Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-07-19
oplnlons r.rnrdlns nIecIelIan.


is good for their souls.
Opinions rsEardins lIeClellan.
Whether just or not it is very evident
that the public opinion concerning MoClel-
81 Ian has fallen materially since the disas-
trous week before Richmond The Young
Napoleon is not lauded as he was
and the opinion is generally felt il not
expressed, that his prestige Of glory is
gone. We, in common with the whole 10y
al country, were mortified and disgusted
with the system Of tactics that enabled the
rebels to quietly eyacuate Manassas and
walk oG with their every gun and every
pound Of stores which they chose to save,
and our opinion Of McClellan's general
ship fell accordingly But when he went
T. e ths Peninsula and commenced his oper-
ttiOns before Yorktown, confidence in him,
as the proper man to command that par
ticular portion ofthe army, was revived, and
8 Wehave steadily eounseled cOnfdencei in his
ability osuceessfuly conduct his part of the
campaign against Richmond. But it must
be said that as far as Uncommon sense of
eiyilianscanj judge, Mcclellan has not justi-
fed the expectations Of his friends One
thing is certain, that he did not take Rich
monl, but instead thereof, his present posi-
ton is many miles further removed from
the rebel capital than was that which
he held three weeks ago. Then, he was
within sight Of the spires in Richmond;
now he is 50 far away that even the rebel
% army which interposes between him and
that city is fifteen miles from the
Federal forces It was said, and with
o. much apparent force, that his present base
Of operations, the James River-was
vastly more, available as such, than the
swamps Of the Chickahominy, but against
this ii can be said, first, that if this posi-
tior is so much better thaa that why did
he not take it as soon as the Merrimac was
outOf the way? and, secondly, there is dan
ger that the James viii be blockaded below
him by rebel batteries upon the southern
side, 50 that bis supplies by that channel
viii be as effectually cut OF as they were
by the Potomac blockade when he was at
Washington The rebels hold the south
sideSf the river, and already they have
planted batteries there, and fired upon our
steamers which had our sick and wounded
on board. True, these batteries are spoken
Of in the dispatches rather centemptuously
as Of only siz-pounders, but these may
easily be replaced by guns of heavier
ealibre, until nothing short Of an iron-clad
gunboat can pass them. This is his situa-
ton at the present time. That it is one
which suits the rebels as well as any he |
could hold in that section, and that they |
are in farless apprehension than they were
three weeks ago, is most evident from the /
tone of their journals. It will not do to
say this is accounted for by their never ac-
knowledging themselves beaten, for they
certainly did exhibit great fear at that time,
whereas they now rejoice greatly over the
results Of the late battles.
After the evacuation Of Yorktown, the
General Commanding gave the assurance
that he would drive the enemu- 10 ai---f
i,-----. ~ perhaps, he did drive him to
the walls Of Riohmond but what did that
avail US when, having been thus driven to
bay, that enemy turned round and drove
us half way back to Fortress Monroe? The
march Of the army to within five miles of
Richmond was successful, if not rapid, but
when there Mcclellan waited until Beaure-
CARDS army could come from COrinth and
Jacksons from the Shenandoah Valley;
and then, having all the men they wanted,
the rebels attacked him, losing tens Of
thousands of lives in the attack, but saving
Richmond for time.
Our hope Of taking Richmond rests now
z more upon Pope than Mcclellan The lat
ter should be largely and steadily rein
forced, but not 80 much for purposes of at
tack as Of defence, while the former, with
an the men that can be gathered for the
service, pours down his legiOns upon the
rebel capital by Fredericksburg and Cor
donsville. Give Pope the men and he viii
do the work, and the great duty of the
country at this time is to furnish all the
men that are called for in the shortest pos
sible time. There is work for all to do
they will not lie idle. The heated term will
last but month longer, and the way is
opening for vigorous fall campaign, in
which every true-hearted volunteer may
find place for active service in glorious
cause.