The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-02-27

decline TO accept the offer made to them through
the Emperor Of tAe French, they would DO put
completely in the wrong, and the Southern
people. who are thoroughly sick Of the war.
would be very likely to rise against them and
bring back their States by counter revolution.
to say nothing of the probability of Napoleon
compelling the Richmond Cabinet to succumb,
by sending his legions now in Mexico across
the Texan frontier, by aiding the Union arms
to crush the rebellion by land and by sea, and
by enlisting in the interests of peace and the
cause of humanity the whole civilized world
We shall therefore look forward with great
interest to the reply of Napoleon, and hope
that not only will it be favorable but that his
diplomatic negotiations may be completed in
time to permit the President to call for the
Fourth Of July IN extra session Of Congress, to
represent every State, South and North, East
and West. and thus to solve the problem Of
permanent peace, and what George Washington
declared to be tho first essential to the very ex-
istence of the States as an independent Power,
"their indissoluble Union under one federal
head
The Spectre 81 Mcclellan Frightening
81 tie Mfggerheads.
After BrHtus and Cassius and the other con-
spirsters had put Julius Cesar out OF their way
his spectre troubled them. They easily dis
posed Of Cesar's body; but his spirit would not
down at their bidding. An unwelcome visitor
at every feast, grim admonition q every coun-
oil, an awful warning in the camp near Sardis,
came Cesar's memory and Caesars ghost, with
tho prediction, "Thou shalt see me at Philippi"
So the spectre Of General Mcclellan haunts
the niggerheads. They shrek with rage and
fear in the halls Of Congress at the bare men,
ton of his name. They lose no opportunity Of
villifying and slandering him in their treason
able papers. just as Brutus, In the dead Of
night, saw Cesar stalk terribly before him,
SO Aephistopheles Stevens was appalled, by
the spectre ofMcClellan during the debate upon
the CONSUMPTION bill on Tuesday last Hence
the production Of the letter from General Scott,
on file in the War Department in which the
veteran complains Of certain "irregularities' in
the conduct of General Mcclellan in neglecting
to report directly to him instead Of to the Pre-
sident or the Secretary Of War. This letter has
greatly rejoiced the niggerheads; but we doubt
that it will at all injure the gallant General
whom they have SO consistently assailed.
Mephistopheles Stevens has shown himself no
friend Of General Scott in exhuming this letter
It was the trick of base political partisan,
blinded by malice and careless Of consequences.
The letter, it will be observed, was read by
Mr.. Stevens without the least explanation of
the peculiar circumstances under which the
irregularities" complained of occurred Ifthose
circumstances were fully known General Nc
Clellan's conduct would vndicate itself Sec
rotary Stanton, who is aware of the reasons why
Mcclellan did not always report to General
Scott, has added another TO his many mean
nesses by allowing that letter to be produced
without the appropriate commentary In his
desire to injure Mcclellan he has again exposed
bis own contemplate, petty spite to public re-
probation. Suppose that General Mcclellan
sideut and the Secretary Of War to report to
them, and not to General Scott, how would the
case stand then. Secretary Stanton knows
whether or not such orders were issued; and, IL
they were, be has been guilty Of the most de-
spicable connivance with falsehOod in allowing
Stevens to produce General Scott's letter with
out explaining the circumstances under which
Mcclellan acted. We know that at that Pc
Rod General Scott was extremely obnoxious
to the Secretary Of War; that the President and
the Secretary both considered the veteran too
old and i'll for further service; that they wished
to remove him, but "let dare not wait upon
would" that soon afterwards his resignation
was accepted and Mcclellan appointed in his
place; that for some months prior to this ac-
ceptance of SCOTS resignation Mcclellan was
virtually regarded and treated as the Com.
mander-in-Ch chef by the President, the Secretary
of War and oil their friends and favorites.
These facts were openly talked about in Wash
ington, and are embalmed not only in
the correspondence of our newspapers, but
in the diaries of Count Gurowski and Bull
Run Russell, both of whom were then admitted
to the condolences of our highest officials.
What is more natural therefore, than that the
PRESIDENT and his War Secretary should have
privately directed Mcclellan to deal with them,
and not with General Scott?
Scott wrote that letter. he thus describes his
condition. am unable to ride in the saddle
or walk, by reason of dropsy in my feet and
legs, and paralysis in the small of the back
More than this he had not yet recovered from
the chagrin and modification caused by the
defeat Of our army at Bull run-the first battle
about which General Scott ever consulted the
politicians, and the first he ever lost. The
veteran General instinctively felt that he was
being unjustly assaled by the very abolition
clique which had previously urged him onward
to Richmond" and although he did not, per-
haps, fully understand the intrigues against |
him, he knew that his removal was strenuously |
demanded. We can readily appreciate the |
spirit in which the old hero regarded the appa-
rent "neglects' OF subordinate generals during |
this period. Even upintentonal sights pain |