Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-27

IT II r Sf1taN appe2iS 70 tue iettet VI tAe rvs
4 dent 20 +ae Virginia Legislature 70 show that
The 5 rot possessed Of 'that naughty or eaH0us dis
rera,i for the opinions or wishes Of his feiiowser-
waits CT Of the people which il is the fashion Of bis
enemies TO siiege against him We hope thar Il
This estimate o. the Presidents character, thus al
rributsd 20 his enemies, has spreed among the Peo-
pie that he VII, AZ demonstrate IS iaisity by
Fastening 20 conform 70 the weii-understogd views
sd wishes Of the public. The letter alluded to by
me S.r..p., Iuay be taken indication that be
-u,sudeato adopt this course, even in advance Of
me s5opt!cn BY Congress Of TIE bill which ccntem-
plates the appointment Of General Lee to the chief
command Of an the armies Of the country The
s.5seeuent approval &C that bill by the President
ma, be REGARDED as another proof Of his wish to
place himself en- rIgPgr with that great ard growing
.,,slc sentiment which hes found an expression SO
. emphatic AMI iatelligible in tie representative
branch Of tie Government. So far We see, indeed,
No s7dsrce "cf that 6augh'y and caii9Us disregard
me opinions and wishes OF his fsGow-servants OF
O. t,o people which il is the fashion Of his enemies
= s,lese against him" On the contrary, he assures
- Legislature ;ha; not only is il his greatest desiEe
70 pace General lee in command Of all the armies
ofthe COafederacy, but that ne has always euter-
tanned tue same wish finding hitherto insurmouut-
aU.e obstacle only tie persistent refusal Of Gen'
Lee himself Or rather, as tue president explains
y. General Lee positiyoy declined 10 retain the
ua-t.cular command OF the Army Of Northern Viz
GINA, uuless relieved from the general command Of
al the armies to which the President had assigned
Am.
Giving the President ali due ctsiit for sin
csrly IL this statement, sc YET cannot avoid the
cy-ci.sion that Il he is right the memory Of the
p1vi:c IS grossly at fault. 1t is news Of quite
cen: date ihat General Lee was ever N chief com
uaad Of eli the armies Of the Confederacy, an the
manner proposed b. the On which has lately passed
Csazress sud received the Executive assent. We
know perfectly well that Congress once before
rIssC3.s bin providing Tor tue appointment Of
. General 10 command all the armies Of the coun-
t-y, vac .lt direction y the President; bur thai
bin was vetoed ani Immediately Afterwards Gen.
Lee vas assigned 10 the position referred 10 in the
letter 20 tie Legislature We have get 70 learn thA
while in the discharge Of tie duties Of that position
ne ever actually commanded anything until he was
assigned 70 the particular command Of the Army oil
Northern Virginia. His general command consisted
SIMPLY in registering and conveying to subordinate
oEcsr5 the misary-cdict Of the President; and as
this was in no Use assistance to him in his par
ticulsr command. he verv properly declined TO con-
which General Bragg was subsequently appointed
were IDENTICAL with those discharged b. Gen. Lee
ghen in that chief command 20 wEicb the President
declares he had ol-e already assigned him. j. IT,,
public, therefore 20 be assured that or This long
Sue since his disastrous defeat at Missionary Ridge
General Bragg has been the true Conmandcr-iu-
Chief Of the Confederate army, and that General,
g. Lee AID Johnston al Beaurcgari hare oalycarried
j.
Cen BraaS, equally with Gen. lee feel thepreszure
Upon him Of an irresistible difideuce WHICH pre-
. vents hin from diseharging the extended dudcs OF
his position, ana at the same time the more re-
sJri,ted duty Of defending the town OF Wilmington
Are tke capture OF F0rt Fisher, the closing up Of
Cape Tear River, and the threatened loss Of vii
m.ng,on owing TO this tadical ineompatibilityf On
is Gen. Bragg Pre-eminently 1T for duties, which,
We are told Gen. Lee declared himself incapable Of
performing
But since the President has signed the bill in
question and has thus exhibited his willingness 10
execute the viii Of Congress, and to conform TO
public opinion, IS useless any longer to argue
-Aese OF any ether questions connected with the
psst, except IN 50 far as they may afford
- lessons for tue future. Wsile, however, are
g.ad % see that ths President has 50 promptly &C
ceisd 20 the demands OF public opinion, it should
De well unaers;os5 that similar surrender IS re
ou.red al the hands CT ali on whom similsr demands
are made. There IA no good reason that the Pres
sjen. Should obey the voice OF the country, and that
Giseral lee shculd revolt against It. ifths Pres-
dent can AFFORD 70 suppress he cPinioas b. signing
OIL even moe stringent than the one he lad PIE
g.ously vetoed, General lee ean surely afford to
az ss.de aiGdehce which cen Only place him il
sutagon.sn with tire prom ounced wishes Of the
country. Neither Presiden; Davis nor Gen. lee
has ray sacrsmentsl rghJsto resist tie opinions Of
ice public. Tee adhesign Of The one is ss import
ans IS the obedience Of the other. The people be-
ieye that the salvation Of the cause GepsndS in
grsa. neal-re on the acceptance b. General LeS
Of ne chef command Of ell cur armies; ana they
believe iSswile cha. be can s;Ha conduct, or d.
rect e. east, the operations Of the Army OF North
srn VS.t ala They th.asthst what Grant can do,
he can - They thinkth hat if Grant has seemingly
justiEsLhs easy faith Of ne people Of ,be United
Sta,ss, Lsewlu Ear more emphatically justify the
reasonable faith Of the people Of the Confederate
States. u Is, in short, useless for General lee TO
say no, when the universal yoics Of tie country
says les.