Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-03-05
THE RELATIONS OF GEN. SCOTT AND GEN.
MCCLELLAN

| THE RELATIONS OF GEN SCOTT AND GEN.
MCCLELLAN.
We observe that the great majority of our con-
temporaries, without distinction of party, concur
with us in the view we felt it proper to take
Of the letter, recently made public, addressed by
Lieut.. Gen. SCOTT to Mr., secrctary CAMERON, in
regard to certain acts of disobedence alleged to
have been committed by Gen. MCCLELLAN, with
the encouragement of the President and several
members of the Cabinet.
1t seemed to us that the publicati on of this let
ter, after the President, the Secretary Of War at
that date, and the entire Administration had prac-
tically ignored the charges by appointing Gen.
Mcclellan to succeed Gen. Scott in the post of
| General-in-Chief, was calculated, whether SO de-
signed not, to call into question the conduct of
the Executive, as commander-in-chief, without
afording him opportunity Of explaining the cir
cumstances under which he had encouraged"
Gen. Mcclellan to pursue the course of which
Gen. Scott complained.
One of our Republican contemporaries
Cincinnati Commercial-in its number Of the 9th
February, undertakes to throw some light on the
subject 1t says
The essential fact in the case is was found neces
in order to expedite the organization Of the Army of
the Potomac, that Gen. Mcclellan should communicates
directly with the War Office. Gen. Scott differed from
Gen. Mcclellan as to the policy to be pursued He did
not think it necessary to provide artillery and cavalry
Of the service the vast scale advocated by McC
Ian. His idea of crushing the rebellion to blockade
the rebels and sarve them out McCellans proposition
TO prepare great army complete in all and
invade the enemys country The Administration adopted
McCelans views. Gen. Scott, the nominal head of the
/ Df
resulting from Scotts position quietly eDaded That
Gen Mcclellan did not suffer in the estimation of the Ad
mnistaton because be turned Gen SCOTS position by
flank movement is shown by the fact that when the old
GeneI retired the President, with the of
every member of his Cabinet, gave the nsubordinats
the chief command. We may expect the newspapers
SCOTS retirement was desirable to magnify his testimony
against Mcclellan We do not what good the publca
| ton of this letter from Gen. Scott will do"
Our judicous Republican contemporary, the
Boston Daily Advertiser, comments on the topic as
follows, in its number of the 9th of February:
at not question whether General Scott, who
known to have been upon of most cordial friend
ship with his successor and to have retained full confidence
in his capacity, pleased shocked at this publication
The old hero has become Injured by experience recent
wei. remote, to the untiney disclosure of his
spondence. tE
We need explain to our readers the reasons which
doubt led al time to the IRE gular method Of trans
acting military business which touched the sensitive feel
indicated in part by the reference which General Scot
himself makes in his l. tier to of the which
ncapactaed HIM for duty, while it is well understood by
all how desirable the to retain the prestige
Of his in the conduct of affairs which he had
administered with such SURPRISING ability. generous
mind would have suffered such chapter in the his
tory of the to remain covered by the veil of secesy
but its disclosure cannot prevent the public general from
approving the conduct of the in arranging the
transfer of the general charge of affairs to the hands Of
young officer, in the prime Of bis years.
Stevens 81
this letter. to ignore the peculiar relations Of the
two officers and the fact that in the view Of the Govern
men and for well considered the nominal superior
rank ceasng 10 be the superior in authority He
treats the sfair genuine of insubordnaon But
does be not know that the President himself have a
proved, If he had not ordered the very acts which
complained Of nsubordnate General Scott states
that at the date of his complaint General Mcclellan
addressing communications writing to the Secretary Of
War and the President and that oral communications
also of frequent occurrence between the parties
When this complaint is renewed serious affair by Mr.
Stevens not The charge made in fact against the Pres
dent himself who thus presumed to scuss condentalJ
the plans Of the with junior ocer7 If it is insist
ed that there real nsubordinaton in the case not
this vr ual cusaton agsnst the President Of having
acts and does not Mr. Stevens accuse the very
Commander Chief of subvertng the discipline Of the
army in the highest ranksP
We cited few days ago the language employed
by President LINCOLN in his annual message to
Congress in the month of December, 1851, and
which was Of nature to exclude the inference
that the charges made by General Scott had
operated to the prejudice of Gen. Mcclellan either
in the estimation of the President or of the illus
trious Lieutenant General, by whom they pre-
ferred. To these frank words of the President we
may add the following language held by Mr.. Sc
cretary CAMERON in his report Of that year:
Lieut.. Gen Winfield Scott voluntarily relnquished
his high command Genealin- Chief of the American
army He bad faithfully and calamity served his country
for upwards OF half century and the glory Of his achieve
men's has given additional ustre to the brightest pages of
national annals The affections of grateful people
followed him into his retirement The President imme-
date conferred the command of the army upon the officer
next in rank.
Fortunately for the country Major Gene al Mcclellan
had proved himself equal to every situation in which his
great talents had been called into exercise brilliant
achievements in Western Virginia the untring energy and
consummate ability he displayed the organ cation and
discipline Of an entirely army have justly f,r him
the confidence and applause OF the troops and OF the nation
KENTUCKY RESOLVES ON NATIONAL AFFAIRS.
FRANKFORT, (KY.) FEBRUARY 81, 1863.
The House Of Representatives to-day voted the
of he Fed Rals