The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-05-13

press upon Rockers late operations near
Fredericksburg, one irresistible conviction is
forced upon the minds of loyal men, viz: that
the authors Of such comments secretly chuckle
and rejoice over his alleged failure, and very
lily succeed in their efforts to conceal such d.
a5olical satisfaction. Another conviction is
forced upon the mind: that the Copperheads
are vastly more anxious TO vindicate Mcclellan
than to vindicate the authority Of the Govern
ment; more anxious toput down Hooker, and
every other military man who has doubted
Mcclellan, than to put down either the rebels
or their rebellion. Hear the Argus in its filings
and inuendoes at man who has shown will
ingness to strike heavy blows against the re-
bellion, and who carries the scars upon his
own person received on the bloody field of
Antietam:
Perhaps purpose may be thus to divert attention
from the Shortcomings Of Hooker. That boastful
and ungenerous critic of other generals has
much need of the charity which he was not accus-
toned to show to Others.
The same paper greedily gobbles down the
following bit of ofial, snatched from that fam
Gus repository of carrion, the New York Her
aid:
Joe Hooker is not a competent person TO criticise
the campaigns of General Mcclellan.
The other Copperhead paper in the city
goes farther, and appropriating this tainted
bone from the Herald, and working it over in
to a very dainty dish, reproduces it as follows
ONE THING DEcIDED-The recent operations
the Rappahannock have decided that Gen Hooker is
not q competent witness against Gen. Mcclellan.
The last referred to paper has several short
but significant articles, all charged to the brim
with spite against the commanding General
Of the Potomac Army, declaring that he is in
capable of handling a large army, making in
vidious comparisons, and Boosting Of McClel-
lans'superior genius in this respect, criticising
his operations, and indulging in the most I'M
mistakable qualification over his failure to do
more; though it is a notorious fact, as the
events have shown, that even if Hooker's late
operations have not been all that could be de-
sired, they have equalled, in all respects, Nc
Clellan's most brilliant efforts. The worship
ersl of Mcclellan will search in vain, in his
whole record, for results more advantageous
to the Union cause than those which have fol-
lowed Rockers recent operations on the Rap
pahannock.
Who can fail to see in such items as we have
copied, the straws that indicate the direction
of the wind? Who doubts that the wish is
father to the thought with the papers referred
to, and that their desire to have political IA
voritc restored, is infinitely stronger than
their desire to have Hooker succeed in con-
quering the rebels? And who can doubt that
the regard of the copperheads for Mcclellan
those who cons antly oppose the war and
clamor for peace, peace even at the expense of
interuenfion-is based on his supposed mac
tivity, and the belief that, if he were in COM
mand, there would be no more vigorous pros
ecution of the war? We are glad to see the
copperheads showing their hand 1t is good
sign when malignant forms of disease come
TO the surface. They can be better guarded
against. If Rockers future moves should
prove successful these base taunts will come
back to trobule those who have uttered them.
Like chickens they will come home to roost
Then his criticisms upon Mcclellan will pos
sess redoubled weight and force.
We bring this brief article to close by
quoting from the Boston Herald Democrat
ic paper = whose editor was but recently
supported by the Democracy of Massachusetts,
for the Office of Lieut.. Gov. of that state.
Referring to the recent attacks of the copper
heads upon Hooker, the Herald characterizes
them as "dam nable, and should be frowned
"down by every loyal man in the country.
Hooker mas fought bravely. leading his army
Sin person, exposing himself TO the fire of the
"encmy The wretches who abuse Hooker
"deserve to be shot. His name will hence
forth be a terror to the rebel hordes as 1t will
I" be revered by every lover of his country"