludes tie re-
covc,y OF the GROUND Gen. Meade has lost until
the roads shall have become practicable in the
sorinr @: 1861. when the term OF service OF the
| three years men FIRST enlisted will be about TO
expire. The Republican political victory III
n'..i.,,;, tlarafnr. po,te the pnI,utry tln
greater part Of a years expenses of the armv .oi
! tho Potomac, and postpones anything more .fari
defensive operations, By that army, until Il great
or part OF It's men are mustered out of service,
we prrsrinie all sorts Of tales will be Invented
70 show that General Meadc's retreat was purely
volurtsT". and made for strategic reasons B'i'
tun reason, ~stiaicSiu or other, can 10 gwen 1ni
General M-a1n's Tatrca. which is not n rerroaei
| 70 III. administration. i hurried retreat OF fifty
or sixty niles proves thai he was not strong
| enough, or dii not think himself strong enoug!
to tight the enemy IN the region into which ne
hail advanced. II he was not strong enough
originally. wiv WAS he permitted 10 do so FOOLS:
. thing a, TO advance! 1.-The was strong enough
before his army was depleted H. carry the Penn
,vIvaiiia election for the Republicans. military
advantages have been sacrificed for party objects
IF he was originally iuo weak to tight III 20 Ell
rpnceG 81 POSITION. ANA with such long lines to
. UcltVU. tlsii ~ ilh''N'i SISh'ci I"
weakening lin still further, and exposing El'
safety 20 accomplish Il party purpose. 1t Meade
could no' fight Lee on the Rap;dan, and i; here
is no strong military pos;ii0a il the whole inter-
ypI,inr distance from Tie l,apidan to Bull Run
where he dared To give BATH, what did he adj
; ,auv. 30 the Rap!dam far Why was he allowed
to i crease the cUs. u! maintaining his army ny
Iengthcning The distance from MS supplies, and
Guarding long lines of communication i'll tho
... .. ,,;tI,n,t In ltiur hn IyaS n
Iirry i,act; TO the reigllburhood Of Washington.
and tl,rrr stai.d or the defensive /! He could
hnyc lowered around Washington and haze kept
Nh Tie defensive without iu~currirg all this eN-
rcusc. and viii. nj The los, of prestige involved
in fifty or sixty miles hurried rctrcat, under vic
orous pursuit by the enemy
Tie simpia truth, obvious to The whole country
is that Meade maintai, cd his advanced position
until ,lc administration weakened his nrmy 10
can II State election, and that he was thencnm'
! pc:iad 70 iy before a pursuing foe.
We could, il necessary. demonstrate with squa
! ,!earncss that the defeat of l;osecrans. and his
rf:cse.it critical POSITION. are the direct conse.
uuenccs- OF using soldiers by tie administration
for accomplishing party ofjcc:s. The attempt tc
put Governor Seymour III 4 false position. rs /;
mcans Of prciua;cing the country against the
! Democratic party, caused forty five regiments
! ftliS is Senator Wilson'S statement Of the NUM-
/ bcr) 10 be sent 20 This city, when half of tha,
number. rs Il reinforcement! 10 RUSecrans. wonid
! have saved him from a disastrous defeat. The
two or three thousand soldiers the draft produced
in this city. were not important enough to Justify
The administration III weakening our two mos
important armies. enlangerinG their safety, and
rendering the fall campaigns in tho West and
East worse than annuliity. The draft could have
stood sill! :cr u while here, as well rs III n doztT
other States. But political considerations pre-
vailed. ard the administration he's caused i'm.
nnrra.rt ca!ny.aiyls TO miscarry that it might carry
c~Ieciinns. Tire season Of deep mud, which vii
~postponc active operations for the winter: is clos'
upon us :; snd next summer the administration
will have y great way upon It's hands. as IN ell
cine for c!ectins 4 Republican President.