Year: 1863




Several months have elapsed since the ex
treme Aboltionists of the Federal Congress urged
Mr.. Lincoln TO reconstruct his ministry by dis
missing Mr. Seward and some of bis less nhuen-
tial colleagues. The President declined to adopt
any such measure, not feeling assured that a
change Of men would necessarily produce any
Improvement in the state of affairs He saw
clearly enough that this could only be brought
about by a change of events What the Govern
ment required was few successes in the field a
series of victories instead of defeats, and he did
not see how this was to be secured even if the
malcontents could provide him with ga Cabinet
of Angels" As the leaders of the agitation
could recommend no one superior TO themselves
and had cot impressed Mr.. Lincoln with any be
lief in their superhuman ability, he retained Mr.
Seward and the other ministers whom the Repub-
lican vote had selected. But the ertreme ''tcinq"
Of the party ioas satisfied By one concession Gen
Mcclellan tras remored from the command Of the
army His political opinions were moderate and
his military talents considerable. The army has
since sustained repeated and disastrous defeats
under Generals of more decided political convc-
tons. The result therefore, of the change of
commanders in the field has rather justified the
President in his doubts of the advantage of recon
structing his Administration But the reverses
of the last campaign have again excited discon
tent. There is revival of censure and remon-
STRANGE, and the tide of opposition is now run
ming strongly both against the Cabinet and Gen
Hooker. The old difficulty, created by the want
of success" has returned iu an aggravated
form. for the Ministry itself appears TO be all
but broken mp by internal dissensions.


The fatal consequences of the incapacity of
Burnside and Hooker have created a reaction of
opinion in favor of Mcclellan whose caution and
clear estimate of his opponents strength now ap-
pear gifts in n commander that ought not to have
been despised. He certainly would mot have
fought the last two battles before Fredericksburg
under the circumstances that have linked the
names of his successors with such crushing re-
verses. Something like repentance for the in
justice tfat has been done him is visible in the
proposal to renstate him in command, which is
supported by three members of the Cabinet. Ii
Is on this Dont the divisions have arisen. The
President, il is said is dispQsed retain Hooker
still impressed, probably, by his Did dsblief in
the efficiency of any ch nge of men while the
run of events is so adverse under all selections
Another contingency is that Gen. Halleck will
take the actual cOmmind OF the army in the
field. and try his skill or fortune where so many
have been wrecked, and that Mr.. Seward and Mr.
Stanton will be superseded in the Ministry by
Gen. Butler and Mr.. Sumner. The political con
test is between the mOderatcs and the ''uitras"
and only the decision of the President ian turn
the scale.


The military tribunal for an expression
of opinion the sentence confirmed by the General
commanding, and the secret committal to fort
ress for term undefned, is the rule of Poland
transferred to the last country on the face of the
earth where it would have seemed possible to
enforce such unqualified despotsm. The best
hope of those who think liberty worth preserving
is in the fact that the Federal Government is less
likely to produce terror by such extraordinary
measures than irritation. 1t is in the minority
now, and the majority against il is increasing like
a rising tide In any country. where the political
existence of government is not guaranteed to
It in advance. whether it proves bad or good. de-
tested popular. such a ministry would be
swept away in week. aud another installed
which would represent the feeling Of the time
The Federal Ibinet represents opinions that
prevailed three years ago An age. measured by
events. has since passed away. and all is ischanged
But to displace the government would require a
political revolution. perhaps second war, and
the North cannot fight with itself and the South
at the time