Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1863-11-03
M'Clellan'S Last Failure.

| MUItlldIl'S LdSL L dllulC'
| Under an erroneous idea that be was th'
hero of certain victories won 10 WesterI
Virginia BY subordinate officers, Gen
( M'Cleilau succeeded Gen. Scott 10 com
mand of the q. 8. Army, wi,h the bes
wishes and the entire confidence Of al
loyal people. But, after dallyiug fol
months, with superior forces, before th'
wooden guns at Manassas, be was ordered
BY the President, peremp,Orily, to move
upon the enemy, which he did-but "toc
late" At YoIk,osn, be entrenched and
entreoched, bu: struck "too lass"-
Msgruder bad fed. In his PeninsulaI
campaigD (.s friends aud foes now admit
be might tsve taken Richmond more than
ouce-bu.c cx.s always "too late" Al
Fair osKs, Sts4ad pushed Casey and hi.
braves too long aud too far forward, aud
vas "too late" in reinforcing them. When
they marked with dead and wounded ev.
cry foot Of their retreat before overWhelm.
ing numbers, be insulted them As acting
dishonorably-'too late" to save bis Own
reputation. Altho' be promised to re-
examine the matter, be seems to have
found no time to do justice to that noble
band aud their friends: II will be "too
late" when be does He aud bis Fits
John Porter we're "too late" in reioforcing G
Gen. Pope, whereby We lost Bull Run the
second time. He was "too late" to save
Harper's Ferry last year. When the
Pennsylvania Militia had beaded Lee's
advance into this State, and when Burn
side and Hooker bad won him the best
field be had ever fougbt-Autietam-hs
Was ",oo late" in pursuing the advantages,
and Lee escaped. Exhibiting the same
slow sDd over.cautious iudecsion after.
wards, be let slip the golden opportunity,
snd the Rebel army has since been able to
maintain . position on the south side Of
the Rsppahauuock.
Powerfully kind and indulgent, the
President vas 10th to dismiss Gen. M'Clel.
Ian, but be did At lsst-for ever, We trust,
as leader. Among the last to lose con-
fdsnce, utterly, in MCCLELLAN, Was Gov.
Curtin. For bis firm and substantial
friendship, Mcclellan was grateful, aud
duly sensible, as the following voluntary
and just tribute sbuudantly sho~s:
Gen. M'CIeIIan's Enforcement
Of Gov. Curtin.
Headquarters Army of the Potomsc, !
SnARPsBURG, Sept. ~, 1862.
GOVERNOR: beg to avail myself Of
the almost first moment of leisure | have
had since the recent battles, to tender to
you my thanks for your 1ise and energetic
action ia calling out the militia Of Penn
.yioania for its defence, when threatened
by = numerous and victorious army of the
enemy. Fortunately, Circumstances reu-
dered it impossible for the enemy to set
foot upon the soil Of Pennsylvania, but
the moral support rendered to my army by
your action zoos none the less mighty. In
the name of my army and for myselE 1
oyaia tender to you our acknowledgement
for your patriotic course. The manner 10
which the people Of pennsy yivanis respon-
dsd to your call and hasteoed to the de.
fence Of their frontier, no doubt erercised
a great Influence upon the enemy.
l Am very respt'iy and sincerely yours,
GEO. b. MCCLELLAN,
Major General, U. 8. A.
His Exoellepcy A. G. CURTIN,
Governor Of Pennsylvania.
This was truthful, unstudied langusee,
that might come from any greatly benefit
ted man.
Time wore on . few months. That
same Governor was up for reelection, at
the request Of the "people Of Pennsylvsn.
10" Who had been most active and uncon-
ditional in their efforts to subdue "ths
enemy" He Was opposed BY . man who
had said st the outset "let South Csrolins
90 in peace if she 60 at ALL" and who had
pet:ifogged excuses for the Rebels-nsy,
sho had Informed Judge Cunningham less
han . year ago, that be vas 10 favor Of
giving up the Nations Capital and al 70
had gained, BY "withdra~ing our Armies
The north side Of Mason and Dixon's line !
Ind treating for peace" With the Rebels. |
Every Rebel aud Rebel sympatbissr 10 |
he State Vas in favor Of Wood.ard, and |
opposed to Gov. Curtin, notoriously.
Gov. Curtin WAS supported BY the grea.
mass Of the soldiers, and BY the most
earnest War men Of all former parties.
Whist wonder, then, il, With M'Clellsn's
etser in the public mind, il vss believed
md claimed that that General wss friend I
y to that Governor Who had most helped
lin 10 bis greatest need ! This view vss
'on6rmed BY the letter Of NJ Clellan to the
Democratic Mass Meeting at Lssisburg,
let Oct, wherein be says not . word
bout Woodward, or Democracy, or DE
Election, but writes what Prea Lincoln
Y any other man Of his party might write.
That letter w.s dated 23d Sspt-sons
inc after it wss ksewu Of al thss be bad