Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-01
sneael ii 1I,e Hon- lIontgomery Rlair.

with practical good sense and convincing |
arguments. Abiding to his retirement
from the Cabinet he said:
Some of my friends-very good friends
indeed-have questioned the kindness of |
the President to me in directing my resig-
nation under the circumstances of the |
country. Let me tell you, my friends, that
the President has at least the support of
those who are nearer to me than any other
people on this earth retired by the re-
commentator of my own father to the
President of the United States. Loud
cheers. He has passed that period IN life
when Its ,honors, its rewards, or its glories
have any charm for him. He looks back
only and forward only to the grandeur OF
this nation, and the happiness of the peo-
pie who are growing up under the Constr
tuition and the Union; and he would not
permit a son of his to stand in the way OF
the conscnption and the support OF the
loyal and patriotic Chief Magistrate who
now leads US on to success-not for any
thing that this earth could have IN store
for him. [Applause.l
Following this, Mr.Blsir gave ascathing
review of General McClellan's "Hsrrison's
Landing" platform;
What we're the principles he then took
occasion so declare to President Lincoln
in the letter from Harrison's Landing, to
which he refers They we're:
First. ( The Constitution and the I'm
ion must be preserved, whatever may be
the cost in time, treasure and blood" Now,
the peace party to whom he directs this
letter making this acceptance, criminates
the President for following out this potion
of the Generals directionl
Second. The next direction is, " The
Government must determine upon civil
and military policy covering the whole
ground of our national troubles" 1t Is
very remarkable that neither the Conven-
tion, ID its platform nominating General
Mcclellan, nor the General in accepting
that nomination, says one word about Sta
oery, which is at the bottom of all our ma
tional troubles. Here, again, Mr.. Lincoln
is marked as delinquent, although literally
pursuing the injunction of laying down u
civil and military policy covering the whole
ground Of our national troubles, making a
sound basis by the extinction of that which
is acknowledged to be the "whole ground
of our national troubles
Third. He tells the President: 1.-The
responsibility of determining, declaring,
and supporting such civil and military pol
icy, and directing the whole course cf ma
tional affairs, in regard to the war, must
now be assumed and exercised by you, OF
| our cause is lost" Mr.. Lincoln has obeyed
this mandate. He has given all his fac
uities to efectuate the military policy SO
as to crush the rebellion and extirpate its
cause, and to enable the civil policy delin-
eated in our National and State Constitu-
tions. t-odden down in the South, and oc-
casionally suspended in the North, to con
front insuperablc difficulties by legal
process, to resume its functions fully
This compliance with the platform laid
down in the Hsrrison-Landing letter, is the
ground work of the denunciation Of Presi-
dent Lincoln's Administration in the Chi
cago Convention
Fourth. Another plank in the Hsrri.
son-Landing platform is put down thus;
"The right of the Government to appro,
pirate permanently, to its own service
claims to slave labor, should be asserted
and the right of the owner to compensa-
ton therefor should be recognized. This
principle might be extended, upon grounds
of military necessity and security, to all
slaves of particular State, thus working
manumission in such State; and in Mis-
souri,, perhaps in West Virginia also and
possibly even in Maryland, the expedi-
ency of such measure is only question
of time" This is, in substance, President
Lincoln's Proclamation-[applause] with
the difference that the compensation foI
slaves is confined by the President to 10y
al owners, and that he exempted Missouri,
West Virginia and Maryland from the
manumission, which General Mcclellan
seemed inclined only to postpone.
Fifth. The conclusion of this military
rescnpt, sent to the President by his gene
raj, evidently to guide his whole policy du-
ring his term, and to indicate that which
he would pursue as his successor, is a very
comprehensive summary, all to be compass
ed by concentration of military power, and
by this means having the confederate arm
les thoroughly defeated. Here is the con-
clusion of the PLATFORM laughter on
which the general placed himself at Harri-
sons Landing, in 1852: "The policy of the
| Government must be supported by concen-
trations of military power. The confed-
arate armies thoroughly defeated [just as
Grant, and Sherman, and Sheridan are d, =
iug)-[ Applause. A voice: "What he
never did 1.-THE political structure which
they support would soon cease to exist
This programme is substantially that of the
Baltimore Convention, and with q sugges-
ton looking to the resssertion of the Mon
roe policy in regard to foreign interference
on this continent, and something to cores
pond to the hint given by its act ad-
mitting Tennessee to its councils as a
State in the Union, without a re-
newed sanction for its admission,
and in nominating Andrew johnson
for Vice President, [applause], thus recog
nizing the validity of the Presidents pro
clsmstion restoring the Union, there would
have been complete identity of policy
between the General, the Baltimore Con-
vention, and President Lincoln. Indeed.
1 should have been amazed at General
McClellans presenting himself as a candi-
date to accomplish the views of the Peace
Democracy who have repudiated all the
principles and policy that have conducted
the country in the vindication of the Gov
vernment drring its four campaigns
against the rebellion, and which has al
most reduced it to the compass of the siege
of Richmond, if we had not been prepared
for it by the appeal the General made last
year to sustain Judge Woodwork in the
attempt to withdraw the Keystone State
from the support of the Government in its
then arduous struggle against its emsmies.
Kisses.
A Southern Straw.