The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-01-24

to be presumed that chs same obstructea Ass re
tarded the course OF the other six steamers slss
The steamer Saladin. from Kingston. Jamaica
on the 9th inst and Port Prince on the 6th, ar
rived ct this port yesterday after tedious and bols
ferrous passage On her way TO New York she broke
portion Of her machinery. and had to make part
Of her way under sail. She brings no news Of
particular importance. The Mercantile Insest'.
gencer of the 9th OF January says:-The recent
transactions In business here have been very
limited in extent, being confined. with few
exceptions, to demands for immediate con-
| sumption. There have been large arri-
| walls of American provisions and bread
stuffs, and the excessive stocks have unsettled
the market, the trade being apparently unwilling
| to operate to any extent. There Ia, however, q
| general feeling among the importers that IN Q
short time the present prevailing dulness, natu.
rally succeeding the stir for the holidays will have
passed of, and business will become more active.
Great excitement has been created Ia the island
by the arrival Of several American traction en-
gines, which run over the toughest roads without
rails OF any kind. In trip from Kingston to St.
Andrew. distance Of seven or eight miles, on IN
inclined plane, the Performance Of one Of these
engines gave universal ard complete satisfaction.
This Ia Q new era for the island.
The Surrogate yesterday settled me accounts Of
Richard Morrill's estate; also OF Thomas NcAve.
ghy's estate. The injunction against the executor
of Thomas Conyer's estate was modified. Tho
money lying in the city treasury belonging to
James Gades' estate was ordered paid to- his next
of kin.
General Edward Ferrero, who commands the
First division Of the Ninth army corps writes from
Blane's Cross Roads, East Tennessee, that he has
succeeded in re-enlisting as veterans seven reg-
ments of infantry and two batteries Of his com
mand.
A fire occurred about eleven O'Clock last eve-
ming at No. 1872 Chrystie street, occupied as an
organ and furniture mandatory. The loss is esti
mated at about $1,000, on both workshops and
building.
The stock market steady yesterday. and there
very little deviation from Friday prices, the bulls and
bears having evidently decided to lay until Monday
morning for tbe OF operations Gov.
eminent securities firm, and tho fvc-twenty bonds
held at lo4 The and threetcnths Treasury
notes have advanced to 1919. The gold market was
active at an advance in tho rate Of premium I67X
Thore Was general duness commercial circles Sat
urday owing to the lower price OF gold and the fall OK
change. Prices Of most goods were merely nominal,
though holders pretty nrm in their views. Tausac
tions were moderate. At Tho Produce Exchange things
were Mixed but there especial sctivity in any
arcle-nearly all the business having at about
Miday's prices. Groceries were quiet Cotton IN
changed Petroleum dull, lower sud nominal Trcights
quiet.
The Military Incap actty or the Admint II.
tration.
For information in relation to the move
ments of our armies and all the battles that
are fought the people look irst to the
press. But after all have road what the
correspondents say there are some few who
want to hear the generals account Of his own
movements, and look somewhat impatiently
for his report; for in such documents they ex-
pect to see a moro particular account Of the
history of each affair. They expect to see
stated at least tho object that it is proposed TO
gain by each battle; how it is proposed to gain
it, and, withal, an honest recital Of the result
And were the reports Of generals up to such
standard they would be very interesting and
important papers. They would enable the peo-
pie to Judge more clearly than they always can
exactly how the administration carries on the
war, and what atrocious blunders 1t continually
makes.
But the truth is that such reports are Of very
little account They hardly ever tell the peo-
pie any more than they already knew from
the papers, and they are always especially doll
cate upon the blunders of the War Depart
ment Sometimes general will point out very
caustically the errors Of q rival general whom
he bates, or of q subordinate whom he fears;
but that is, in the main, the extent Of his dis
closures. Two prominent generals who might
have given the country some very remarkable
intelligence in relation to the administrative
blunders have never yet given any reports at
all of extensive movements made under their
direction, and battles fought while they had
command. These are Generals Burnside and
Hooker. Both of these men fought battles near
Fredericksburg. and reports have not yet been
received from either as to bis campaign. Both
blundered terribly but it is probable that the
Washington authorities blundered in those mat
tiers even more terribly than the generals did.
And when those reports are sent in, II they are
written boldly and honestly, they will doubt
less disclose one Of the most disgraceful chap
tiers Of administrative incapacity that the world
has ever seen.
There are two marked exceptions to the usual
reticence and inspidity Of generals reports.
These are the reports Of Generals Halleck and
Mcclellan. Only some inconsiderable portions
Of General McClellan's report have yet been
made public; but those portions are honest
and distinct They show the country jusl
where the blame lies for the continuance Of the
war to the present time. The people readily
contrast what the administration has actually
done with what General Mcclellan proposed
to do, and from that contrast they as readily
infer the utter incapacity Of those who put
this able soldier aside to conduct the war
on their own plan. In that report the
letters Of General Mcclellan to the Presi-
dent and those Of the President to
Gen. Mcclellan are given; and In those letters