Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-07-02

H~AaS
to the fact now fully disclosed by the actual re-
moval of Gen. Hooker, that this officer, notwith-
standing his conceded merits as a corps division
commander, had almost wholly lost the confidence
of the people well of the army in the position
from which he has just been relieved. And yet
we cannot doubt that he was retained in command
longer than would otherwise have been the case,
his removal would infict on the sensibilities of
many whose opinions and feelings the President
may deem himself bound to respect
The moral we draw from this revelation is that
all owe it no less to the President than to them
selves to advise according to the best of their honest
impressions at every juncture Dir. Lincoln has a
right to complain when those who all along have
been the patrons and apologists of Gen. Hooker,
now that he has been removed, proclaim publicly
that he had already forfeited their confidence be-
fore he was displaced The President was entitled
to this knowledge before, not that it is to be desr
ed that he should pay any heed to popular opinion
in making or unmaking his Generals, but that it is
desirable that the fountains of public discussion
and public intelligence shall be kept pure and free
from the admxtures of deception and insincerity
Among the journals which mainly contributed
to make Gen. Hooker something more than bril-
Tribune. 1t chanted his praises in season and out
of season Now that he has been superseded it
holds the following language:
"Gen. Hooker is relieved of the command of the Army
of the Potomac, and Major Gen George Meade, lately
commander Of the Fifth Corps, succeeds him. Though
ordinary circumstances should hesitate to approve
change of commanders the face of the enemy and pend
ing active campaign, we hail the present with consider
able satisfaction Gen. Hooker has painfully
the hopes aud expectations not erey of his friends but
of all those who had learned to regard him at least
brave and persistent fighter Since The battles of Chan
celorsvle he has lost that character with all who know
the real history of his needless and disastrous
the Rappahannock Such opportunity of annihating
the rebel army cannot be expected to present itself again
Lee surprised and immensely ounumbered and ought
to have been destroyed That in such circumstances he
not have since thought sufficient for
the removal of Gen Hooker but fail to understand
why he not removed then instead Of Additional
may be found in the failure to arrest the present
advance Of Lee which ought to have been prevented and
might have BEEN by prompt seizure of the Blue Ridge
passes"
The New York Evening Post, another of Gen
Hooker's constant admirers, remarks on his re
moval as follows:
1T expected shortly after the battle of Chancellors
ville that Gen. Hooker would be removed from the
mand of the Army of the Potomac He had failed in ac-
ton, and like Mcclellan Pope, and Burnside in similar
circumstances there prima tace against him.
Choosing his time Of movement, and his own place
for battle he had been compelled to retreat not perhaps
ANONYMOUSLY, but yet with great loss of and stil
greater loss of reputation to army He bad shown
he has always shown, excellent fighting qualities but
he had not shown that commanding sratgcal ability and
that ready mastery of men, which the
General of the highest order
But the Administration retained him in bis place
trary to the presidents in other and thereby
nounced to the country that it found fault with Gen.
Hookers management As it must be supposed to have
and accurate view of the which led to
the defeat the Rappahannock than Others inference
was universal that had to be satisfied The
ton acquesced In the decision and to the unfortunate
commander once more s amended confidence. 1t looked
to the skill and energy of Hooker for signal overthrow
of the audacious plans which have conducted Lee
than hundred and fifty miles from his former base to
the border towns of one of the Free States.
In the midst of these expectations, and while
movements in the end encounter him in bloody strug
ge surprised by the announcement that Hooker
has resigned and another General been put in his place
What he has done what he has not DONE the inter-
VAL to destroy the confidence OF the Administration in
him. is not made known. Whether his failure to stop the
progress of the enemy the of the change whe
ther Hooker himself has been disguised by the peculiar
military supervision exercised at Washington to throw
up his command, does not yet appear But is the
less startling that transfer important should be
dered at such critical juncture."
The New York Commercial Advertiser, paper
han which none other is more consistently de-
voted to the Administration, thus up the his
torcal lesson taught by the repeated changes made
in the commanding officer of the Army of the
Potomac
"The army of the Potomac has its sixth commander
Mcdowell Mcclellan, Pope Burnside, and Hooker have
successfully occupied this prominent position and have
successfully been removed 1t is simple truth cay that
Mcclellan alone of all these Generals has had the conf
dence Of his soldiers and that he alone has heretofore led
that army to victory The others have various ways lost
failed to confidence either from the army the
people, and has failed rapidly in this respect
the General who retres at his request to make
room for Gen. Meade"
DEATH OF ATMIRAI FO0TE