Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-10-06
Tne GubsrnasorlaI Convention.

4 n. i.
ALTOONA, Pa, September 25-The govern
ors again assembled little after four O'Clock
and remained in session until eight At thi
session the war upon Mcclellan took place
| commenced by Governor Audrew, who assaiie,
him in every possible way That he could imagine
and in fact, spoke for over an hour. GovernO
Sprague indorsed Governor Andrews views
aud nied to prove thatths battle of Antieteu
was a rebel victory that they did not withdraw
because they were defeated, but exhibited grea
milltsry strategy IN doing so.
His argument on this p, int was met in mos
decided manner by Governor Curtin, who de
clsred that Mcclellan had saved the Slate o.
Pennsylvania from invasion, and had won a de-
cided and important victory after fighting the
rebel army on the ground of their own selection
The surface of the country furnishing the rebels
every advantage, McClellan's forces being largely
inferior in numbers 70 the rebel army, the latter
flushed and encouraged by their victories ON the
RappahannOck and at Bull Run-with all this
advantage agsinst him ne had won a great vic
tory, and it you'd be hard 10 convince his peo-
pie to the contrary.
Governor Tod expressed himself surprised
that any person would attempt to remove Nc
Clellan, declaring that the people of Ohio bad
the utmost confidence in him, and would rise up
en- mGSSG and Tepudiste any such project. de
| spoke for some ten minutes, but the above were
/ the points of his remarks. Governor Andrew
was asked who ne would have take the place of
/ Mcclellan, to which he made the significant
reply that FremOnfs staff was perfect and
| ready
| By this time there was considerable excite
ment IN the convention, aud it was doubtful how
matters would end. Some one asked Governor
! Bradford his views, which he gave in a short
/ snd impressive manner, declaring that if there
was a b!emish IN McClelans character-snd he
/ would not admit that there was-this was no
/ time and not the place to dictate his removal
! The condition of the country demands an earn
/ est support Of the generals in command. The
| great fault had been that, instead Of rendering
| our generals all the aid and assistance that
could be, there had been too much done to
weaken them He believed Mcclellan to be a
superior officer, one Of the best if not the best
( IN the country. He has the perfect and gDqual-
| fled confidence of every loyal man in Mary
| land, as he should have of every loyal man in
| every loyal State.
Here matters stood when the recess was taken,
at eight ocieck, for one hour. 1t will be remem-
| bsred that only three governors had spoken in
| McClellan's oefense. while, on the other hand
the New England governors, and at least two
or three of the western governors, had expressed
| themselves, in conversation, decidedly against
him. This condition, although known only to
q handful Of men outside Of the. conference.
stirred up considerable excitement, and caused
no little anxiety to know what further would be
done. 1t was confidently asserted during the
| recess, by a member who was in the convention
AS there were some FIVE or six who participated
| in its deliberations who were not governors
! that the convention would split before many
hours passed It must be also noticed that, al
/ though Governor Curtin's telegraph operator
was on hand at the hour mentioned, he was fur
nished with no dispatches to send to the Presi-
| dent. On the other hand, he was told that it
was doubtful about their being ready that night.
! They reassembled again few minutes alter
nine o'clock, and soon after they had got
| together Governor Andrew offered a preamble
and resolution on the war, approving the Presi
| dents emancipation proclamation, urging and
containing indirect illusions to some Of our
generals. He had evidently become satisfied by
| the debate in the afternoon that a proposition
| demanding the removal of Mcclellan would not
| be adopted in a manner that would do any good,
| and therefore abandoned it, Substitutes to
| Governor Andrews proposition were also offered
| by Governors Todd and SalOmon. They in
| doTsed the proclamation of the President, but
used d fferent language in expressing it, and
| less Objectionable in its wording.
These, it will be remembered, were the first
written propositions presented to the cOnven-
/ ton Tie debate in the afternoon, in reference
/ j
/ Andrew in his speech that the first proposition
adopted by this conference was to demand the
| removal of Mcclellan. Now thai they have
| been defeated, they may attempt to deny my
! report, by declaring that no resolution or writ
| ten proposition was presented calling for the
removal OF Mcclellan. The real way that the
| question was brought up is, therefore, i'm
| pOrant.
| The several propositions were debated until
after midnight. An effort was made by Cover
nor SpragUs to place in the address the original
proposition Of Governor Andrew in reference to
General Mcclellan. The discussion in reference
to the proclamation was participated in by Gov
ernor Andrew, Tod, Kirkwood, Curtin aud
Bradford, the latter making strong speech, not
against the principle involved in the proclams-
ton, but against the policy of saying anything
about it. His speech was strong one; but want
of space prevents my giving even the points, as
we'll as of the others. notwithstanding the
| closed doors and secret sessions, l have the
points of every speech made,
About halfpast twelve the debate ceased, and
| Governor Andrew spent some twenty minutes
crossing cut and modifying his preamble and
address, after which it was presented to the
| governors for their signatures, and all signed it
| but one, although two or three manifested great
! uneasiness when they appended their names to
/ ths document. They finally adjourned at half
| past one A. NJ, with the understanding that they
should take the morning train for Washington
| They accordingly took their departure a little
after eight this morning. Thanks to Governors
/ Bradford Curtin and Tod, the Roundhesds
| were defeated in their schemes. Governor An
| drew remarked to gentleman, after the final ad-
| jouTnment, when asked if their labors were sat
| isfsctory, drawing up his shoulder as he spoke,
| Il suppose some may think So"