Year: 1863




The recent campaign on the Rapidan, judged
by comparison with the achievements of our
armies elsewhere, is a most discreditable fail
ure, and disgrace to all the persons concerned
in it or responsible for it. Undoubtedly this is
but another of those enormous bunders that
originate in HE War Department. Upon the
War Department depends the choice of the SOL
diers who shall command our armies; and if
General Meade were incompetent for his posi-
ton the War Department should have known it
by this time and chosen his successor; for we
have now plenty of men able and ready to lead
our armies, and possessed of all the requisites
ofability and courage. But we shall not be-
lieve that General Meade is wanting in any of
these requisites until there is some good evi-
dence of the fact, which now there Is not In
this lamentable failure we see the War Depart
men. and the War Department only; and since
this war began we have seen enough of the
War Departments work to be able to recognize
it at the slightest glance.


Since the wise men at Washington assumed
tho control of the Army of the Potomac its
history has been a series Of disasters. General
McClellan's we'll judged plans failed through
their interference. Burnsides advance, and
the consequent fight at Fredericksburg. was
forced by the same power, and Hooker CON-
planned bitterly Of its hlighting influence.
Gettysburg, fought by the corps commanders,
and won by the soldiers-without plan almost,
Ofice-sbowed what the army could do whom
left alone; and the failure TO destroy Lee on
the Upper Potomac indicated again the return
and reinstatement of that malign Washington
influence that-like the Fate Of the old Greek
drama-hungers for destruction, originates all
evil counsels, and recognizes the existence Of
good ones only as 1t can oppose, psrvert or alb
solutely destroy their effect.


Look at our armies elsewhere removed from
the sphere of this influence. Success is as con.
stant with them a. success ever was in war.
Grant, Rosecrans Banks, succeed in the exact
degree Of their removal from and indepen-
dence of this power. How must the men of the
Army Of the Potomac-just now returned to
camp from the fifth onward movement by that
overland route upon the superiority of which
General Halleck has 'staked his military repu-
tation"-how must they envy the men who went
out West with Howard and Slocum, with
Steinwshr, with that rough old fighter
Williams, and with the impetuous, passionate
and magnificent old Gearyf For out there our
armies achieve victory-which is more delight
full to the soldier than 1t can possibly be TO any
one else. But in Virginia, under the shadow
Of the War Department influence, our men have
only the constant chagrin Of defeat and failure.
We regard this latest failure, therefore, as
entirely caused by that bad influence that ema-
mates from Washington city; but those who
judge Of these events abroad are not able to
fix their causes so nicely. In France or Eng.
land it is merely another Northern failure; and
unless the House Of Representatives, at its ear.
liest session, appoints committee TO inquire
into, explore and ventilate this whole matter,
foreign ignorance and malice will rate the fail
ure on the Rapidan as an Offset to our South
western victories, and the country will be dis
graced by II.