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THE COUNTRYMAN.
TURN WOLD, LA., AUGUST 16, 1S64.
Gen. Johnston.
Of course, no one wishes to say any
thing to injure the feelings of a fellow -
man : we mean no one wishes to do
this, who is a right-thinking, right-feel
ing human being. Therefore, it is, that
many of our people suppress their opin
ion of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston.
The Columbus Enquirer, a very proper
journal, condemns the Richmond Senti
nel, because that paper sets forth that
Gen. Johnston was removed for incom
petency, and our Columbus cotemporary
thinks there is something like malignant
warfare upon that general, by our Rich
mond' cotemporary. If says that Gen.
Johnston is the only officer who has
been removed, that has been subjected
to such animadversions as that general
has been, by the official organ, and this
justifies its conclusion that a malignant
warfare is waged upon the late comman
der of the Army of Tennessee. (We do
not pretend to quote the language of our
cotemporary.)
It is very seldom that we have to differ
with the Columbus Enquirer. Its no
tions and-ours are generally in accord:
but we do differ with it, upon this occa
sion.
Such was the universal confidence re
posed in Gen. Johnston by press, people,
and the army, that his removal raised a
clamor which the administration was
obliged to meet, in self-defence. Hence,
the article in the Sentinel, which either
came directly from President Davis’s pen,
or which was “inspired” by his animus.
We cannot blame the president for de
fending himself against charges laid at
his door. It had been said that General
Johnston’s falling back was in obedience
to the policy of the administration. That
this fhlling-back policy was a had policy,
is now evident to every one. It was evi
dent to the administration all the time,
and hence it is not willing to shoulder
what it knew to be a blunder : and none
of us can blame it for-that.
We are the last man to justify our
president for his frequent wrong-headed-
ness, and head-strongness. We cannot
excuse him for his almost insane attach
ment to his pet general—his darling of
ficer—Bragg. We think it among the
mysteries and the misfortunes of human
nature, that the optics of our chief magis
trate were so keen to discover that the
identical policy which was so- right in
Bragg, was so wrong in Johnston. But
the question for the country to consider
is, was Johnston’s policy the correct one,
and, if it was not, was the president right
in removing him ?
We think this question admits of but
one answer. We think the country, now,
in its extremity, retnrns but one answer
to it, though a few -weeks ago, the whole
country thought Geu. Johnstou could do
do no wrong. The president was the first
to find out his fallibility, and when the
country condemned him for it, he was
obliged to defend himself in his newspa
per organ. YTe Oiink the article in the
Sentinel was either written by 1 he presi
dent, or at his immediate dictation. We
think so because we have heard of the pres
ident’s giving his opinion of Gen. Johns
ton, in almost the very words of the Senti
nel’s article.
The Macon Confederate thinks that now
that everybody has had his “say” about
Gen, Johnston’s removal, it is time to
drop the subject. Our good friend, Flash,
has the distinguished officer who is the
general topic for tongue and pen, enjoying
the hospitalities of the people of Macon.
No wonder thitan amiable editor does not
wish to distu rb the feelings of so good a man,
so noble a patriot, and so distinguished a
soldier, as Gen. Johnston. This officer is
enjoying the hospitalities of Gen. Cobb,
and is a clever, good gentleman, while our
Georgia general is so, also, and a ion vi-
vant, besides. No man is so insinuating,
and so kind as Gen. Cobb,—so much dis
posed to play the amiable and agreeable,
as Gen. Cobb,—and so apt to infuse his
own spiritinto those who surround him,
as that distinguished statesman-soldier.
Hence, we can hardly look for criticism
upon Gen. Johnston, in the city of Macon,,
unless the Intelligencer should shoot oil'
into one of its mad tantrums—and that
wo cannot expect, since the Sentinel 1 ac
cuses it of being “in the interest” of the
late commander of the. army of Tennes
see.
But while our confreres and generals
in Macon can remain behind the breast
works, and indulge in playing the agree
able to each other, bound together as
they are by the subtle ties of gastronomy,
we poor devils who live in the country,
and have been uncovered to the enemy’s
raiders by Gen. Johnston’s policy of fall
ing back, are in a better condition to tol
erate, and appreciate criticism from the
government organ, upon that policy.
If President Davis had waited a few
weeks, he need not have published,
in the Sentinel, a justification of his re
moval of Gen. Johnston. Events have
recorded that justification in letters of
blood : and the beacon fires, in Central
Georgia, which have marked the track of
the invader, through the heart ol our
country, have lighted up the monu
ment to President Davis’s wisdom, in
putting in command a fighting general,
instead of a falling-back general. Would
that it had been done while our army
lingered in the mountain fastnesses of
Cherokee Georgia, instead of after those
gates had been unbarred,, for the enemy
to spread desolation, and ruin, over the
plains that lie to the South.
All this may be very uncourtly—per
chance, uncourteous. It may be the. rude
ness of the rustic, and very distasteful to
our urbane cotemporaries. But it cannot
be more distasteful to them, than the
raiding hordes of the enemy, turned loose
to riot over the country, by Gen. Johns
ton’s falling-back policy, are to the un
protected women and children of the land.
We believe in being courteous to every
body, but there is one kind of courtesy
that we have never been able to compre
hend : it may be our misfortune, perhaps :
but it is this : we have never been able
to comprehend that kind of courtesy
which could withhold criticism, or remo
val, from an incompetent officer, for fear
of hurting his feelings, when no attention
was paid to the feeling-! and lives of hun
dreds of thousands of his fellow-creatures,
whose safety was exposed by that offi
cer’s undoubted incapacity—nay, his very
imbecility.
Now we do not intend to lay incapacity,
much less imbecility, to the charge of
Gen. Johnston. Far from it. But let us
try his policy by the facts. He intended
to fight, some time or other. This has
lately been senri-authoritatively announced
in the Macon Telegraph. lie intended
to fight at Atlanta. He did not intend' to
give up that city. Now, then, if he in
tended to fight at all, why did he-net
fight among the mountains, and keep the
enemy off' of Georgia’s heart, instead of
falling back, and subjecting Atlanta to
siege, with every disadvantage of position^
uncovering the very vitals of our statu,
and leaving Sherman to gather her viscera
in one grasp of bis infernal hand ?
We c*o not know whether General Joe
Johnston is willing to be tried by the
same standard which Gen. Sydney John
son said ne -was willing to be tried by,
though a hard one—the standard of suc
cess. But at any rate, the people will try
him by that standard—they are now try
ing him by that standard—and many a
father, and many a mother, and many a
daughter, whose home has been, or
probably will be pillaged and devastated
by the foe, will lay the blame upon Gen..
Johnston’s felling-back policy. This is-
right. The policy is to be condemned,
while we retain every and all respect for
the man whose mistaken policy it was. But
we must not fail co criticise that policy,
for fear of hurting any one’s feelings..
No man’s private grief should be thrown
in the scale against his country’s good.
And while we are on this point, we can
not refrain from noticing the alleged fact,,
that the .greater part of the fruit of our
victory at Sunshine,, the other day,, was-
lost by the inefficiency, and incompeten
cy of one of our cavalry officers engaged
in the fight at that place. We have seen,,
and conversed with various officers, and
soldiers, w r ho were in that battle, and
their uniform testimony is, that, after
Stoneman, and his whole command had
surrendered^ two-thirds of the command’
were allowed to escape, by the incompe
tency of one officer: and upon that oifi-
cei’s head were heaped curses, not loud,,
it is true, but very deep.
The question is, shall that officer—that
head—still paralyze the limbs of his com
mand by his Gwn incapacity, because h&
may be, perhaps, a favorite, or a pet of
ihe president—or will the president, for
the good of the cause, act impartially „
and remove that officer, as he removed.
Johnston?
Why Gen. Dick Taylor was Relieved.
•—Several causes have been assigned for
Gen. Taylor’s being relieved of his com
mand ; misunderstanding with Kirby
Smith, imprudently publishing that he
was about to start for New Orleans, be
coming miffed with. Gen. Smith, for disap--