Year: 1862




We think it may be safely asserted that the
dark designs and intrigues Of our disorganizing
politicians have contributed more to the disas-
tiers which have befallen our armies than all
other causes combined. We had hoped, how
ever, that our Notwithstanding demagogues aud
Marplots, after having brought our great cause
and all their own selfish schemes to the verge
of ruin, with the advance of the rebel army
from Richmond to the gates of Washington,
would be content to let the President and his
chosen generals prosecute the war in their own
way, at least for brief season, without inter-
ruption.


But in this reasonable anticipation we
were wide of the mark. For example,
military instructor of General Hal
leck, through the editorial columns OF
that old fossilized journA, the National htelli-
gencer, has lately been yentilating his superior
military knowledge to the world. He has un-
dertaken to show that General Halleck com
mitted the gravest military blunder in recall
ing to Washington from the James river the
army of General Mcclellan, and that the re-
monstrances and subsequent achievements of
Mcclellan mark him as the man for Haleck' s
place. On the other side, q military writer in
the New York Times takes up the cudge!s in
behalf of General Halleck proves the wisdom
of his recall of the Army of the Potomac from
the Richmond peninsula, and broadly insinuates
that this aforesaid champion Of Mcclellan
smells of the camp of Antietam, or, in other
words, that General Mcclellan himself is dab
bling in the newspapers to supplant the enc
ral-in-Chief Of TIE army.


Now, if either of these two distinguished Off
GERS was a mousing politician, here would be
matter sufficient for an immediate rupture, cX-
tending, perhaps, to a serious Generalization Of
the army. But Generals Halleck and Mcclellan
are not mousing politicians. They are genuine
soldiers, distrustsul Of all political party trick
.sters ana all their dirty schemes. We know
too, that each of these faithful officers has the
confidence of the other, and that both have the
confidence Of the President in too large a de-
gree to be shaken by newspaper twaddle.
And yet there is reason to suspect that at the
bottom of this controversy there is hidden
purpose against both General Haleck and
General Mcclellan, and that the design is to
break the heads of both by knocking them
against each other. The firmest alliances of
cabinets and States have thus been ruptured,
and why may not the experiment be worth
trying against these two prominent soldiers
who persstently refuse to serve the party pur
poses Of our dominant political faction.


1t is the desire and the hope of President
Lincoln to bring this rebellion to capitula-
ton before the lst of January. In doing this
we restore the old Union under all the safe
gy1s of the constitution in behalf Of our slave
hdfaing States, and we secure, too, a recon-
struction of parties, which for all time hereafter
will put and keep down our Northern abolition
and Southern secession disunionists. Our abo-
lition disorganizers understand all this, and
their policy is accordingly the prolongation Of
the war; until it shall be changed from a war
for the Union to a war for the extirpation Of
African slavery, and all the political ideas and
elements in the South with which this ios.itu-
tion is associated. The grand ultimatum of our
abolition radicals being in short, emancipation
or separation" their plan is now to protract the
war until the one result or the other must
inevitably follow.


To this end our radical journals, hitherto SO
clamorous for immediate advances upon the
enemy, now advocate delay, and if this
delay can be secured by creating dis
sensions and divisions in the army these means
will be tried General Halleck, General
Mcclellan and General Buell., all holding the
same sound and conservative views, as soldiers,
in regard to the political question Of slavery,
are now, as they have been heretofore the most
obnoxious of all our army officers to our radical
abolition faction. OF late this faction has ac-
lively exerted itself to displace Buell., but
whether successfully or not we have yet to
ascertain. If successful in his case, Halleck and
Mcclellan will next be taken in hand, and to
fill their places some such abolition crusader as
Fremont. with some such unfortunate officer as
Mcdowell, through his special advocate in the
Cabinet, will most probably be urged upon the
President, under all the pressure Of party
majority in Congress.


But against all such schemes and designs we
rely upon the nhexible consistency of Abraham
Lincoln. But for his constant adhesion to the
fixed principles and paramount object for which
he has been conducting this war, our disunion
radicals would long ago have destroyed all
hopes of the Union or of nything like law and
order. President Lincoln has thus far saved us
from the perls of universal dissolution, and he
stands to-day our only safeguard against disso-
luton and Mexican anarchy. We rely upon
him still to pursue his own counsels, to adhere
to his tried and approved generals, and to bring
this war to glorious end before the close of
the year.


A LIVELY PROSPECT AHEAD.-The Tribune,
Times and other radical organs say plainly and
emphatically that Governor Seymour and all
who support him are traitors As such, of
course, their property must be confscated and