The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-11-21
The InHuences which have Retained
McCiellan.

The Influences which have Retained
McCieilaa.
The features In the Presidents
character which han caused him "a
cling to General Mcclellan, 10 the
face Of continual disaster, populss
depression, and of his own oonvict'
ion that he WAS unequal to the oeca.
SION, arc probably stated correctly
by = correspondent OF the New York
Tribune. They ere Of q kind cred.
table to bic amiabiiity. and which
IL Is customary to plead as an error
Of the head, out OF kindness at tho
heart. The correspondent says it
is ons Of Mr.. LiUooln's peculiaritiee
that he always looks at botk sides
Of the question At once, and bic de-
liberations, instead OF arguing In
favor OF the views most 10 accord
ance with bis desires, rather ron to
the opposite extreme Of attaching
undue weight 20 the other side.
inst as Gen Mcclellan seems In ..
variably to look at the enemy
through a magnifyiDg telescope Of
tho most powerful caliber, while 70
viewing his own troops through the
proportionately diminishing end Of
tho same instrument 80 the Presl-
dent occasionally falls into the error
Of exaggeratiug In his own mind the
power Of that small but active mi.
nority OF pro Slavery Northern De.
mocrats, while disregardiDg, or at
least wholly failing to appreciate,
at its true value, that gigantic tide
OF loyal sentiment and undying de.
votion to the Union, which has al.
ready sent more than a million arm
ed confessors to fight, by land and
water, for the standard oi their po
litical faith.
Many who know Mr.. Lincoln,
and have studied his character, be.
lieve that this habit OF his intellect
has become chronic and incurable;
while Others, with more faith--and
these are better informed attribute
the President, long federation Of the
inactivity and want of decisive pur-
pose. displayed in the command OF
the army Of the Pot)mac, to the
shrewd conviction that, il lett to him
self, the General Of that army Ito
use the vernacular) wonld soon
'play himself out" and exhaust the
patience even Of his most enthusiss.
tic partizsns, while. il removed, orl
treated with anything that could,
by false rhetoric or unscrupulous
be made to wear the
character of hardness. he wonld
obtain . new lease OF De.
mocratic sympathy as a mar,yr"-l
a Democratic officer, faithful to the
Union, but stricken down in conse.
quence OF having political difference
with the republican Chief Msgistrate
OF tho nation.
In addition to this was the Presi.
dent's generosity Of character, which
sought to give Mcclellan every op.
portunity to redeem himself. This
was illustrated last Spring. when
nearly everybody regarded McOiell
an as a total failure, by the Presi
dent's expression: "Little Mao shall
have q chance" Accordingly he
had chance. This smisbls char.
acter has made the President over.
look positive disobedience OF orders
and to visit Mcclellan at his camp
to urge him to do something to re
deem himself, and the country
Early in October, Mcclellan was
peremptorily ordered to.cross,ths Po.
tomac AMI give battle to Lse. Al
ter several weeks OF delay. the case
was submitted to the President for
his action. He then visited McOIel-
Ian at his camp. and there doubtless
plead with him ss father with q con.
Tho only result was, increased in.
suhordination. From that time Nc.
Clellan ignored the War Depart
mont and the Gcneral.in Chief, and
addressed his dispatches directly to
the Presiden'.
Still 1t is prob Bile he might have
retained the con. .maud, if he had
shown any disp' sition for action;
but nothing could overcome his re.
luctance. The alternative WIS his
removal or a dead lock on our arm.
les. After wasting the time for q
Fall campaign, and carrying it 90
far in the Winter as to endsnger all
the operations, he was finally dis
placed.
To these amiable weaknesses Of
the Presidents character was added
the influence Of, the Secretary OF
State, who has persisted in expect
ing some Termination Of the war at
short date. This c,uld not be by
lighting, for he has repeatedly set
the time at short period, whom the.
circumstance did not warrant ex
pectations OF any decisive military
success. and while no was favoring
the policy OF delay and inactivity.
To these influence in favor OF
the stntu quo was added the voice OF
Mr.. Blair. not one OF tho great In.
tellects OF the Cabinet, but q man Of
positive notions, and who probably
cluno In McClellan chiaAv t,or, h,..