New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-05-31
THE COMMITTEE ON TmE CON-
DUCT OF THE WAR.


members of the Senate and four members oil tho
House of Representatives be appointed 10 IN
ouire into the conduct of the present war.
The Committee rs originally nominated con-
sisted of Senators Wade, Chandler, and Andre"
Johnson. Representatives. Gooch, CoVoue'
Julian. and Odcll. In place of Andrew Johh'
son. appointed Military Governor OF Tennessee
senator Wright of Indiana was named, but
mon the expiration of his term the vacancy re-
manned untitled. This Committee has been
known as the Committee on the Conduct OF the
War and it, work has extended over period
Of nearly three years and a half involving pro-
traclcd and wearisomc labor on the part OF all
its members. That work is now ended and the
results of it remain in the shape of eight vol
u,ncs Of reports and evidence on questions o'
the widest importance in our civil war. Three
of those volumes were published in l-6''; the
remainder viii soon see the light They contain
the material out OF which future histories must
be wrought. and but for which no accurate MS
tory would have been possible.
Committee, but II is a very inadequate one.
When history comes 10 be written, 1t VIII be
found that the Committee on the Conduct OF the
War have done service to the country FAR
beyond mere contributions to future under
standing Of the last four years events They
have been the censors as well a. the annalists
of our war, and il is owing TO them more than
TO any other one single influence that the lax
administration of our armies in the early years
of the Rebellion was exchanged for sterner
rule, and that imbcc:lity. indifference. cow
ardice, and trcachcry were finally expelled from
the army over which they had dominated for
two years in the guisc of Generals. Before
this relentless nquisition, shamS had to vanish
and facts to appear. The Hottest reputation,
the widest popularity, the most magnificent
charlatanism of the century was made to orumble
at the touch OF this tasman of TRUTH and the
work was so Thoroughly done that If the Com
mittee had no other claim on the gratitude Of
the Republic than having topplcddown McCl.i-
Ian from his self.erccted pedestal it would not
]
hold from il a tribute of lasting admiration.
1t will surprise many people who have been
assiduously taught to believe that this Com
mittec worked for partisan ends, to be reminded
that their first report published in 1868 was SO
absolutely impartial that on the question
which most agi,ated the Countrywide removal
of McClcllan-the Committec RETAINED from
expressing any opinion whatever. They con-
tented themselves with presenting summary
of the evidence, which justified and demanded
that remoyal-evidence which their own investi-
cations had drawn out, and which from
that day to this has never been success
/ fully impcached or con'radicted In tn
/ light Of subsequent events, il rs now seen
how just, and even how lencnt was tho judg-
ment of the Committee and of the Administra-
ton against McClclan-how patiently The long
succession of blundcrs committed by That com
mander was borne with-how reluctantly the
decision TO displacc him was arrived at-how
ahundantly il has been justified by the trinmphs
of his successor We remember with sort Of
wonder the storm Of obloquy which the
Administration of Mr.. Lincoln was made TO
bear for having "pcrsecuted" Mcclellan,
and the unrcmitting charge. of "polti-
cal intolerance then brought against II.
But who now pretends TO yindicate the
long inact0n in the Winter of go and 81 Who
cares to appear as the apologist OF the Peninsula
campaignl Who defends the criminal delay
which followed the half-yictory of Antictam,
and which was the immediate cause of McClel-
lan's remoyall Yct it was for telling the
simple truth on such points as these that the
Committee on the Conduct of the War was
sayaccly yindictively, assailed at the time, and
is still pursued by the malice of those who can
not forgive its members for having been in the
right, when they were in the wrong.
Nor has the howl Of the injured-that is, of
the guilty-dminishcd in volume or fcrocity i'll
latter days. The Committee has adhered to
its purpose of telling the truth and shaming
the dcyil-and the devil likes 10 as little 10 he
did at first. There is party which makes it
cardinal creed to dcfamc Gen. Butler. This
party is not pleased because the Committee
finds Gen. Butler free from blame in the Fort
Fisher business. There is another party-thc
iag end of Mcclellan conseVaiism-whlch
makes a sort Of second rate idol Of Gen. Banks.
That party does not relish having the truth told
about the cotton speculation which was
dcnifcd by the name Of the Red River Ex-
petition. And so on. Telling the truth never
suits those who live by lying. But the People,
nevertheless wOuld rather have the truth the