Year: 1861

Foolish Criticisms.


There is nothing te which persons gehefa'iy
are more prone than to criticise and complain
and so great is this propensity, ana SO grea. 'he
temptation to indulge this disposition, that IL oF-
ten Influences persons to expose their ignorance
and make themselves subjects of rldicuie oy CRIT


cising the conduct of adopts in Sciences aoou'
which they are as ignorant as the mole Is oi 1op
les. or the adder of acoustics. we frequently
hear persons criticising the conduct OF our Gene
rails, and, with great gusto, ezpatiaflng upon 'pe
merits of campaign which they would have
adopted. if the authorities had bad tie percep
ton to discover their remarkable genius for MIL
tary science and had made demand upon their
services. And that there may be no douot o.
their possession of moro than NapoleoLic genius,
they acknowledge that the world does not con
taia abler or more accomplished Generals than
those in the service of the Confederate States,
and yet those distinguished Generals have not
the capacity to plan campaigns which would
meet with their appreciation, as they could, With
out the routine of military education, by the
force alone of their native and aforementioned
genius, plan much better ones. The Press is not
free from this kind of vanity and self-conceif,
and considerable number indulge daily 10 their
ridiculous criticisms of the conduct OF our Gen
erals, and urge them TO do what the sound judg-
ment and discretion of our Generals forbid them
to undertake. We concur with the sentiments
contained in communication in the Richmond
Wing which says: On the Potomac we have at
the head of one of the most splendid armies up
on which the sun ever shone two of the ablest
Generals of the age. They graduated al West
Point with distinguished honor long years ago.
They are to-day rich in all the wealth and lore
of experience. The army reposes the most i'm
plicit and nnbounded confidence in their mi ita-
ry attachments and abilities, and the people join
the army in the most enthusiastic admiration of
their courage and patriotism. Now, under such
circumstances, allow me to inquire what the peo-
pie have to do with the operations of our army
on the Potomac? Greeley raised the hue and
cry of son to Richmond" The Northern peo-
pie caught it up and Northern hills and valleys
were made to resound with the shout of "On to
Richmond" As long as it was only Greeley s
cry, no notice was taken of it, but when the old
scoundrel succeeded in making the people echo
it be triumphed, and the order Forward" was
given before the army was ready to move. The
result is history. Is the lesson it teaches to be
lost on our people? In the same pragmatic, i'm
pertinent, and fool hardy spirit will they persist
in the cry of ''On to Washington9" What Go
| they know about the condition Of our readiness
to advance? What do they know about the
preparation the enemy has made for our recep-
tion9 What do they know about the condition
| of the Potomac, our means to cross it, the mum
Der of our troops and that Of the enemy When
and where did they receive military education


Where did they acquire such avast experience in
the science of war that they should know sc
much better than Generals Johnston and Beaure-
regard when, where, and how to advance? Il
it be true that our people are becoming diseased


with rcketty restlessness upon this subject, it
is high time that they be informed that it is a
matter with VIII ch they have nothing TO do, and
about which it is prudent policy that they have
nothing to say. The manifestation of public dis
content now may do some harm, but can, in no
orot able event, do any good. The only possible
result that can accrue from it will be to weaken
public confidence in those to whom the public
should cleave, in an hour like this, with an un-
faltering trust. Suppose you were on board of a
ship, far away at sea, and terrible storm were
bowling around you, would you have the captain
and sailors directed by the people that might
happen to be passengers on board? 1t would be
equally as wise to do so as to allow the people to
have anything whatever to do with our army on
the Potomacl