The Portland daily press., 1862-10-20
objectionable abuse of Gen. Mcclellan.

ed and cOntended an honest ana loyal man,
then no one has more reason than he to ex-
claim, "Sare me from my friends" More
indiscreet friends, to use the mildest eX-
preston, no man has ever had since Sampson
listened to the mischievous suggestions of his
loved Delilah.
The true friends of Gen. Mcclellan must
feel anxious to keep the confidence of the
American people in his unconditional loyalty,
and uncompromising opposition and hostility
to disunion, unimpaired. The moment the
people lose confidence in this regard, and are
led to believe that the Commanding General
even secretly favors a separation of these
States, a breaking up of the Union, and sub
mission to the demands of rebellion, that mo-
ment his influence for good will be destroyed,
and the love now generously bestowed upon
him will be exchanged for the intensest hatred;
and instead of being looked upon a friend
and savior of the country, he viii be loathed
as the enemy and betrayer of Liberty, and of
Liberty's free Institutions.
And now what are the "friends"-the friends
par enceilence--of Cen. Mcclellan doing for
his reputation with the people? What are
they doing to make the American people con-
fide in him as a trustworthy commander, in
whose keeping the ark OF our political cove
nant is safe? First and foremost, without
right, and as we contend, without authority,
and against every consideration of propriety
and fairness, they are trying to make of him a
party Idol; to hold him up before the people,
not as a Union-loving, patriotic, american
General, but politician, partizan, and an
opponent of the very President who holds him
in power, and of the very Cabinet, without
whose advice the President is presumed to
make no important moves upon the great
chess-board of war. He is not only thus
sought to be arrayed against the constitu-
ional authorities of the land, but his unwise If
not wicked riends,-Heaven save the mark!
are industrious in claiming that he is welded
to the schemes OF democratic politicians, and is
70 be the instrument by which their party
fortunes are to be repaired, and their restora-
ton to power is to be secured. But this is not
ALL nor is it the worst of it.
If Gen. Mcclellan could be left in position
Of simply doubtful loyalty to the Union, there
might be hundreds of thousands whose conf
dence in the man and officer would repel the
doubts, and cordially cling to a faith in his I'M
compromising devotion to his country his
sohote country, and nothing less than his whole
country. Bat there is a class Of men who
disunionists at heart themselves-seem deter
mined to destroy all faith in the commanding
Generals loyalty, and to prove beyond cavil
that he, too, at heart is in favor of dismember-
ing our Republic and dwarfing its fair proper
tons. Are we called upon for proof Of this?
It shall be forthcoming.
A paper in this city-one which has laid
special claims to being the friend of McClel-
Ian, and has been particularly malignant
against the Press. because in its columns APP
peared, from the pen of correspondent, a Sc
we're criticism upon the conduct of the army
says, in the most emphatic terms, that the
views enunciated by the recent great meeting
of the democrats at Cooper Institute, New
York, had the endorsement of Gen. McClel-
Ian. The language Of the paper referred to- is
as follows:
"THE TORIES IN CoUNcIL."-The greatest
political mass meeting ever held in New York
city, was the meeting of last Monday evening
for the ratification of the nomination of Hora-
ito Seymour. 1t was immense. The account
given of this meeting by the New York Times,
is headed-"The Tories in Council" Now
these tories are made up OF such men as Mil
lard Fillmore, Gen. Scott, Col. Corcoran, Gen.
Mcclellan, &c, DC, all of ,ohona, if not pres
ent, endorse tho rie1rs enunciated.
Now we say that more unkind act cannot
be done to Gen. Mcclellan, if he is loyal to the
Union OF these States, than to hold him up as
an endorser of the rieacs enunciated by that
Cooper Institute meeting. What ,cere the
rie,cs there enunciated?
Before giving direct answer to this ques-
ton, allow us to refer to a few positions taken
by leaders of the present Democratic organiza-
ton, in and out of New York, to show how
they stand on the general question of loyalty
to the Union.
John Petit of Indiana, late Chief Justice of
Kansas, under Buchanan, recently profiered
his advice, and stated the conditions on which
hinges his support of the government:
III Old Abe will come to me, I'll tell him how
to stop this rebellion. Extend slavery over
every State In the Union, and the rebellion
will be stopped in sixty days.
Only last April, C. l.. Vallandigham, recent
ly run for Congress by the democrats of his
district In Ohio, wrote as follows to friend:
shall take the first favorable opportunity to
move for peaceful separation.
In an address to the Democracy of Penn
sylvania, just prior to the late election, Fran
els w. Hughes, Chairman of the State Com
mittee, after urging compromises with the
rebel States, and submission to their terms for
preserving the Union, upon the presumption
that the Union may not be thus maintained,
and that division will come, considers the
question which section his State should become
attached to, and to show that it would be for
her interest to join the Southern Confederacy
he goes on to state that
She may, IL member of the new confedera-
cy, become the great manufacturing workshop
OF people now consuming annually $500, 000,-
600 worth of products and manufactures from
or now imported through the northern States.
In this way, continues Mr.. Hughes, her
tPennsylvania's) wealth and glory will "be
promoted in degree unparalleled in the histo-
ry and prosperity of any peoplew
Mr.. James S. Thayer, then leader of De-
mocracy, now Seymourite, in speech in
Albany, Jan. 81, 1861, said: