The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-03-10
The Military Position OF the Govern
ment-Whas Is Gensrns Grant 90 Dos

ment-What Is Generns Grant 90 Dos
General Grant arrived in Washington or
Tuesday. He is called to the seat Of govern
nent in virtue Of his position an the highest
officer in all our armies, and 10 be consulted 10
the arrangement of plans for the future conduc'
OF the war. II ought therefore TO be safe TO IS
sumo that henceforth The operations of our ar
mics will be governed and controlled by his
prescient intellect and uncoHquerable spirit,
and from the period Of his arrival at the ma
tional capital we ought to be able to date a
new era in our military history. His visit TO
the national headquarters even IL he be not
regularly installed there, will give new in'-
pulse to the war, will infuse a new life and
ardor into all that is to be done. and. above
all, will give the couatry renewed confidence
in our ultimate success
His advent, even it il should have no more
substantial effects than these, was greatly need
ed at this time. From the period Of the removal
of General McClellan-beginningw with Burn
sides movement to Falmouth and the disastI Gus
battle at Fredericksburg, and ending with the
disaster at Olustee, in Florida. and the recent
miserable raid toward Richmond--the war on
this side the country has been conducted by Che
President and a cOterie OF military advisers IN
Washington city. Under this direction disas
ter has followed disaster with such pitiless pet
terrible failures, that, despite our glorious
triumphs in the West, the country is well nigh
disguised with the war. Under the President
aud his cOtere of advisers sheer imbecility
prevails over the clesrest common sense and
any progress toward success is not only impos-
sible, but is finally unhopcd for. Burnside, I'M
der the especial encouragement and guidance
of the President, sustained defeat
that strengthened the rebellion to as
great an extent as an accession Of one
hundred thousand men would have done.
Hooker-also under the especial encouragement
of the President-sustained defeat even worse
than that Of his predecessor. He had it in his
power to utterly annihiate the favorite army
of the rebellion, and could have promenaded
into the enemy's capital with one hundred
thousand men; but he was beaten more shame.
fully than any general had been beaten before
in the history OF modern warfare. Gettysburg
was won in spite of the Presidents arrange
ments made to the contrary, and Lee was per-
mitted by another Of the Presidents generals
to escape across the Potomac with the broken
and dispirited remnant Of an army that had
expected to end the war in our Northern cities
Meade is still retained in his position by the
President. though the escape of Lee in July
proved his utter incompetency az a commander
Pope, Burnside Hooker and Meade-this is
the list of the Presidents generals The FIRST
three names represent slaughter of sixty
thousand men. Not one Of these men gained a
point that brought las any nearer to the end of
the war. Every one Of them added at least six
months to the life Of the rebellion; aud the
history Of their campaigns is the history Of
what the President has done for our cause since
he took command of our armies. In addition,
Gilmore has failed at Charleston, Seymour has
failed in Florida, Butler has failed on the PENN
sula, and Fitzpatrick has nearly brought our
soldiers into contempt. After such record as
this ia it any wonder chat the country has
finally lost all faith in the ADMINISTRATORS
management Of the war and has come to the
are utterly, absolutely and irreclaimably in
competent to conduct even the most incon-
siderable military operations
But now a new man comes on the scene-a,
man whose military career has been one unin-
terrupted success-one who has studied war in
the active operations of campaigns made on an
immense scale and in the actaal contact of the
masses in battle. General Grants history is
unlike that Of any other general. His achieve
ments measured by their actual results, sound
less like the achievements of practical man
of the present than like those Of the fabulous
heroes of the Mahabarata He has taken q
hundred thousand prisoners and five hundred
cannon, and has reclaimed from the rebels
territory greater in extent than the territories
of France, Spain, Great Britain and Austria.
Such a man must necessarily differ with the
men at Washington m his ideas "a to how the
war should be carried on; and It remains to be
seen what the result OF this difference will be-
Grant far from Washington, was able to pur
sue his own plans to their successful end. Will
it be so now viii General Grant be ham
pered and harpied by politicians. as General
Mcclellan was, or will he be permitted to do
what ne thinks ought TO be done? The fate Of
the country will depend upon the answer that
the next three or four month. will give to these
questions
We do not doubt that General Grant. left to
his own plans, will have the same success il
his new sphere that he has had in all others,
and that he will soon put matters in such po-
sition that we shall be able to Judge when the
end will come But our faith in General
Grants abilities is qualified by the apprehea-
sion that he will not be permitted 70 use them
for the benefit Of the country. We have far
more fear that the radical politicians will med
die and mar, as they have done before, than We
have Of hope that Grant will be left to finish
| the war in his own way.