The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-02

W60N6SDOAAs $500 s'ssssA = 1900
"A Northern History Of the War.
More than century and half afscr the
bones S Oliver CRoxwEII, tho greatest
rebel in history, had been cxhumcd and
hung At yybarn, no found . vindicator In
the greatest Of British historians, and now
his statue adorns Westminster Abbey.
JoaN HAxrpES, who was in his own day
accounted by all the loyal royalists of
England traitor to his country. now bears
an honored fame wherever the English
Language Is spoken. Lord RUSSELL, who
was executed as a traitor, is to-day re-
spected and honored by the country of
which his distinguished descendant Is the
Prime Minister. The lesson we would
teach is, that, while hard names are easily
called, and q rabble Of popular voices may
just Is easily be brought to make up a
public opinion justifying not only hard
names but cruel deeds, yet in the end
truth almost always manages to get upper
most. And we may well hope that in this
day Of printing presses, railroads, and
telegraphs, the truth will not be SO long in
emerging from the piles Of rubbish with
which the silly mob have aided nnscrnpu-
lous historians in covering her fair form.
We have been led into this train of
thought by reading in the New York Times
a review Of book bearing the title: "Cam-
"paigns Of the Army of the Potomac. A
"Critical History of Operations in Virginia,
I" Maryland, and Pennsylvania, from the
Commencement to the Close Of the War
"ls6l-'5. By WILLIAM SwSToN. New
"York: CHARLES b. RICHARDSON. 1866"
This book was evidently written By a man
of natural parts and of education, who has
had excellent opportunities Of procuring
information, and who, although the war
has been over hardly year, writes as i'm
partially as we had expected to see any
Northern historian write twenty years
hence. OF course, as we have not seen
the work itself, we cannot pronounce an
opinion upon its general merits; but from
the character of the review, VIC are in
clincd to believe that its salient points are
all indicated by the reviewer.
Mr.. SwINTON is introduced to us as
having had an "early and controlling
"aptitude for both the theory and the his
"tory of the profession Of arms" and as
worthy of the highest eulogy. He was
with the army whose history he writes.
"All that is Of value for historic compila-
ton from both Union and Confederate
"sources seems, to judge from his fertile
"notes, to have been open to him. Every
"where crops out evidence Of his personal
"and protracted conversations with many
"of the rival leaders, and the constant
"habit of hearing and sitting intelligent
"army opinion"
Such man has, We are not surprised to
learn, "prickcd score of full-blown rcpu-
tations," as was to be expected from one
whose book is declared to have the rare
merit of being "absolutely military in
tone-not partisan, not political, not even
patriotic"
With this introduction of the author,
we proceed to quote some Of his opinions.
M'DowELL AND BEAUREGARD - MANASSAS.
"McDowELL is literally praiscd-a SOL
"dier of fine professional attainmcnts,
"and, at that time, perhaps the man best
"qualifed for the commando He dc
userved success for the excellence of his
generalship.' His rival, BEArREGARD,
"'in positioning his forces, had committed
"the error of treating the line OF Bull
"Run as a real defensive line that could
abe passed only at the fords.' PATTER-
"soN's conduct was feeble, and his
"marches and countermarches, made far
"from the enemy, were ridiculous
1850 far as regards the mere physical
"fact of fighting, which was, at the time'
"the all-important question, there was
"nothing of which the Union soldiers had
"to be ashamed-they stood up to it with
"the blood of their race He declares
"that the Confederate army committed all
"the faults of the Union army, adding, on
"the authority of General JORDAN, that
"ssuch were the streams of stragglers and
"skulkers pouring to the Southern rear,
"that Mr.. DAVIS fancied BEAUREGARD had
"been completely beaten
N'CLELLAN AND LEE-THE BATTLES AROUND
RICHMOND.
He classes MCCLELLAN with WILLIAM of
Orange, and such like men; says (" he was
"assuredly not great General. His
"talent was eminently that Of the Cabinet;
"and his proper place was in Washington,
"where he should have remained as gene
"ral-in-chief. Here his ability to plan
campaigns and form large strategic COM
"binations, which was remarkable, would
shave had full scope; and he would have
sheen considerate and helpful to those in
"the field. But his power as tactician
awas much inferior to his talent as a
"strategist."
AS to General LEE, We are furnished with
meagre quotations, yet enough is repro
duced to allow us to see that Mr.. SwINToN
recognizes him as great chieftain. In
speaking of the battles which Immediately
succeeded those around Richmond. LEES