St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-04-30
weather, cansot control the clouds or con
quer Virginia mud. !H Il

Gen. Hooker he had son in the army, to
which Gen. Hooker replied that ID ninety
days he would be prouder Of that fact
than Of any other in bis life.
This is no doubt made up, at least ]
hope and believe it is, for If Gen. Hooker
made such silly boast, he is second
Mcclellan. No man who boasts Of what
he is going to do ever yet did much when
the time came for action, ,.,,.,.....,..s..
! have good reason to believe that Gen.
Hooker has never promised to win vic
tory. He said to the President that he
would not promise victory, but he would
engage that his army should not be sacri-
feed by sending it in dribbiets to be At
tackled by superior forces while the main
body or any portion Of bis troops idly look
cd on-hc would u.s all the men entrusted
70 his command whenever opportunity Of:
fered and do the best he could to make
them victorious. .:1sr ~.
1t was Mcclellan, the hero OF the wood
en- guns, who was to have ono more dc.
fcats, no more rctrcats;'' who asked his
men to s'ick by him and promised to
stick by them and so far carried out his
plan that they all stuck together, first at
Washington, until the Potomac was block
AIDED, then before Yorktown until that
was evacuated. then on the Chickahomi-
ny until the rebels pulled him out and
stuck him IN the James, then on the Po-
tonac again until they all took root,
sprouted, went to seed and bore such
crop Of Coppe'head victories as must have
done bis little soul good.
1t was the little jugglsr who promised
to make the army of the Potomac so H.
lustrious that to have had seventh cous-
in in it would be glory enough for this
world and the next. Hooker has never
engaged inches in the Temple of Fame
for himself, and each and every one Of the
men, horses, mules and wagons who have
had the honor to be under his command
and l do not want you to SANDER him.
I asked member Of the War Commit
tee if it was really true that there were
wooden guns at Manassas.
, "True |" he replied III would to God
it were not. My cheek burns every time
l think Of it," 4s II 49,.
''Then you saw them there, did you ?"
Saw them sat and counted thirty.
We had rules that Ben. Wade was to do
the swearing for the committee and Olin
was to drink the whisky; but as we walk
cd over the ground and witnessed the ev-
licences Of our country's disgrace, saw
that our army had been held in check by
a greatly Inferior force and few logs,
Covode moved that the rules be suspend
ell, for that day; aud that every man be
required to do his own swearing, as no
one man could swear enough to suit that
occasion, and then didn't he swear? Oh
dear, that sight was too hum,liating
So far as can learn that committee is
inspired with such contempt for McClel-
Ian that words or oaths can't express it
His manner, while on examination, is de-
scribed as a mixture of moral cowardice
and low cunning. Nothing could wiring
from him plain, connected answer to the
simplest question. He prevaricated,
quibblcd-had forgot and couldn't re-
member He thought so or he didn't
know exactly, and his impressions were
thus and SO. while he required SO much
time 70 get ready to say anything that
their patience became utterly exhausted :;
and they gave him up in despair.
Bad as their report is, their personal
opinions are as much worse as you can i'm
ag;nc. They had strong evidence that he
had actually written out terms Of capitu-
lation to surrender his entire army before
Richmond but not sufficient to justify
their reporting the fact officially. After
Mcclellan, the ''young Chiet>ain," let
the American people beware of idols.
1t appears as if we were disappointed
in Dupont likewise. I fear that his South.
ern connections make the task of reducing
Charleston too much for bis patriotism
Taking Beaufort be perhaps hoped would
Tighten bis friends back into the Union,
which he no doubt wishes to restore on
the old basis. Taking Charleston under
the nresenl nrnoramme v0nld he n de.