Year: 1862

The Fifth Campaign-Prcspectse Of suc-
cess at Last.


A little more than eighteen months have
elapsed since the South opened the war by the


b0mbardment of Fort Sumter During that
period we have had four campaigns for the
capture or annihilaton of the rebel army, and


have now commenced the fifth. The first cam


paign ended with the rout of our forces and


their stampede from Bull run; the second,


with the triumph of our army at Malvern
Hill; the third, with the second battle of Bull


run and the retreat of Pope's forces to the for


ti6cations around Washington, and the fourth


with a splendid victory at Antietam. Thus it


appears that the two campaigns in which


Mcclellan commanded the Union troops
closed with a victory on our part, and would
have been followed up with decisive results
had the radical Marplots at Washington given
Mcclellan cordial support instead of in
| triguing to displace him, and doing all that was
| within their power to encompass his defeat.
| On the other hand, the two campaigns man
aged by the radical political generals closed
disastrously, not only in the Generalization Of
the army, but in an enormous loss Of supplies





deniable facts calls for no special allusion here
to be seen and to be convincing to every man
not blinded with fanaticism.


The four campaigns having, through the ma
chinations of the political marplots, failed to
accomplish the object intended, the fifth has been
organized and is about commencing operations.
General Banks, at the head of strong force, has
aoilad fNr aop,o S0nthorp r1n;0f vuhnra ha xUiu
strike damaging blow to the rebellion, and no
doubt ultimately render efficient aid in routing
the large rebel army Of the East General Burn
side is on the bank Of the Rappahannock,
making preparations for active and decisive
| operations for an assault upon the rebel army.
| According to the report of the War Depart
ment, there are eight hundred thousand federal
| soldiers under arms, which, no doubt, means
four hundred thousand east of the Alleghanies
| and like number west. With this enormous
force properly handled there are no reasons
why this, the fifth campaign should not prove
decisive and end the rebellion. Our generals
have had no such force under their control at
any former period. Although the war has been
one Of the most gigantic in the history of
the world, yet our former campaigns have
only been grand rcconnoissances in force.
They failed through the meddlesome inter.
ference Of Cabinet and political intrigues
in crushing ont the rebellion; but they were
important schools for our generals and soldiers,
enabling them to learn the practical lessons of
war, and prepare themselves for more skilful
work hereafter. In the work of the four cam
paigns our generals have had the experience
that will now enable them to handle their men
with greater skill and produce more effective
results than heretofore.


With the lessons taught them by the superior
generalship Of Mcclellan, who has, by his skill,
three times saved the national capital and the
republic, and has met with the reward of re-
publics-dismissal-w the experience Of his
system Of organization Of powerful army, and
| q largely increased force under their command,
they only need the cordial and full cooperation
Of the departments at Washington to make their
early success certain, their victory complete,
decisive and anal. The country has had
bitter and costly experience Of the effect
Of the disorganizing work Of the War De-
parfment ct Washington, in the withdrawal





the train Of disasters that resulted from that dam
aging decision, which continued until McClel-
Ian was placed at the head of the disorganized
Army of the Potomac, and saved the nation by
pursuing and driving the rebel army under
Lee from the soil of Maryland, and thus turn
ing the tide Of victory in favor Of the Union
cause We all know that the War Department
A. An ua.r An. .comart ~ two Cni sforo;a
lawyers; but the public rely upon President
Lincoln 10 end their intrigues, and see that the
lessons of the past and the bitter experience
we have had In dividing the army and with
holding the :ecessary support at the critical
hour are not again repeated. The public de.


nand that those expensive lessons shall now be
. warning to the administration. and that this
promising hflh campaign shall not prove
failure through the interference with
the plans Of our generals by the Mar
plots nj Washington. The people are
fully convinced that no influence under Heaven
can defeat this campaign unless II is the machi-
nations of the radicals at Washington, and the
failure Of the War and Navy departments to
fully cooperate and give II all tho aid which
the vast resources q, the disposal Of these de-
parimenss will enable them TO furnish. In short,
then, the loyal North demands that there shall be
no more sacrifice Of valuable lives or loss of trea
sure or the Union cause be again imperilled by
the political intrigucs q, Washington, but THAI, on
the contrary. the generals who have the exscu-
ton of this che tifth campaign, shall have such
efhcieni support and cordial cooperation by all
| departments Of the government will enable


ihem 10 make this campaign short, decisive and


FINAL. They ssk that nothing shall be withheld
from our armies that IL necessary to make IL
the crowning campaign cf the war. ending in .
complete destruction Of the rebellion aud re-


-sors,ion Of the federal authority from the lakes
70 the Gulf