Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-02-05
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1863.
THE GENERAL.IN-CHIEF.

| SO long as an almost unbroken succession Of
victories waited on the banners of our armies the
paudits Of the crowd were lavishly awarded to the
civil rulers who we're supposed to have stimulated
the movements of our forces, if they had no,
quite succeeded in organizing victory" as some
more jealous admirers delighted to express it.
But when, at later day, there seemed to be an
ebb in the tide of success, many who had Joined in
the loud accaims of the former period had nothing
but hoarse murmurs with which to greet the civil
administration of the War Department
twas heldiu the July last by that staunch
upholder of the Administration, the New York
| Independent that g. the success Of our arms had
been in the ratio Of their distance from the seat
of Government. In all the great West where
the Government could not NEEDLE, on the sea-
board, in North Carolina, at Beaufort, South
Dut in Virginia, within reach of the influence of
Washington, we have had all our delays and all
our misfortunes"
Though we did not join in these hoarse MUIR
murs," practice this directness and acerbity of
criticism, sufficiently indicated at that time the
mistake was committed by the Administration
when it broke up the grand Army of the Potomac
into several independent commands, and undertook
to direct their movements by orders from this city.
This policy proved SO disastrous in the Valley of
the Shenandoah that the Administration FASTENED
to repair the breaches it had made in that quarter
and thus gave to the country, we had hoped, suf-
6cent guarantee against the repetition of such
experiments.
It was in view of this condition of affairs, and Of
the temper of the public mind created by it, that
different political theorists propounded their various
specifics to serve as tonic to the langud hopes of
| the people With one it was the removal of the
Secretary Of War, with another the displacement
of Gen. Mcclellan, and with still another procla-
nation Of freedom to all slaves throughout the land
In making, on the Gath of July last, when this
dissatisfaction was at its height the official an
nouncement that Major Gen. Halleck had been
appointed by the President "to command the
whole land force Of the United States" we ac
companied it with the following observations
"This announcement viii BIS received by all loyal c
with the greatest satisfaction 1t is not to be denied
contemporaries attest with different degrees
emphasis in their Language of complaint dependency
thar in spite of u weneant endeavors to conceal the
fact profound gloom has recently settled upon the pub
lie mind in regard to the conduct aud prospects of the
pending To cite the words Of the New York Times
uttered only the day before yesterday the great OF
the people discouraged and dshesrtened And the
of it is that they have lost faith in every body and
every thing except their exhausess and
their ndOmtabe purpose to crush the rebellion and
preserve the life and unity of the nation They have
poured out their and their blood like water and
thayd do "a frlts thev miapd
sacrifices They have given their confidence without stint
TO the who welded the weapons they had placed ia
their hands and they do not find that confidence just fed
by They have waited patiently week after week.
month after month"; through the slow revolving of
whole year. for victories brilliant and decisive promised
them from day to day and though every home mouns it's
dead and every heart ereyes for friends who will return no
more forever. the victories yet delayed ard in
deed further of than when the war began
Without meaning to abae the force due to other
sderaons venture to express the belief that the po
puar dependency has been caused by the
want of unity and energy the recent conduct Of the
than by all other causes combined The mere
that General Haeck had been summoned to Washington
and TO be made Commander Of the National Armies
did something to revive the public hopes And now that
this fact is confirmed we do doubt that the popular
confidence In the Government will be restored.
Gen Halleck assumes the command OF all the land
with the prestige Of in his late department
That success persuaded largely due TO The fact
that he presided all the military that de-
parment pithoul any hndrance that hch from
The enemy from has mistakes, he committed any
His binaons not disturbed u all has orders
executed by has agsas TO hoped that in ks
nder sphere Of command he may haze equal scope Of
dependent and absolute military action This is the condi
ti6p Of success Without IT, tie appointment Of Gen. Hal
ltck h bsbut deason and TO The popular hopes
Pih IT, the pO,ser Of the nation in just cause
mand success"
The developments of the last few months have
served to show that Major General Halleck is
rather nomipaly than really the General-in- Chief
The first intimation we had Of this fact was con-
ained in his official report, made to the Secretary
of War under date Of last November %, " Of mill
ary operations since the 23d Of July last, when,
in compliance with the Presidents order of July
| IL, he assumed command Of the army as General
n-Chief" In that report, after abiding to change
in the projected operations of Gen. Mcclellan, he
held the following language:
"What caused him TO change his views or ,ohat his
plan Of camp ign am ignorant, for about this time
he ceased communicate with in regard to his opera
lions, sending his reports direct to the President"
| Commenting on this point in the same number
Of the Intelligeucer containing Gen. Halleck's re
port, we wrote as follows,
cit appears that towards the close of Gen. McCle
lsns military administration he ceased altogether to
correspond with the GenerainChief and sent all his
ports directly the President This say strikes
extraordinary proceeding, considering that Gen.
Haleck the Generain-Chef, and IS such had, in