Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-24
LETTER FROM "mLINo1s.p
eenerAl MoCleilan and the POlItioIans--
What He SHOULD DO, ~
wAsnIxa+os. Jnb q, Isss.

I /
WAeHSerOs, Jan %, 1858.
Among all tho clouds Chat seom 70 be thick
ching around our beloved country In this The
darkest hour Of her hlstory--tho darkest, and
one which throws portentous shadow over all
the Others, has Of late been conjured up by the
trpitorpus demagogueS Of tho North. Taking
advantage OF unpopular, though necessary,
measures Of the Government, and Of the natural
discontcnts arising from prolonged war, with
It's repeated rovorses and It's vast expenditures,
they have aroused the passions Of the American
mob that mob which they themselves created,
sustained and educated, to pitch heretofore
unknown, even In the annals Of our bolsterous
politics. By this means they have already In
undated the Legislature Of Pennsylvania SO
that tho election offs Democratic Senator was
secured, and have applied brute force to that Of
Now York in manner that may have tho same
result.
This Is not the old Democratic party, this Is
nothing that VIC have seen or known before In
the happier days Of the Republic, this bantllng of
the Woods, the Van Burens and the Fields, Il is
one OF the terrible fungus-growths of the ken
mel, enriched by all the blood OF civil war.
OB,
obtain the mastery, the DAYS of tho Republic
are more surely numbered than II the Nag of
the rebellion crowned the dome of the Capitol.
The materials for this party have long been
gathering in our great cities, and this is not,
by any means, the first exhibition Of their De.
culiar energies; but, thanks 10 the peculiar ma.
ture Of our Institutions and of our population,
neither the old mob and It's leaders, nor the
Copperhead Democracy Of to-day, can obtain
any extended or powerful hold upon tho whole
people, or on power, unless In come way In
tlmately allied with rCspeCtabllty and pupu-
larlty outside Of itself It, therefore, reaches
out its polyp-lTm5 and draws to itself In turn,
tho popular idols, or those In whom Ii dlscerns
possibilities OF idols yet to be. Into that nav
reputation after reputation has descended and
served the turn of the monster.
Nthis present time the Copperhead leaders
and the mob arc making all their own" a
name aud popularity 1hlch by the cIrcum-
stances Is greater than any to which they have
previously chung, and their use of which bids
fair to bring mortal danger upon the country.
Inc writer Of this Is no political friend, nor
10 any extent personal admirCr Of Gen. Nc
Clollan, but 10 10th 10 believe that he, In re-
tirement, is willing 10 strike a dagger TO the
heart Of that cause which he SO long defended
at the head Of his army. 1t cannot be but that
heis blinded 10 the actual position he is occupy
Ing In the minds of loyal men. The blunt and
honest soldier docs not sec the snare into which
he and his reputation are falling. To suppose
the contrary, for moment, would be 10 suppose
our brave young general guilty of a treason
more foul, because deeper and more subtle and
more dcVilish than If he had surrendered the
Army of the Potomac to the chiefs of the re-
bclllon. | claim that Gen. Mcclellan cannot,
save by suspicion that should blush for It's
own crcdul!tyibc connected, oven In thought,
with such INJURY TO his country. Neither his
ri hmm ,,tt Al.
North, moro than Of the South, aud his name
could not long be with them could he but be
made to scc the false light in which thoy aim
TO PLACE him.
To those who are inclined TO take a different
view, would briefly point out the facts of the
case. Whatever political bias General McClel-
Ian had before the war, was friend and admit
rcr OF Judge Douglas While in the field. he
was far too busy to think of politics, and a
long silence, from which there comes no voice
10 explain his views upon the Questions of the
day." marks that portion of his his history.
How do we know but that the better Thoughts
Of the hour and the position may then have en-
tered his mind as they did SO many other
minds, similarly sltuatedi Be this as II may, I
The hour Of his individual trial came :-Repub.
Leans, rank and file, leaders and led, with a
few memorable exceptions, Joined In denounc-
ng him. He was removed he returned to the
North; everywhere Republicanism seemed TO re.
gard him, justly or unJustly, as its great antag-
'nlsl, while those who aspired to lead the new /
'rcated Democracy thrOnged around him with
lraises and plaudits which must have been prrate.
III, indeed, 10 wounded spirit and disappoin.
ed, though most honorable ambition. In ali this
was shoTt-slghted, and the con-
plratOrs acted with their proYerbial acumep.
Let us wait, therefore, before we condemn
lin to that neither depth of infamy where lie.
md must lie, the names we are now too freely
s5oClatlng with his own. am we'll aware
hat some OF our best and most prominent Re-
publican leaders share with mo the views thus
lot forth. General Mcclellan is not traitor.
u the camp, the field, or the city. believe
hat ID his real views could be known, II would
10 found that he has nothing In harmony with
he political gamblers, thieves, and cut-throats,
Who now surround him. II Is, however, tho
Iuty OF his true friends to rescue him aud h!s
equation before his bright escutcheon is blot
ed and reversed. timely word from him
would go far towards Ctfcctlng d swift reyolu-
lon OF vast advantage 10 the Government, the
ause, and the country. he oires IL 10 The cour-
~ 10 speak that icOrd, and noir Should IL be
withheld, and no protest be uttered
gainst the prostitution Of a fame for which
o many brave and true men would willingly
lie to-day, then the host of men who think az
do, will be compelled, reluctantly, to admit
hat In oil they'll said In praise Of him they
1ere wrong, aud they will, moreover, bear In
mind that when a man is convicted OF one Sc
ret murder the thoughts Of all recur suspicious
J TO all previous mysterious deaths In his vi
Unity. ILLINoIs.