The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-12-04
NUMBER 26.
Beecher on the President, Seward and
Mcclellan.

Beecher on the President, Seward an
! Mcclellan.
The editor of the Independent, in
Heading Article, gives fuIl-length por
trait Of three conspicuous men:
The same fatal influence at the cen
ter paralyzed the cabinet, tied up tn
President, and laid spell upon tn
army. What that influence was, ant
by whom welded, it will be the bust
ness of the future to search out. An
other chapter is to be added to thu
history of renowned folly and illustri'
Gus weakness.
SECRETARY SEWARD.
Then, it may be, some Macaulay
will leave to US such portrait as this
Chef in latent influence was a man OF
ideas which had no physical conse>
|quences. An optimist; not without
sagacity in merely intellectual prob
lens, but foolish in affairs. He had
the very conceit Of hope. So certain
was he of the favorable tendencies OF
great natural causes, that he scarcely
deemed it needful TO exert special vo-
litions under them. He was wise in
ideas and foolish in things. What
ever could be settled by thinking he
managed skillfully. But it was his
infatuation to suppose that ali things
could be managed by thinking. He
Wy I1ooHct .1nb +bo go, re- 4 80
brain; lean and feeble at the bottom.
So, all matters that lay upon the earth
he treated as if they were shadows,
that came and went, without human
voition, by the movements of the sun.
His realities began where common
mems ended, in the realm ofmere ideas
He was utterly devoid of the instincts
of physical forces. He could hate
but could not fight. Without wisdom
in the direction of practical affairs, he
had such acuteness, ingenuity, and
mind force, that his criticisms and
judgments weighed much in the shap-
ing of others mems practical policies.
His inordinate hopefulness lit up the
future with perpetual brightness, and
led him to frequent prophecies. And,
like all uninspired prophets, the fail
ure of his predictions abated no jot of
confidence in his provision, and he still
covered old disappointments with new
promises. He was at once the zealot
and the coward of the administration.
pRESIDEN1 LINCOLN
By the side of such a man was plac>
ed a man remarkable in not few res
Spects. Genial, kind to fault, but,
above al, with strong instincts ofjus-
tice, with strong but honey sense, and
with a reasoning faculty unusual in its
methods, slow and odd, yet at length
reaching broad results, and generally
sound ones. Well versed in local pol
tiles, but untrained in national admin
istration, he became the President of
the United States divided, at time
that required the utmost human sagac
ity joined to firmness and deci-ion.-
He was both firm and facile, obstinate
yet changeable. Resisting persuasion
and reasonings with singular constan-
cy, he was liable, in certain moods, to
accept sudden and unripe advices, and
to precipitate rash action. Mistakes
arising from these causes, served not
so much, through experience, to pro-
duce sagacity, as to render him fearful
Of other mistakes, and SO, OF following
any counsel. Upon such mind the
counsels ofan optimist, whose
future was all bright, who was insens'
ible to physical reality, who found lit.
tie difficulty in the administration OF
mere ideas, could not fail to be great.
When,in perilous times, president is
slow from conscientious tlmldlty, his
worst counsellor is one who, from ex>
cess Of hope, tells him that there is no
need Of action, and that waiting is Wis
dom! While caution and conceit were
maintaining feebleness at the center,
there might have yet been much prog
ress, had the armies OF the Union
been led by enterprlsing generals
It is one of the extraordinary events
of the times, that two generals,to whose
hands chiefly the campaign year was
committed, were by nature and SYM
pathy fitted to command under an adj"
mlniStration where irresolute honesty
took counsel of indolent hopefulness.-
GENERAL MCCLELLAN.
General Mcclellan has secured for
himself place in history. But 1t VIII
be by his accidental association with
great events, rather than by any i'm
nortant influence which he has had IN
producing them. He is a man of large
preceptive and moderate reflective IN
tellect. He is without genius or even
moderate intuition. lie digs out his
conclusions as laboriously as ore is
dug from mines. He received thor~
ouch military educati IN. And what
ever could be accomplished by studl>
business and untiring industry no man
could be- ter accomplish than he. But
he sees nothing and knows nothing
till it is reduced to the level OF ms
practical reason. Especially, he lack
ed sense and intuition Ofhuman forces
The wise use ofphysicai matter makes
an engineer. The wise use ofmenmaKe'
the General. Mcclellan is only an en-
glneer. o.o,. -
But, such man was competent t(
great results had right dispositions anc
sagacious political faith come to ms
help. But he was possessed by an I'm
nerative caution that worked some
Time toward irresolution, and some
time toward obstinacy, but never tow
ard daring enterprise.
His anxiety to be fully prepared was
morbid. He was never yet ready
There was always something yet to be
done before he deemed it wise to ven
ture. He heaped up preparation. nc
I -...-.,,,. ,,,o,c,b mon upypr enough