Year: 1862

the Centre OF Military Operations In
| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. stanton Has
tho Supreme Direction.


The recent order of the Secretary OF War
assigning separate departments to Generals
Mcdowell and Banks, and limiting General
McClellan's command to the army on the
peninsula between York and James rivers,
now advancing to Richmond, completes the
series of orders issued from time to time by the
War Department, all looking to the centraliza-
ton at Washington of the command of the
whole army, under the direction of Mr.. Stan
ton Mcclellan having organized in the most
splendid manner the armies Of the East and
the West Of the South and North is no longer
General-in-C Chief; he is on the same level
with Mcdowell and Banks, Halleck and FIRE.
mont He is now in the field, where he wishes
to be, and whero he will be sure to give good
account of himself, and be relieved of vast
amount of responsibility. Every General is
now responsible for his own command, and
the responsibility of the direction of the whole
devolves upon the Secretary Of War, under the
President, who is alone the legal Commander
Chief of the Army and Navy. Every General
Is in communication with the Secretary by
telegraph, and thus the various corps are in
communication with each other, as far as in
telligence is concerned.


1t is true that by this new arrangement
tremendous responsibility is assumed by Mr.
Stanton; and if there should be any failure of
preparation or any deficiency Of supplies, or if
any fatal blunder should be committed in the
orders issued, or in the neglect to issue them,
Congress and the people will saddle the blame
upon the Secretary of War, who is now the
acting Commander-in-C Chief Of the army under
the President.


This is the hard side or the picruie.
But it has also its bright side; and
never, since the time of the French Revo-
luton, has any man in a similar position
had such an opportunity of rendering his
name illustrious. Since that time no such army
has ever been sent forth to do battle. In the
French republic, when it was assailed by the
combined armies of Europe, Carnot, at Paris,
was the great 'organizer of victory" and under
his guidance the enemies Of France were re-
PEELED at every point and the Revolution rendered
triumphant. Mr.. Stanton now occupies posi-
ton analogous to that of Carnot, and may
make himself equally famous. For six months
Past Mcclellan has been engaged in organizing
mis- department to his hands. There Is
tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the
food, leads on to fortune. The Secretary of
the Navy had the opportunity Of taking advan-
tage Of that tide, but lost it forever. He is an
honest man, and means we'll, but too stupid for
covering all points. Some men devote too much
attention to the cultivation of the outside Of the
head to have the inside thoroughly furnished for
the work it has to do. But he is not an ambitious
man, and takes all matters placidly, with
self-complacent stroke of his handsome flowing
white beard. Mr.. Stanton is a man of different
temperament. He wants to go ahead, and all
that seems necessary for his success is to follow
the advice of David Crockett" First be
sure you are right Mr.. Stanton has issued
some very good war bulletins, and some not
the army and military authorities generally; ;
for instance that he issued in the latter part of
February, about "the recent victories" of the
Union arms which the Secretary of War attribu-
ted to the Spirit of the Lord which entered the
men, and not to their strong and disciplined
battalions and heavy artillery. Experience has
shown that the Lord3is generally on the side
which possesses these means of victory, and if
our troops did not possess them the God Of
Battles would be against them. The old pro-
verb, "Aid yourself, and Heaven will aid YOU =
is good in the case of armies as well os in
every business of life. Cromwell understood
the philosophy Of war when he said to his
keep your powder dry" We cannot, in these
days, expect that Richmond or Norfolk, or
Charleston, or New Orleans will fall after
the same manner as Jericho did of old,
by the blast of q rams horn trumpet.
This is not an age Of miracles, and the
Lord now works by means adapted to the end
Napoleon rightly concluded that in war these
means were the heaviest artillery and the most
numerous and best troops, properly led to
battle and skilfuly handled in the field He
said Providence favored the side which
employed such agencies


We have no doubt, now that Mr. Stanton as
sumes the practical direction of the affairs of
the army, and is responsible for results he will
arrive at the same conclusion, whatever he may
have formerly said to the contrary. That was
the time of buletins--good, bad and in
different. This is the period of action;
aud Mr.. Stanton has magnificent field
before him for the display of those practical
and administrative talents essential to success.
embracing, at the same time, the most minute
details, while sufficiently comprehensive to
grasp the whole of the complicated and COM
bined movements of a campaign whose vast
ness is without precedent in the history Of
nations. If he fails, great will be his fall. Ii
he succeeds, great will be his glory. He has a
mighty stake at issue.