Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-05-14

the Congressional Committee on the Conduct OF
tho War as relates to the responsibility resting on
the present Administration for wise use Of the
means placed at its command by confding and
loyal people. 1t viii be remembered that the COM
mittee held ON this point tho following language:
ut needs but to refer to the history Of the Congress-
just closed its prompt and thorough action clothing e
all the resources Of men and money which this nation pos
sessed prove that your commtee judged rightly that
Congress needed prompting from them to do it's entire
means necessary put down the rebellion but upon those
,0hoss dHty rghliiy apply those means, and the
agents THEY EMPLOYED for that purpose rests the blame
sny that the hopes Of the nation have been realized
and its expectatonshave been long disappointed"
~ We leave to the Congressional committee all the
satisfaction they evidently found in saddliDg upon
the shoulders of the Administration the load Of
/" blame" accumulated by their researches into the
conduct Of the agents employed by the President
for the prosecution Of the war, We suppose the
"loyalty" of the committee is not to be called into
question merely because they remind the Execu-
tive of the responsibility under which it has come
to the people for successful issueof military
operations. And it was in simple reproduction Of
the idea SO properly enforced by the committee
under this head that We judged it timely q few
weeks ago to hold the following language
Under these circumstances, with unlimited resources
placed at it's command nothing but Encouragement on
the part of the military administration can deprive the
country Of that which il has right to demand
from those it has 10 condngy and unreservedy trusted
during the last two years Let the Administration
support itself and il will have no reason 10 ask for the
support Of the loyal millions who look to it with alternate
hope and despair Let it, by wisdom in devsing its mill
plsns and by sagacy 10 selecting s agents. win for
itself and the Union those decisive victore. which the
vaor and numbers Of troops command and
there will be no occasion for the duplicating cry Sup
port the Administration This is hat the people have
been doing for the last two years. with unanimy and
lavish mun6cence in life and treasure which without
parallel in The history Of nations Let the Administration
show teelf worthy of the people, and the people will
he only too glad to give it support and gratitude aud
dying praise But let it fall short of s high mission ard
words Of venal aduati0n the hand Of official
insoence ON the other preserve it from the conde
nation of disappointed and disguised patriotism y
Meanwhile let all give to the Administration the sup
port deserves Let ts be generously counted
70 its credit, and if msfortunes fall ii in
with the country let not ITS motives be harshy judged
while holding to the proper accountability which be-
comes tree mighty and maQpanlmous people in judging
the rulers who are its servants"
In view of the misfortunes which have Just
overtaken the Army of the Potomac, under the
new General recently placed at its head by the
Administration, we are suddenly called to repeat
this language of friendly admonition to the civil
authorities charged with the conduct Of the war,
and, at the same time to invoke for these autho-
rites the candid consideration of disappointed
country. Again, we cay, let not the motives of
the Administration be harshly judged while hold
ing it to the proper accountability which becomes
q free people in judging the rulers who are its
servants. If this is no time for the professional
posture.masters of servility to expose the awk-
wardness of their fusome fattery it is just as little
. time for hoarse and angry and resentful crimi-
nation the part Of political opponents. The
exigency calls for grave counsel, not for taunt or
invective 1t cannot be doubted that the military
branch of the Administration is already sufficiently
sensible of the popular disappointment resulting
from the recent failure of Gen. Hooker, and as its
own reputation, to say nothing Of higher conside-
rations, is bound up in the achievement Of success,
we may be sure that the discontinue of that officer
is source Of profound grief to it in common with
the country. What measures the Administration
will take to retrieve the failure we cannot predict
beyond the announcement already made, that the
army will soon resume offensive operations, whe-
Their under Gen. Hooker or another commander we
are not informed, though we should think that the
experience Of the President in changing from time
to time the Commander Of the Army Of the Poto-
mac hes not been such as to encourage the idea
that chan ge is always reform any more in military
than in political affairs
Referring to the late misfortunes of this officer,
the Boston Daily Advertiser judiciously says:
with the question Of eeneralshp, and what may be
connected With IT, have nothing 10 do at present.; is
the Government 10 satisfy itself and the country upon that
point But we may to speak with confidence
Of what the public mind requires Of the Government
in other respects The snoton is NOT for trifing,
rhcher Took AZ home abroad The country needs,
upon the hsi Of this misfortune sgna proof By ITS
Government Of resolution, Of confidence IN nse and Of
real porer in dealing Nth seiors condition Of afai
Semi, ffcial announcements like that made day two
ago by Washington paper upon high authority, that
even If the enemy have been successful it will amount 10
nothing at all rated any thing better than
worthless by The good Of the people, and least Of all
will they The country requires posi-
tive and vigorous action such distinctly recognises all
the possibilities of position, aud prepares 10 meet
tbem-some positive apd tangible pledge of deter mica.
ton, Of courage, and of hope Of the resolution never
to abandon the purpose for which strive accomplish
and to use promptly and with energy the immense
sources of the loyal States" i
This, we are aware, is not the language Of adu-
lation but it is the univ ersal voice Of those who
in truly protesting to be the friends Of the Adm-
nistration have not ceased to be the sincere friends
Of the country
I