Beginning at the right end--profiting by the experience of others--wasting no time nor strength in mere display--promptly breaking up, as an essential preliminary, the cliques and cabals which had so long hindered the usefulness of the Army of the Potomac--when the Lieutenant-General was at last ready, he moved across the Rapidan, was attacked impetuously by Lee with his whole army before he had fairly posted his own--“Any other man,” said Mr. Lincoln, “would have been on this side of the Rapidan after the first three days’ fighting”--still fought--moved by the left flank--fought on--prepared, after six days very heavy work, as he telegraphed the President, “to fight it out on that line, if it took all summer”--outgeneralled Lee at Spottsylvania Court House--secured his position--and held it till the contemplated movements in other quarters should place the prize he aimed at within his grasp. Holding his ground, undeterred by an attempted diversion, in July, in the shape of a rebel raid toward Washington and an invasion of Maryland--a favorite summer pastime, in those days, for the Confederates--he bided his time, his teeth fixed, and the utmost efforts of his wily opponent could not induce him to relax that grim hold. Richmond papers sneered and scolded and abused--proved that he ought to have acted entirely otherwise--asseverated that he was no strategist, but simply a lucky blunderer, a butcher on a vast scale; and rebel sympathizers in the North served up, in talk and print, approved re-hashes of the same staple, and were in the highest dudgeon that General McClellan was not recalled instanter to save the Capital at least, if not to take Richmond. But Grant still held on--the teeth still set--and could not be moved. While this campaign was progressing, the President addressed the following letter to the Committee of Arrangements of a mass meeting in New York, which had been called as a testimonial of confidence in General Grant, and of satisfaction that his efforts had been crowned with so large a measure of success: “_Executive Mansion_, Washington, June 3d, 1864.