Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-01-08
A Movement TO Degrade and Disgrace
General Mcclellan.

| n MOVe"enttO 10 DegFade nnd Disgrace
General Mcclellan.
To degrade Gen. Mcclellan is Just now tn,
matter aboitionisn has in hand. It does no
seek to do this In a bold, frank, and straightfor
ward way, but on the hypocritical pretense thai
his duties ae General-in- Chief require all hi
time, and that therefore he should be relieved
from bis separate command of the Army of the
Potomac. Had Gen. Mcclellan 10 any manner
indicated desire to be relieved from his separate
command 80 sooD as the public interests would
admit OF 1t, 1t would be u fair question for dis
cussion whether the public interests would admit
OF 1t until the Army Of the Potomac had moved
forward against the enemy and won the grand
triumph which it is expected it will win. But
Gen. Mcclellan has indicated no desire to be
relieved from his separate command, and we
need not tell any body that to relieve him from
1t except upon his express desire would be to
degrade and digrace him. Instead of desiring
TO be relieved from it, no doubt it is the height
OF bis ambition 10 remain with that department
OF the army and lead it in the great partit shall
take In the ensuing decisive battle for the Union.
The Army of the Potomac is his creation. Ii
came to him mob he; has converted it into q
body of disciplined soldiers. His pride in it,
and his interest that its performance shall equal
the expectations of the country, may be conceiv-
at this juncture, upon the brinkIof the grand
forward movement and at the moment when
Gen. Mcclellan, prostrated by illness, is chatting
under the misfortune of his confinement, that
abolitionism, through lis prominent journals,
makes concerted movement to drive him from
his command or drive the government to exclude
him from it. .
One-half the power Of the army of the Poto-
mac lies in Gen. McClellan's familiarity with il
and its familiarity with and confidence in Gen
Mcclellan. To withdraw him from il and place
any other General, whatsoever his genius, over
it, would be to disorganze it immensely But
what cares abolitionsm for this2 Il hates
Gen. Mcclellan; it hates him because he has
thrown his Influence in the Government in fa
vor OF conservative measures and against abo-
lition measures; and it would degrade and dis
grace him, no matter what the consequences to
the country. 'H
We believe Gen. McClellan's military genius
excels that of any other General in the field.
We believe the nature of the event of the en-
suing contest rests with him more than with all
the other Generals in the field. After the dis
aster of Bull Run, the destinies of the nation
were literally cast upon his shoulders, and he
has borne them ever since, and We believe that
If they shall be left with him, he will bear them
10 glorious issue; and we believe that if they
shall be taken from him and placed upon other
shoulders they will be borne to disastrous is
sue. 1t ia in the face of all this probability that
aboltionism seeks to degrade and disgrace
him. Let it not be said that, removed from the
immediate command of the army of the Poto-
mac, he would still be General-n Chief. He
is the last man in the world to accept degrada-
ton and disgrace 80 meekly as this. t..
Among the Abolition influences which are
seeking Gen. McCIellan's degradation and die
grace is the Chicago Tribune, whose shameless
vindictiveness in that regard has but poor and
transparent covering -Chicggo Times, 4th.