The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-07-04
General Mcclellan.

Few mcr have been cursed with more bit
.rrnemcS or blessed with more devoted
.rrI>. than Gen Mcclellan, and both are
.a.iy unreasonlng in many respects. He
va, adopted as a popular idol without rea-
,.a. or without other reason than tfat we
we're very much in want of one. He wasdis-
.rlel without reason by many, ,orwithout 9TH
reason than that he had mind of his own,
III, would not cater to popular prejudice
lie has been abused without reason, for the
.se has come mainly from those who had
d, the slightest knowledge of the facts upon
which he bIsed his action He has been
.Amed Tor allowing rebels TO run when he
4d not hel it. lie has been blamed for in
,,,i.g on more troops, and urged forward in
d. most unreasonable way, when he has
,-owu-what is now evident-that Rich
10ad was not to be taken by an insignificant
Irgssle. And now, the men who have
.J4sed him persist in it, ridicuing his dis
,.;ches and questioning all his movements,
,ttrmined apparently to accord him no
.rdit whatever for such success as may
..lwn the efforts Ct his army.
Il IS this unreasoning and unreasonable
.j.se that makes for Mcclellan whatever un-
alSoa.ng friends he may possess. There are
lose who will swear by him 4 at any one who
WI not. under all circumstances, on all occas-
.as. They have pinned their faith to him, and
re blindness Of the opposition to him devel-
pes in them blindness of partisanship. But
.,e friendship for Mcclellan does not all
rise from the fact that he has been and is
reasonably abused. The res certainly this
D be said of him He can hold his tongue,
a. mind his own business, which is good
"a. more than his enemies can do. No man
Tlo does not possess good solid, common
~a,e could resist the temptations that have
-.n placed before him to make some pub
demonstration. Through great provoca-
'oa and persistent Misrepresentation, he has
.r?t MS own counsel, and walked straight
.gagd in the line Of his labor, stopping to
Make ao explanations and no justitications,
tent to .et Time act as his Judge and vim
..,,or 81 much is we'll Then there is to
'!id Of him, that in all the attempts of un-
.ssou.ag outsiders to depreciate him, and
V.''~ him down, he has maintained not on
m respect and confidence, but the enthu-
..',. love and admiration of his army
~" tbs confidence and affection, when we
4 H'uer all the circumstances under which
4 -ry have been won, have genuine value in
s trimming the real merits of the general
q ''a as man and as soldier. The testi-
's}y Of the army is corroborated by the ar
"y which opposes it. If there is one thing
'"mcd more strongly than another by the
current testimony of the rebel officers
!, A.. ,o.diery, and the rebel press, it is that
N-l '..an IS the greatest soldier in the Tn
on army. They unite in saying that he has
-"HS done that which they did not wish
.oHr and re.rained from doing that which
aey desired. They look upon him with
.'ra4, and thus far they have either rur
''.' n MN or been defeated by him.
We should he ashamed to confess that VT
81 ever belonged either to his unreasonns
a ."r""> or his unreas ming enemies. Th'
-N''aoon to become his advocate and par
san mas been very great, under the senseleS
Malignant abuse that has been heaped up
'.l' but We have not yielded to it, and d.
-. 'fopo>e TO Weld. That he is first clas
~, :--eF and sensible man, we have no doubt
we nave never had any doubt of this. Tha
great mana marvellous milltar
....1'-we do not believe. Unless his POI
.t'' sadly belle him, he is no genius, but
> a Vsorous, prompt, thorough, we'll edu
.-,' 81 soldier, quite the equal of his position
' worthy Of being trusted. Banks ha
...'e hS brains, but he has not had his edr
'-oa and training. The future is to decid
'-T'e he belongs among eminent Americans
' % the future he long ago appealed, d'
..''.'g any public attentions and honors W
q ' "e "'d earned them on the field. 1t seen
Il u, That one whose constant silence is
I>,A@t appeal to the future as his judg
q ~ 10 ms completed work as the test of h
1 |.", should be generously treated. 4
4 a>,' he should be decently treated, and a
4 'et TO DO his own work in his own way, s
4 .s we propose to hold hin. .responsib
''' FesH4ts,-Sprmgfeld Republican.