Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-04-07

In our government and IN our army and navy. For
nearly two years bave these accusations filled the popu
lar and largel influenced the popular sentiment
80 general have tby en- so constantly repeated
the t. seemed an herculean one, to arrest such
Voume o unjust imputations. But 1t is done. and we
thlnk 80 lar ss t. charges which have been consider
ed and adudcated are concerned satisfactorily done,
- the great relief of those whose pride and patriotism
could not but he deeply mortified by the suspi-
con, that in OF the os tryiog ard serious uci-
dents OF struggle trusted agents should prove
unfaithful or incapable.
These reports refer to and relate the chief and
events of that greatest ali the disasters and a1ic
tons which have fallen upon arms-he iai OF \ ew
Orleans The report OF the committee OF Congress,
composed OF members who had shared largely the popu
lar doubts to the fidelity, zeal and diligence with
which the duties of the Naval Department had been
conducted, throws food OF light this effective
cldent and terrible calamity. The sad recital of facts
not before fully known carefully investigated gives
us at least the consolation OF learning That that dismal
disaster not due to any infdeiy, neglect, inca
pacity or lack of zeal On the part of tioyernment
or OF mllt airy and naval officials. The misfortune
may Dc accounted for this report shows without in
volyDg the reputation of any OF our agents Doubtless
there were Mistakes blunders, and mscalcula-
ations but they not OF such extent and charac
ter 10 have any material influence the result OF
undertaking for which the of the Contede
racy then Inadequate, and in which nature and
chance interpnsed such formidable obNscles.
| This work of excu patton from upj just aspersous
shord~Aot end here. There is another party upon
whose share ia this sorrowiu tragedy underserVed
has teen cast and hasty, reckless and udg
meDt pronounce d. who, thus fer, has bad no defender
but has not en- without many accuaeIs. 1t hes not
been deemed OF sufficient Importance to invoke an H.
quiry constitute committee Justify its action;
and there have been and are now too many we fear OF
those who demand victim for every misfortune who
in the absence Of vndcation of that party, will be
satisfied to shit upon 1t the burden and crlnlnary OF
this great disaster. The party to which we refer is the
one which honest history will show is freess from all
blame for the fall of New Oreans-the gallant, true
devoted and heroic population of that noble, but
maligned city. Statements have emanated from
respectable which imply if they do not directly
impute lack of zeaf, and self sacrifice
nay, of common manhood-on the part of that popula
tion 1t has been most gratuitousy regarded
tial to the defence of certain parts that the people of
New Orleans should be charg with selfish indifference
to the demands o. national honor and patriotism, and
lukewarmnees in our jest and noble Never
charges false and unjust And yetwe grieve to say
the main fact uponwhch these charges based has
other sanction authorthan the assertion OF the MAJ
General commanding the defences OF New Orleans
the last man in the world who should have lent his
| name to the SANDER OF people who, with such IN
bounded trust and creduty bestowed their conf 1ence
on him, rendering to him unlimited obedience, placing
at his disposal their hves their property, and their ALL
and manifestng generous torbaarance and so warm
sympathy for his misforthne-hls lamentable down.
fall
Major General Lowell is not obnoxious to any more
serious charge than that which upon his caumni
declaration that his abandonment OF New Orleans
authorities of that city The defence Of that measure,
and of his own reputation did not require such
serton, could be aided by it. Military necessity
and duty fully justified the act-nay, demanded it, 1t
would have been, military point of view, act of
folly aud desperation, beyond all parallel IN history to
have attempted the defence of city in the situation OF
New Orleans, when the enemy's squadron had passed
the forts and lay at anchor i'll front OF the city, cover
ing the whole occupied by one hundred and fifty
thousand unarmed non combatants with battery OF
two hundred guns of the lrgest caibre and command
ing the only exlt-a slip OF land not over lie
in width-oy which the people could escape the iron
tempest which single word from a remorseless and
cruel enemy could have brought upon them when too
greater eril, not comprehended by those who were
not present. and the enemys batteries threatened them
from the swollen stream, which could hardly be res
trained within it3 ra artificial limits, and which need
ed but single hrcadside from one OF the hostile ships
to release in overwhelming torrent, and with power
of destruction which human agency coad arrest or
check, upon the doomed city and people. Gen. Lovels
refusal to bring such calamity upon one hundred ard
fifty thousar poo did not require defence or apology
1t would have been the grandest act of desperate reck
less, renzed ard utterly vain and impotent self sacr
fice-a dismal and stupendous tragedy, such os
| the widest mailman could alone have conceived
and executed And yet in his haste and zeal to divert
popular clamor and suspicion from himself to some
victim, General Lowell is guilty of the weakness, the
dsingenuousne~s of jusfying his refusal to perform
the chief part in this awful DRAMA by the untounded
assertion that the people and authorities unwi
irg to accept their share in the mighty self immolaon
which be would leave the world to imagine he had Sc
riousy contemplated and designed 1t would certainly
have involved impeachment OF the patriotism and
manhood of the people and authorities of New Orleans
they had nteposed to prevent the distraction OF SO
many thousand lives of helpless women children ard
old menhe mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters
of the gallant men, who, distant part of the Con-
tederaey were then so nobly upho!dng the right and
honor Of our cause. But it is not true Gen. Lowell
wisely adopted, his responsibility and Without
consultation with the people and authorities, the only
recourse efs to him. In this be acted wisely and pru
IDENTIFY for had he deferred to the 2ople and accepted
their crude proportions, and yielded to their mpas
stoned suggestions he would have failed in the duty
faithful General and there is too much reason to
believe, their then temper that the considerations
of military necessity and policy to which General
Lowell succumbed would not have keen regarded by
that people. It would therefore, be truthful and
more credtable to the military reputation of General
Lowell if he had claimed the merit of saving the peo-
pie from the cslamities which their frenzy and reckless
ness threatened. His military reputation, indeed,
would be sadly damaged by the assumption that be
really in earnest in bis implied Willingness to defend
the city, with bis $500 muskets against the powerful
batteries OF the enemy. We less disposed to sus
pect him of that folly than of the moral or mental OBJ
iiuuty which fabrcates fictitious excuse for act
that needs apology.
In this as well as in other transactions of this Gere
rail- he exhibits the evil and corrupting influence of
too recent intercourse with the tricky demagogues and
corrupt politicians of that political Sodom, into which
he had passed from the more manly and honest schoo
of the soldier The we'll trained and promising young
artillery officer OF the Mexican war, and distinguished
graduate of West Point could hardly be exp ?cted tt
preserve or deveope the manly frankness and direct
nees which are the characteristics of the soldier in thu
society of the shung and timeservng spoilsseeker
and faction monges who composa that notorious bcdy
called the Society of St Tamany. The political
acnnrpd nv such aS7OCi2tlOD