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February 19, 1863, The New York Herald

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 1863.

HIGHLY IMPORTANT MOVEMENTS AND RUMORS.

There are some very important movements on foot in this city. The present apparent immobility of the army and the suggestive proceedings of Congress are indicative of this fact. There are besides a great many rumors in circulation in political circles, which are kept as confidentially as possible in regard to what is going to be done after Congress adjourns, on the 4th of March next – not over a couple of weeks from the present time. It will be seen that very little opposition has been shown in Congress to the financial and military measures of the government. The conservatives have given them their support, and the consequence is that the new conscription scheme will soon become a law as well as the financial measures for the maintenance of the government. Some people have not failed to express surprise and astonishment at these movements and results. But from what I have heard I think they will scarcely surprise you. Among the rumors in circulation which pointed to these results is one to the effect that the President intends to restore General McClellan to the chief command of the army some time next month, and that he intends to reorganize his Cabinet on a conservative basis, retaining Mr. Seward in his present position, for the masterly and dignified manner in which he has discharged the duties of his department. It is said that he has promised several members of Congress, who, though belonging to his party, are conservative in their politics, that he will certainly make these changes. It is understood that he feels that the present General in Chief is not equal to the emergency, and that he is now satisfied that General McClellan was fully equal to it, and that if he had been left alone he would long since have accomplished all that the nation so anxiously desire, that he is now firmly of the opinion that McClellan is the only man in the country capable of fitting that position, and that his military mind is the only one that can grasp the necessities of the occasion, control the movements of all the armies of the republic throughout the Union, and preserve their unity of action and efficiency for the suppression of the rebellion. With these ideas in view he has unhesitatingly made the promises alluded to, and the conservatives therefore think, in consideration of these facts that it is best to strengthen the hands of the administration in every possible way, so that the spring campaign shall be one of the greatest vigor and unity.

When General McClellan was removed it was stated by the radical abolitionists that the President was induced to adopt this course on the ground that he had tried the conservative plan for a year and a half without any practical result, and that therefore he was at liberty to give the radical plan a trial. But we all know that it was the conservative plan which led to the great victories of last year; while since the inauguration of the radical plan, which dates from the issue of the emancipation proclamation, everything has gone wrong on land and sea, in the army, among the politicians and with the people. Thus the President has found that the radical plan will not work at all. He is not restoring the Union by it, nor does he win any victories by its agency. He has declared that military success is what we need, and now he is determined to have it. He sees that with the success of our arms we will have peace with Europe and peace at home, while with the continued reverses of our armies and a succession of military disasters we can hope for nothing of the kind. He finds that the power wielded by the military authorities before the issue of his emancipation proclamation is sufficient for all purposes, that the proclamation has only proved what he said to the Chicago clergy men it would be – something the […..] Pope’s bull against the comet.” It is now his policy to return to the conservative programme which worked such benefits to the country – an act which will tend to unite the whole North, and rid the people of the radical abolitionists on the one hand and of the copperheads on the other.