The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-08-22
GEN. M'cLELLAN'S CAMPAIGN.

The time has come to vindicate General
Mcclellan and his campaign from the mis-.
representations Of political antagonists and
the aspersions of ignorant critics. His
enemies have concealed nothing which, by
publicity or obliquity of statement, could at
any time do him damage, whatever was
made known to the enemy that should have
been secret. With proper self.poise, and
the instinct and etiquette of a soldier, Gen.
Mcclellan has remained silent, nor furnish.
ed the facts nor inspired the logic of his
defense. He does we'll to do so. He can
afford to be silent.
Our position as public journalists has
Kept US informed of many circumstances in
the history of the campaign which are not
generally known-many facts which, to
have made public earlier, would have given
valuable information to the enemy. The
situation has now so completely changed.
however, that further silence will aid the
good cause less than the outspoken truth.
A Michigan Senator, moreover, whose per.
sonal weight or political character are not
such as OF themselves to give to his opinions
or bis statements authority, has yet, by the
fact that they were uttered on the floor of
the Senate and are still assidHously circu.
lated and endorsed by radical presses, been
able to confuse the public mind, and create
distrust of its formerly favorite general,
And this, too, though the President still
retains him in bis high command, though
the best and most skillful generals-the
lighting not less than the counselipg gener-
als-eXpress undated confidence in his ca
pacity and his past management this, too,
though General Halleck, whom all praise,
once paralleled Manassas with a Corinth,
and though he, too, has the highest conf
dence in General Mcclellan this, too,
though President Lincoln now frankly &C.
knowledges, in words, the responsibility of
our failure on the peninsula, as he had pre-
viously acknowledged that of the Shenan-
doah Valley disaster, and in acts, by retir-
ing from the conduct of the campaign and
giving the reins to the able and trained
hands of the present general>in-chief.
1t is the duty, then, of those who can bet
ter inform the public judgment no longer
to delay doing so. 1t is the duty of those
whom hasty opinions have led astray to re.
store their confidence to Gen. Mcclellan, if
it shall appear that their confidence is de.
served. None of US invariably succeed in
the light affairs of human life, or the weighty.
We have no right to demand it in detail
and at all times of any general. Invariabe
success can be comprised by no finite intel
lect, though assisted by every advantage of
weapons and means. We have right such
is our preponderance of power, to expect it
of generals in the long run, and of the adj
ministration as the final result. But as to
movement, or campaign, the American
people have no right to demand of gener-
al more than this d" With all the means at
your command, do the very best you can"
That Gen. Mcclellan has done thus much
his worst traducers do not deny. That no
general living, in his place, could have done
more or better we are firmly persuaded.
And we ask attention to the facts which
induce our belief.
1t is needless to recite here the brilliant
services and successes of the young officer iu
Mexico, or to allude to bis dashing CAM
paign in Western Virginia, where the stake
was small and bold risks wise. 1t is from
the time that he was called to command the
Army of the Potomac that his career is
without parallel in military history. We
had no army; he was asked to create one.
The rebels threatened the capital; he was
asked to defend it. We had suffered defeat;
he was asked to retrieve it by victories.
Thousands upon thousands of unarmed mel
poured into Washington from the populous
and aroused NOrth-some unarmed, others
half armed; some with officers, some with.
out, and these nearly all as ignorant as their
men. Arms, equipments, ammunition,
clothing, shoes, food, all were lacking. The
country over, foundries and furnaces were
set agoipg to cast cannon and shot; the pow
der factories were worked to their utmost
capacity; every carriage factory was set to
turning out artillery carriages, baggage
trains, ambulance wagons; saddle and har-
ness shops were all in requisition and, in
fine, the whole industrial force of the coun-
try was put at work to complete in the
shortest time possible the vast material
without which our great armies would have
been helpless mobs. To the practical d.
rection of these preparations for weeks
Gen. Mcclellan gave long days and sleep
less nights. Was it we'll done? Let conn.,
JuuSCS duSWtT. CfCu LIS ucITdCtOTS
speak of "the finest army in the world,
forgetful who it was that made it.
When Congress adjourned in the summer
it left Washington at the mercy of force
fully adequate to capture it, and rout the
armed rabble which, panic struck, had fled
from the Stone Bridge, and was then roam
ing through its streets and suburbs. When
Congress met in December the city was safe
against FIVE times any force that could be
brought against it, order had been restored,
they were soldiers who were across the Pc
tomac, and the equipment of the army was
proceeding as rapidly as energy and skill
could make it.
The son TO Richmond" hullabalooers -
who had forced the President to his first and
most fatal error, who had compelled Gen,
Scott to movement which bis judgment did
not approve, and bounded the Army of the
Potomac on to its terrible disaster--recov-
ering from the silence which the peril and
the aroused wrath of the nation forced upon
them now began again their devilish work,
iii