The command of the Yankee Army in Virginia — Lincoln has a Finger in it.
The New York
Herald has three editorial articles in its issue of the 2d instant, all denouncing
Lincoln for interference with
Gen. Grant.
It looks very much as if that paper was preparing to give
Grant an easy fall.
The firs article says:
‘
Gen. Grant was made commander of all the United States armies by the friends of the Administration in Congress because they had no faith in the military abilities of
General Halleck, and because they believed that it was necessary for the safety of the country that the
President should have better military advice than any that
General Halleck had been able to give.
They saw how completely our military operations had failed of their object in the
East, and, in common with the whole country, they believed that the fault lay, not in the want of any proper quality in our troops, but solely between the
President and
General Halleck.
Consequently they desired to replace the
President's mediocre adviser by an able soldier; they desired that a technical strategist, a Martinet and a Marpiot, should not occupy the highest place in our armies while there was a man of genius to fill it; they desired that
General Halleck's influence should no longer be felt in the operations of our armies, and that
General Grant shouldn't be supreme in that his proper sphere.
And these men are naturally dissatisfied at the manner in which the
President has failed to carry out, and has even thwarted, their wishes.
In the persistent retention of
General Halleck near to the
President's person they see an inevitable source of future trouble-- the seeds of an evil that cannot but cost the country a bitter price in honor, in blood, in money.
As
Gen. Halleck--family on trial for nearly two years--had not the ability to originate the great plans that are to crush the rebellion, it is hardly to be expected that he will appreciate the great plans of another; and it is believed that he will be but too ready to criticise and carp at those plans — as Ihersites was never without his sneer at
Achilles — and will thus be a source of discord in our councils.
Nor is it to be expected that a man of
Halleck's calibre will have the moral elevation and greatness of soul to cordially cooperate with one who, being his subordinate in the
West, has come forward so rapidly, and finally pushed him from his "pride of place, " as
Grant has.
’
Apparently the friends of the Administration in Congress have not made their wishes sufficiently plain to the
President even yet, and the evidence of this is that there has been no change in his conduct.
Metternich, sent to
Paris at a critical period in the history of
Europe, to study the Emperor Napoleon in the interest of those who desired peace, wrote of him the three wolds "He is unuttered"
Europe was to be swept again with the hurricane of war. And the
President, after so many fearful lessons, and after the withering rebuke of
Grant's promotion, is still unaltered, and is going on in the same old way. He keeps his Marplot at his elbow, and under the
Marpiot's advice manipulates our armies as he pleases.
He ignores
Grant as he did
Scott and
McClellan, and we are likely to have reproduced in this summer the tragedies which resulted from the fact that while the
Generals in the field were carrying on the war in their way the
President was carrying on the war in quite another way, and doing more to defeat our armies than the enemy could possibly do. Recently very important changes have been made in the Army of the Potomac, by which two army corps have been put out of existence, and by which the most sweeping changes have been made in the organization of that army and in its corps and division commanders.
A measure of such vital consequence to the efficiency of that army certainly called for very ample deliberation on the subject, and it is without precedent in military history that such a measure should be under taken and carried through without the sanction of the
General who is to lead the army in battle.
Yet it is positively certain that the whole change in the Army of the Potomac, made after
Grant was appointed
Commander of all our armies, was made without his advice being asked upon the subject, and without his knowledge.
It was done entirely by the
President and by
Gen. Halleck and
Gen Meade.
From this, as the first result of the retention of
Gen. Halleck near to the
President, Congress may see that its work is only half done.
It was not enough to elevate
Gen. Grant;
Gen. Halleck must be put out of the way; and until that is done there is no hope that the conduct of the war will be different in the future from what it has been in the past.
With the army in new hands it was thought that the war would take a new and vigorous start, and the
President would relinquish his Presidential intrigues and assist in every way in his power to end this great struggle.
But is unaltered in all respects.
In the same manner as he continues his plans against the
Generals he continues his intrigues in the
State Legislatures, and in the little, dirty political conventions all over the country.
But he will find that Congress will be firmer and more decided with him on this point than on that of the
Generals. --Unless he shall very soon make his position positive on this point it will be made positive without his assistance.
If he does not soon broadly and distinctly declare that he will not accept a nomination, and will not be a candidate for re-election, it is somewhat more than probable that both houses of Congress will make a declaration on this point that will equally astonish both the
President and the country.
The second article furnishes the following extract:
‘
By the last Congress, in view of the possible contingency of an opposition majority in this, everything was granted that the Administration asked for to carry on the war, and much more than was necessary in the way of military, financial and political powers.
The present Republican Congress has reasons enough to deplore those follies.
It was found that these extraordinary powers conceded to
President Lincoln have been used by him not so much to put down the rebellion as to secure another term of office, and now he will be required to answer to this indictment.
What can he say ? Has he not uselessly sacrificed the lives of hundreds of thousands of our brave soldiers in his blundering military adventures ? Has he not thus squandered away thousands of millions of treasure ? Has he not rather encouraged than attempted to check the frightful corruptions, spoliations and wastefulness which, in high places and low, have marked the management of this war ? And what is he now doing with
General Grant ? The General, as we are told, has had nothing to do with the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac.
He was kindly relieved of that trouble by the
President and
General Halleck.
The act of Congress reviving the grade of
Lieutenant General would, it was hoped, effect the removal of
Halleck; but he is still retained at the
President's elbow, to assist him in managing
Grant.
This, too, is an item in the bill of complaints which the majority of the Republicans in Congress have made up against
Abraham Lincoln.
In assumptions of power, in claptrap cant and low cunning, they have found him a sort of backwoods imitator of
Cromwell, but utterly incapable of imitating old
Oliver in anything else.
’
We cannot be far out of the way in the opinion that the party in Congress which pronounces its Executive a future holds the balance of power against him, and will exercise it to some purpose.
We count upon the shelving of
Lincoln through the postponement of the Baltimore Convention.
