Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-04-17
Weakness & Confusion in Counsel.

The political optimists have had har
row in these days. One needs to fal
back wholly upon the providential t
reach the idea that what is is best. TIL
report Of the congressional war commit
tee tends to root out what little popula
confidence remained as to the conduct O
the war at Washington. While il ba
not changed, but merely confirmed, til,
general judgment as to Mcclellan, it hal
clearly established the fact, only painful
ly suspected before, that there is little
unity of purpose and plan among those
entrusted with the direction of the war
In the most important matters the com
mander-in- chief often acts without the
knowledge of the general-in. chief or the
secretary of war and the secretary with
out the knowledge and direction Of the
general-ir chiefor president. Gen. Hal
leck is not convicted of the same indie
pendence and isolation in action, but it al
least argues certain degree of weak
ness in him to consent to bold position
where he is so often ignored and bis best
laid plans exposed to defeat by the pur-
poses of those with whom be is associ-
ated. The promise has been again and
again renewed for the two years Of the
war that there should be unity in its
management, but the latest revelations
before the committee make it evident
that there was never less unity than a,
this moment. Indeed the idea that this
unity is essential to success has evident
ly not yet been accepted in high quarters.
With such fact staring US in the face
il is hard for the most devoted patriotism
to maintain its alliance with hope.
This disunity is nowhere more con-
spicuous than in the dealing with Burn.
side and the army of the Potomac. In
portions of the testimony as to General
McClellan's campaigns it is revealed
that Gen. Halleck was left in ignorance
Of Gen. McClelan's plans while the
president was corresponding with the lat
ter upon the subject. In the case Of
Burnside, Gen. Halleck was informed of
an intended movement by Gen. Burn
side, subsequent to the Fredericksburg
disaster, but he heard nothing from the
president Of bis having peremptorily for
hidden Gen. Burnside's advance and
week after neither the general-in-chief
nor the secretary Of war had learned
enough about the presidents action in the
case to see the improperly of their ad-
vice that Gen. Cochrane and Gen. Frank
lin should be dismissed for having re-
monstrated with the president against al
lowing the army to be moved again. OFT
course the president could not punish the {
officers upon whose suggestions he had |
acted in countermanding the orders of T
their chief The marvel is that be sho'd
have thus acted without conference with :
Gen. Haleck at least. If Gen. Haleck |
is worthy to hold his position, that posi- I
tion should amount 10 something. Ifnot. 4
then he should be put into some real ser. r
vice elsewhere, and the president should s
have the entire responsibility or he e
might, as has been suggested, surround v
himself with a grand aulic council of gen d
erals, after the Austrian method. C
The investigations of the committee Il
as to Gen. Stone, have only made dark Il
ness visible in respect to the reasons for b
bis arrest, but in his case also there is f
the same evidence of the lack of unity u
and central authority. All the committee tt
know about the case is, that they heard n
testimony as TO suspicious of completely Il
of General Stone with the rebels at the Q
time, and that the testimony was con- Il
fiicting, and failed to fix any positive n
ground Of suspicion against him +; that II
Gen. McClellan's suspicious of Stones p
loyalty had been aroused by the evidence h
Of a refugee from Leesburg, Va, and be II
had communicated that evidence to Sec'y p
Stanton and the order for Stones ar oil
rest was issued by Mcclellan by direc- al
lion of Sec'y Stanton. There is no evil e'
depce that the President had anything
TO do with it. The precise charge against -
Gen. Stone, and the evidence on which T.
Sec'y Stanton acted, are to this day his :,
secret. The earnest demands of Gen. IT
Stone and his friends, repeated for more q,
han a year, while he was held close :,
IN Fort Lafayette, failed to draw from n
he secretary any statement of the crime .,
For which he had been imprisoned. The !;
say they do not know-that n
hey never have been informed, why the -,
request of General Stone and his friends -,
vas not granted. Did they ask Sec'y 4,
Stanton, the only man who does know,
according to their account And if not, -,
why not d? After tracing the matter so -