Our Generals.
--We regret to see a disposition in some quarters to decry the abilities, and criticise the movements of our
Generals, by those who are not in possession of the data upon which to form a judgment, and who do not even profess to know anything of the intricate science of war. The great subject of complaint is, that our army has not advanced into
Maryland, and is still at its old battle ground of
Bull Run.
Why don't the fault-finders take the bull by the horns and arraign the
Executive, in obedience to whose orders our
Generals act?
No
General of our army has the power to order a forward movement into
Maryland, or upon
Washington.
The Command in-Chief which is vested in the
President by the
Constitution, is exercised by him in fact, and in conformity with his orders our military movements are strictly regulated.--So that, whether it was good policy to enter
Maryland or not, it is the
President, and not the
Generals, upon whom the responsibility of action or non-action rests.
We don't believe that any service in the world has more accomplished military men than are at the head of the
Southern armies.
Gen. A. Johnston, of
Kentucky,
Gen. Johnston,
Commander in Chief of the Army of the Potomac,
Gen. Beauregard,
Gen. Smith,
Gen. Lee,
Gen. Magruder, --we know not where to stop,--form a host of military worthies that would adorn any service in any age. We conceive that they have every motive to accomplish everything within their power which can
operate upon the most unsparing of their critics, and probably understand their business as well.
And this is equally true of the
President.
Undoubtedly, if any one individual in this Government has more interest than any other in the success of our arms, it is the
Chief Magistrate.
We do not hold with the Lincolnites that the
King can do no wrong, but we cannot resist the conclusion that our Executive, in the trying position he occupies, must be at least as well disposed to do the best he can as any of his critics, and that it is fair to presume he avails himself of all the lights of his position, and all the wisdom and intelligence that can be brought to his counsels.
