Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-05-23

and sugacity to the Rebel President or TO his
Cabinet will find how much they have been
mistaken in their opinion:
unfortunately, however, President Davis
was not the man 10 consult the sentimen. and
| wisdom of the people; he desired TO signal1e
the inlallibility OF his own intellect in every
| measure OF the revolution, and TO identify.
| 1r.m motives of vanity, his own personal
| genius witheyery event and detail Of the re-
arkable period of history in which he had
hsen called upon to act This imperious con-
| ct'ii seemed 10 swallow up every other idea in
his mhd. BY what was scarcely more than a
con- sti'utiou:ti fiction, the President OF the
Confederate States was the head of the army
but Mr. Davis, while he made himself the su-
preEae masttP of the civil administration OF the
Government, so far as to take the smallest de-
tails within his control, and to reduce his cab
met officers to the condition OF head clerks,
| insisted also upon being the autocrat OF the
army, controlling the plans Of every General
III the field. and debating to him the precise
limits Of every movement that was undertaken.
.tMany Of our Generals fretted under this
pragmahs N sf an Executive, who, instead of
attending 70 the civil affairs of the Government
and correcting the monstrous abuses that were
daily pointed out by the newspapers in the
conduct of the departments, was unfortunately
possessed with the vanity that he was q great
military genius, and that il was necessary for
him 10 dictate, irem his cushioned seat in Rich
mono, tic details OF every campaign, and to
con orm every movement in the field TO the in
variable formula OF sthe defensive policy
"1n revolutionary leader something more
is wanted than scholarly and polished intellect.
The history OF the world shows that, in such
circumstances, the plainest men, in po:n: OF
ic;'rning and scholarship, have been the most
successful. and that their elements of success
have been quick apprehension, practical iudg-
ment knowledge Of human nature, and above
all. a disposition to consult the aggregate wis
dom OF the people, and to increase thri: 81 ,res
OF Judgment, by deigniHg to learn from every
possible source of practical wisdom within
th -ir reach.
President Davis was not man to consult,
even i'll the smallest matter of detail, the Wis
dom of others, or TO relax his purposes or per
sonal preferences, at the instance OF any coa-
slderatlon that might compromise him in respect
OF conceit or punctilio- About nothing con-
nected with the new government had the pop
ular will been so clearly and emphati .alfy
expressed. as the necessity OF a reor rganization
of the Cabinet. Nobody expected those Offices
TO be permanently filled by the provisional
appointees. They were pnt there under an
emergency; in some instances simply com
pliinents to certain States, and without the
slightest expectati that they would be imposed
on the country for seven long years. Had the
Union continued, and Mr.. Davis been electad
to the Presidency, the selection of such a Cabi-
net of intellectual pigmies from the nation a.
large would have astounded the public.
THE two great branches OF the adminis.ra-
ton-the war and the navy departmeuts-were
IN the hands OF men who had neither the re-
spcct nor the confidence OF the public. Mr..
benjamin, the Secretary OF War, had been Sc
riously injured by anuInbero of doubtful Off cisl
acts, in the public estimation, which never held
L.
table official. Mr.. Mallory, the Secretary OF
Navy, had. in the old Government, i'll which
he was chairman of the Senate Committee on
Naval Affairs, been the butt OF every naval
officer IN the country for his ignorance, his
sang frotd, his slow and laundering manner,
and the engrossmenJ of his mind by proyisi ons
TO provide qualification for his social habits.
9 President Davis refused TO concede any
thing 10 public sentiment with reference 20 the
reorganization OF his cabinet, although il is 10
be remarked that the demand for change was
made, not by a popular clainor, which a wise
ruler would have done right TO disregard and
10 contemn. but by that qniet, conservative and
educated sentiment which no magistrate in Il
republican government had the right 10 disTe-
gard Mr. Mallory was retained AZ the head OF
the navy; Mr.. Benjamin was promoted 20 the
secretaryShip of the State, and the only mate
rial ch;nge In the cabinet was the Introduction
rs Secretary OF War OF Gen. Randolph, OF Va,
"A gentleman whose sterling personal worth
made hi1l &C ceptable TO all parties, and prom
iseG at least some change for the better iii the
administration OF a government that had been
eaten mp by servility, and had illustrated no.
thing more than the imperioas conceit OF sim
@le man."
OF the results of the Monitor and Nerrimac
fight hn says:
ssAs an example of the sharn and practical
energy of the Northern Government, and its
readiness to avail itself of all means in the
prosecution of the war. il may be mentioned
that in five days after the Confederate victory
In Hampton Roads, a bill was introduced into
the Senate at Washington, appropriatng nearly
fifteen millions of dollars Tor the construction
OF additional iron clad yessels.''
OF the capture OF New Orleans. for which
he blames Mr.. Davis, he says:
':But great disaster was to occur where it
was least expected, and where it involved the
most immense consequenccS-a disaster which
was to astound the South, which was 10 shake
the confidence of the world in the fortunes OF
the Confederacy, and which was TO lead, by
unavoidable steps, 10 the abandonment to the
enemy of the great Valley of the Missis sippi''
CURIOUS PARTICULARS OF THE DESTRUCTION
OF THE MERRIMAC.
The destruction of the Merrimac he mentions
as a bitter pill to the rebels. He blames Davis
for that. tpo. and gives the following curious
CHOW tar the Government was implicated
in this foolish and desperate act, was never
openly acknow ledged or exactly ascertaineti;
but, despite the pains of official concealmenr,
there are certain well attested facts which in
dicate that in the destruction of this great war
ship the authorities at Richmond were not
guiltless. These facts properly belong 10 the
history of one Of the most unhappy events that
had occurred since the commencement of the
war.
sThe Virginia was destroyed under the i'm.
mediate orders of her commander, Commodore
TattnalI, little before five o'clock on the
morning of the th of May, in the vicinity of
Craney Island. During the morning OF the
same day prominent politician in the streets
of Richmond was observed to be very muen
detected; !e remarked that it was an evil day
for the Confederacy.
"Un being questioned by his ultima te friends,
he declared TO them that the Government had
determined upon, or assented to, the destruc-
tlon of the Virginia. and that he had learned
this from the highest sources of authority in the
Capital. At this time the news of the explosion
of the Virginia could not have possibly rsa ehed
Richmond there was no telegraphic commn-
nication between the scene of her destruction
and the city, and evidence appears to be COM
plete that the Government had at least a pre-
vision of the destruction of this vessel, or hasf
assented TO the general policy of the act, trust
irg, perhaps, to acquit itself of the RESPONSE
bility for it on the unworthy plea that it had
gwen no express orders in the matter.
s.Again, it is well known that for at least
week prior 10 the destruction of the Virginia,
the evacuation of Norfolk had been deter
mined upon; that, during the time the removal
OF stores was daily progressing; and that Mr..
Mallory, the Secretary of the Navy, had with
i'm this period himself visited NerfolA To look
after the public interests. The evacuation of
this port clearly involved the question, what
disposition waste be made of the Virginia.
ssif the Government made no decision of g.
question which for week stared it IN :ne face,
it certainly was very strangely neglectful OF
the public interest. If Mr.. Mallory visited
Norfolk when the evacuation was going on,
and never thought of the Virginia, or thinking
of her, kept Gumb-neyer even giving so much