Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-09


icias ;hs past whoss ssaons sss plain enough 70 %
understood byall, without commentary or expose
ton. We desire simply to invoke calm and unpre-
udlced revisl of opinions, ON the part OF tue Ad-
o;pistrstiou ante candid consideration OF the
,pastion-What may be done TO give the greatest
efficiency 70 the means Of defence the country aifordS
If such reflection should bring the conclusion that
changes are expedient in any Of the departments Of
administration, we feryently trust there may be no
such adhesveness OF disposition such tenacity OF
friendship as will prevent the change being made
If il shall be discovered that there has been error
OF Judgment and mistake of action in regaEd 10 the
qualifications of leading military men and the merit
OF their campaigns and operations, We again feryenty
trust that there may be no such pride OF opinion as
i'll prevent a reparaton Of error, even though such
PREPARATION involve the confession of fault. II 1t
shall be seen that laws have been negligently or not
at all ehforced-such for examplel lin some OF tue
Statesl rs the laws Tor conscnptiOn-the laws for
the employment of slaves aud free negroes as team
sters cooks, SC, &c.--the laws requiring all able
hod,ed ouartermasters, commissaries, clerks, &c,
10 tall into iue-the laws to prevent struggling and
.b,sutevi.m-to reclaim to the service pll who are
nnproperIy away from tive hope that those who
ars Charged with these duties viii be made 10 feel
a. once the hupulsou OF force that they dare not
resist.
To make these suggestions practical, we take the
liberty OF saving chat there are many who are IN
-.r, y,sy friendly to the Executive, and who have
deemed Il duty at all times and in ali things to sus-
rim tbe administrations who are anxiousy InqUiring
whether IL would not be possible TO ma some one
better adapted 20 the trying and momentous duties
, the War Once than the present head of that De
,,rtmgnt They 10 not doubt the talents, the
ttautuens the zeal OF the virtues of MIR. Seddon,
tut the, do doubt whether his intellect and acquire
msut are oi the peculiar order that lit him for this
important post whether the studies, pursuits and
atit, OF his HE aud his physica ability ion labor
nav, besu and arc such as to enable him 10 deal with
Great practical affairs IN way mastery aud com
,Isiy, As that MS influence would strike through
very branch aud ramihcdton of the vast establish
ment over which he presides, and be feit by every
officer and agent 0f II a. personal presence. If
Mr.. Seldom be not such 4 map, and such an one can
La found. We have confidence enough III the devotion
MI. Mr. sedIon to the cause 10 believe that no one
,uld APPLAUD more heartily than himself the change
that would give the country the benefit Of such
abilities Another practical suggestion IS embraced
IN the following paragraph from the Augusta C0Hsti-
tf..D1l.s, one OF the most constant and able sup
part.r, of the President among our exchanges
That journal SAYS - Let General Johnston be placed
s.. IN command Of the Army Of Tennessee, having
5. control OF all the country adjacept thereto-giye
s. General Beauregard command of the Armies of
. Georgia and South Carolina, and General Lee
. command OF the Army OF Virginia and all its ad-
iuucts" With this recommendation We fully con,
ear, with the addition that, tor the sake of unity
lud system-uow more than ever necessary-Gen
Lee should have the power of directing, when he
ldy think proper the movements ana operations OF
tho other two armies- Let thirty thousand men be
brought from the Trans Mississippi, where they can
b. spared without hurt, and distributed among these
three armies aud let all the for recruiting
AMI strengthening the forces in the field that Con-
gress has adopted OF may adopt be promptly and en-
ergeticaly eutore, Il, and let the people moro
resolve To- put their mighty shoulders TO the wheel
and We feel the perfect that the year
which has Just opened will witness the most glorious
successes that have yet achieved, and will
close upon US diseuthralled, triumphant and free