The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-02-01

rn~ lees 90 Faith sn Davis.
sxAks ENTERTAINED AT RICHMOND rBAv DAVIS
WA vkro On suLLrvv SnS srLL CRRATiho
aEB exssEAL-gs-cHfsy.
lsrom the R,chssand Examiner, Jan 9sl
ssss days sne~, esFre~poEaenos between the Legs
~sars % NrSsaas sae rrssdsa . Davis was Published
% sfsspsper TIE Legislature sent that ohciai reso
lss r-sa W % me lfsh % January expressive OF
ssh taa asnnf~l q y Lss should IA appointed 10 the
ennuasnd ~ al ne armies 81 the Confederate sstsA
~ fsss.ni rsped los letter % some length, dated on
"a tsih 81 Jans-r3, ~ sleh Me Following ~ 'ls g
swhsa sssssrsi Il. ,osk command Of the army Of
Nershen swfins hs s@ IN command Of AL the armies
II ths tenscessse ~ my order Of assignment he
sonasnasd Va th eansrs command well ~ IN the I'm
nssdss eommAns of the army Of Northern Virginia az
Aonx - soula resist he opinion that Mas necessary
Cos N - b. ssievsA a obe ~ those duties Ready
~ has shown himself 20 ne 70 perform any ser
vice ths a~.srsa him 70 tender 70 his country ne en
saaua q th~ Rfmy IN tn acid aud relieving him OF
sbe Fesss eeaad u AL the ssm'es Of The Confederate
STATES
h.ss eaiy .hss satisfied Of lh,s necessity that Icame
% issioa 70 relieve hsm from the general com
nsAna besesns thai The sAfsy 81 The capital and the
saccsx " dspe0ded, IN great measure, on
thea resAnirg ban N the command IN the feid q the
Asmy Of Northern vlrT,aiA
90 rsssrs subsequent occasions The desire 90 my part
enlarge the sphere " General Lees usefulness has
he'd 70 ae~ed CONSIDERABLE AZ the subject and nc nas
sivays espfesssd bis nahsiir 20 assume command q
other sysnes than sho~s con1ded " him, unless
relieved VI ks tmmedsts command The neid Of thai
noe opposed ~ General Grant
~benever shall he fcu nd prsctcabe by General Lee 10
the command % AN the armies Of the
states without whdr.wne from me direct command o.
the Army VI Northern Virginia, Will deem u promo'iye
Of the pubic intercsls 10 place him In such command
and VIII be happy 70 know that by 90 doing, am re-
spondng 10 their expressed desire
The Of us puehcation this letter 70 have
little importance, because u sn,edated the Aw OF Con
gress creating general ~ chief Though y u difficult
20 believe that the Presdsa did not know the nature Of
the Law Ia PREPARATION yet was possible thai he did not
and The view taken OF tho matter 10 this correspon
dcnce suggested uncomfortable SELECTIONS which might
b. avoided under thai supposucn We let pass without
notice Some late ramors however, suggest tho sus
picion that this letter intended indication OF
the Presidents policy, aud attention 70 u compelled
thereby
the date was rot regarded the reader Of thus letter
might suppose that the President conounds the
and duties Of the general-p chef lately ordained by
Congress with those Of certain bureau officer called
the Commander.n-Chief under the President, exist
ing by virtue OF general order or the President
This officer noshng than the Presidents chief OF
or staff Bragg has the place now General Lee was 80
employed In the early period Of the II place q
consequence; the officer holding has discretion
and power beyond thss OF clerk. II not surpri-
sing that General Lee was unable TO be the commander
OF army IN the neld and the President aid
debureau at one and the Same time Now Congress and
this whole country thinks It's generan chief very DIFF
ferent persondge thai he will OIL the place
military organization which has been occ uped by the
chief military leader Of nearly every other warke PEG
pe that this general will be found the field Ia daily
actual command OF the largest army upon the most I'm
portant Of operations; that he will assign 10
the command Of other armies general officers in whose
capacities No connues, VINO viii ODey MS Oruers,
direct their campaigns BY such Indications as he shall
give them; who will be respons Bile to him, and
be removable by him, according his request while
he shall have authority In himself plan the movement
OF the whole military force, uncontrolled by the judg
ment OF an official superior THIS Is 70 be Geneal-in
Chief These are duties incompatible with bureaucra-
tick occupation in Richmond, but not with the command
Of The army in Virginia Napoleon General ia Chief
OF his armies he led his chief In person and
horseback over half Of Europe but he appointed the
generals and directed the campaign In spain and italy
while he was IN German camp. washington appointed
Greene TO command the Southern army, and gave him
the plan, which he executed In concert with his
ton In the North We need not multiply Instances All
persons not entirely ignorant Of history know that sue
cessfu has always been conducted by the will OF one
general In the chief hed either himself the government
Jas in the OF sovereignB who have been military
men rendered independent OF government by law by
public opinion, or the good sense and mcdesty Of civil
functiouaries
Congress believes itself TO have made such an onicer
and watts 70 hear his name from the Executive. But
uAispered that ne Executive "does not In fact
that the Executive view Of this matter 10 set forth In the
above extract and that the Executive regards the
General Bragg that IL has objection 10 General Leo
in his place again. but he will there be still under the
President" who must from his house IN Richmond,
tinue 70 command the Army Of Tennessee q well AZ
Others by constitutional right fear that II would be
So expressed the time the law passed by those
who recoeced the fate Of the law fora quarter
MASTER and many other laws o. Congress But for the
sake Of the country and the for the sake OF every
man in IL, including Mr. Davis himself, We hope that
these anticpatons are rs premature - they are I'M
made published; surely can have reference 10 IL
Mr. Davis has himself signed the law; he knows the in
tenton Of Congress- the expectations OF the country
he cannot fail TO be aware that this v time for egots
posed 70 produce universal disappointment