The New York herald., 1863-12-29

would precipitate collision between the CT
de,unt allies; and when Napoleon needs a pre-
tex. be generally manages to find one. We
shall not be surprised to hear at any moment
tina, the French have abandoned Mexico, and
that England il menaced
Wh, is Reponsible for Our Military
-. Failures.
General Halleck's report if it has done
nothing else, has diverted the attention Of the
politicians from their party interests and
thrown them into fever of excitement, by its
boldness and the decided character Of its revela-
tions From highest to lowest they begin to
see that that document is far the most import
ant Of the many that were given to the public
last month, and that while the other reports,
and even the Presidents Message, have already
passed out Of the public thought, this one at
tracts all the time more and more attention, as
the only document Of the session, 30 far, that
deals with the really vital question of the day
the conduct and continuation Of the war.
Accordingly they begin to give their atten
ticn to it in earnest aud are already at their
little attempts to turn its point. Yesterday a
silly contemporary of this city published
column of Egmarole on the subject of military
responsibility, which had no other object than
10 exculpate the President and bis advisers
ard to screen them from the charge Of misman
agement OF the war by improper interference
with generals charge that has been made
by the whole country, and of the truth Of which
General Halleck's report furnishes abundant
and unanswerable evidence. The functions Of
central military authority, says our contem-
porary-
plan Of tho a. swhole the indication Of the grand
military obcctivce and lines Of operation and such dis
troutiOn and mArshans Of the forces - wi best tend
paans and battles matter OF equal necessity left
with the general In the field.
And in accordance with this 1t il found that
General Burnaide y responsible for vredericksburg.
cneral Hooker for Chancellorsvlc: 70 General Grant
us the credit for The campaign against vcksburg TO
General Rosecrans belongs the credit OF the strategy that
regatnod Tennessee at stroke and planted tho Union
army Chattanooga and the disastrous Held OF Chicka
mauga lies In the limo OF that trumpnai march to Chat
tn0osa We arc bound 70 give him the due for that also
Moreover, our contemporary, after full view
Of the matter through pinhole, concludes that
"The relations between Washington and our
generals in the field" are not greatly out OF
order" Here is abundant commonplace, and,
of course, the true point in the business is al
together evaded
But let US look at this matter for q moment
in the light even in which our contemporary
views it. Central authorities govern the war
as a whole and generals are responsible for
the conduct of campaigns and battles. Gene
raj Mcclellan conducted the peninsula
campaign, and 80. under this view, would
be held responsible for it; but all
the world knows that the final failure of that
campaign was rendered inevitable by events
that occurred in the Valley of Virginia, over
which Mcclellan had no cognizance at all. The
fate of the Army Of the Potomac, while it was
yet in front Of Richmond, was settled when
Banks was beaten, and when Mcdowell lay at
bis ease; but Mcclellan is responsible for it,
And "if the disastrous field Of Chickamauga
lies in the line Of Rosecrans' march to Chatta-
nooga we are bound to give him the due for
that also.n Rosecrans is ordered to march to
a certain point with fifty thousand men, and is
promised that ten or fifteen thousand more
shall join him at q certain point. He moves,
conscious that there is battle in bis way He
counts upon the reinforcements for that battle,
a. be has every right to do; but they are not
there as the central military authority
promised they should be- and he is beaten.
He is responsible, because the practical con-
duct of battles" is left with the generals. Such
is our contemporaries idea of responsibility.
But IL Burnside Il responsible for Fredericks-
burg, Hooker for Charlottesville, and Pope
for his frigbtful valley campaign, who
ere The persons that are responsible
for Burnside, Hooker and Pope' This ia the
real point, and this our contemporary ignores
Upon the advance, after Antetam, General
Halleck, "the central military authority" had
his plan for the general conduct Of the war
and II may have been good enough plan
TO act under it. But who Is responsible for the
removal Of Mcclellan ct that time, and just
when he was ready 70 fight, and the appoint
mont in bis place OF The man who eventually
became responsible for Fredericksburg Where
does the responsibility rest for the appointment
Of Pcp,-an incompetent mani Who is rcspon-
siblc for the appointment Of Hooker, against
the protest Of the central military author-
IT," and for bis retention in command after The
most disgraccful battle Of modern times'
General Halleck's report furnishes the an
swcr 70 these queries, and shows to The coun-
Try, clearly and unquestonsbly, that the ad
ministration, "a at present constituted, Is ut
terly unable 10 conduct the war TO success
full close, and thus shows also, in the most
forcible manner, the need that there now is
tha, such man IA General Grant should be at
Ce helm TO carry the country safely, honora-
blg and quickly through This great struggle