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430 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--