Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-26
MOttcster Daily Spy.
/. NEWS FROM THE WAR.
FRANCE AND TIE UNITED STATES.

dence with the British cabinet on the subjec
of the depredations committed by the Ala
baml. The writer says that Drouyn de
Lhuys's opinion is that the tacit consent of
England to the launching and fitting out of Il
privateer is in direct violation of the spirit
and letter Of the treaty OF Paris signed in
1856, and, as such, constitutes breach in the
law Of nations as acknowledged and sanction
ed by the five powers which were represented
at the signature of that treaty.
1t is further stated that the British cabinet
has taken under serious consideration the
representations of France, and is now trying
to find way a way to eXtricate itself from all
connection in the matter. 1t is afraid of the
consequences to which England would be ex-
posed in future by this precedent, not only on
the part of America, but also from the CONT
mental powers, who could avail themselves of
these precrdents to their advantage should
they ever be brought to acts of hostility
against the English nation.
1t is with view to relieving England from
this false position that Lord Palmerston is nov
using all the resources of his flexible mind.
He is said to have expressed lively regret at
the cool manner with which Lord Russell has
received the remonstrances of Mr.. Adams
concerning the Alabama, and he is now CO.
quoting with our ambassador so as to make
him forget the effect Of Lord RussellS recep.
ton. 1t is even SAID that he has spoken to
several members of the next parliament in or.
der to obtain a vote of cenSure against the
builders and owners of the pirate, a measure
which, in his estimation, would relieve the
cabinet from all responsibility in the matter,
and save it from further trouble with the ma
tiOns of Europe.
1t is the general belief in France that the
refusal of England to adhere to the mediation
scheme is due to the fears she had that her
interference in that question, would rather
prevent than promote its success. The semi
official papers ofPars, express the same opin-
ion, and say, that after having supplied the
enemies of this country with piratical vessels,
the English cabinet could not expect to see
its acquiescence in the project of the French
emperor well received by the northern peo-
pie. They think the English cabinet, through
feeling of delicacy, arising from the preca-
rious state of its relations with the United
States, has declined to join Louis Napoleon
in a scheme which, by itself, might be looked
upon as an act of hostility by the people of
this country, and thus explain the motives
governing England in its refusal. They hope
to see the English ingratiate itself
in the eyes of the American people, by de-
nouncng the Alabama and preventing by all
possible means, the fitting out of other vessels
ofthe same kind.
GEN. HITCHCoCK's LETTER.
The testimony of Gen. Hitchcock in the
Mcdowell case having been enormously re-
ported, he writes to the Washington Chroni-
Gle as follows cit was the duty of the court
to determine the questions l should be called
upon 10 answer, and mine to state the truth,
as sworn to. The conrt asked my opinion
touching the responsibilities in the case of a
disobedience of orders by General Mcclellan,
in not leaving for the security Of Washington
the force designated by the four commanders
of the four army corps comprising the army
of the Potomac. In answering this question
placed the responsibility where military law
and army usage had always placed it-wth
the officer who, as was assumed in the ques-
ton, had disobeyed the order-to wit with
General Mcclellan, and not with the presi
dent, who, in making good his original order,
by the detention Of part of McDowells corps
IN front of Washington, merely took neceS-
sary step to repair a mischief committed by
General Mcclellan himself, in not attending
to the order of the eighth of March, which
was reiterated through the secretary of war
on the thirteenth of the same month
- S
N0i VI II 10 ~ ''iu ",ii p'e ioiware
"pI oouilu " suppose ny acciuenlIlS piac,
Ing .e 1Spo"',Jily TlVn '',G PIesluelI' anu
NV ".s'. oe" niTIieii''i' wy oPinIol was
%,,'t ""s 80 S'''eu 70 le court' tlat zen NC
Clellan, IN dlsobeying the orders of the presi-
dent, took upon himself the responsibility for
all the consequences that might follow such
disobedience. Tins IS plain military princi-
pie, which every soldier understands.
per course under the orders Of the nresident
was first to obey the orders punctually and
precisely and then to consider whether he
ii ,,a 20 1 ia; iol 'ng GAeGu'ioh Oh
,d t tI ii's,,i.' fn ah ""
Gnu o,i0 - t no. a nave re-
~ ''0 r. '.i'i o!i iiie
III -; -. .l''' t,io p
neI nm " pioISeu III lne eAecullon
"a MS pl"ns; ~! te WIN mouiu fi''ve piaceu
tne iespouSiolli'y az t'i1 uoor Vi preslueht'
zen, mcOIeliah ulu not 40 Ihis;
ne coliillehceu MS eApeultioh' neglect
ing tne point so explicitly ordered by the
piesiuent' anu puG Il iarge part Oh MS Iorce III
hioVioh ior Ihe lsthmus DeIore the president
khe" OF ttlat neglect, ana thus took upon
linnsei the entire responsibility 1or all that
lohoweu' nrlIiiant success mas often pro-
tected an oincer from the penalty already at
HNeu ny la"-see tle hlhth artlcle OF war-to
olSoDcdlence OF orders; put 1t VIII be new
feature IN military history when failure, re-
sulting from a departure OF plans and orders,
snail be visited upon the superior, whose plan
was not followed and whose orders were me-