Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-10-12
BIalr's Negotiations With Mcclellan.

mediateiy oy special train Tor Lexington.
- Cincinnati Gazette
BIair's Negotiations with Mcclellan.
The National Intei1igsneer publishes
. long letter from old Frank Blair, Civ
Jog q full history Of his negotiations
with Mcclellan. Mr.. Blair says:
wrote to New York to head the |
division in the Union party, by present.
ing my views to the leading men there,
who had in their hands the means Of
giving directions to various and large sec
tons of that party. went to the leading
men and leaders Of public opinion to as
certain in what way harmony would be
best attained. believed that united op-
position to the rebellion could be con
centrated on no other candidate for the
Presidency than on the man against
whom the enemy had declared war, be-
cause the nation had made him its Chief
Magistrate, and for whom the delegates
Of the party electing him in the first iu-
stance had again given its preferences by
renominating. | went on this accord
without consulting the President, with
out giving him directly or indirectly the
slightest iniinasion Of my object, and Of
course without his authority. / apprised
no one but my son. When reached
New York, FIRST saw the editors of the
EUeDing Post This press had given evil
dence Of the Dissatisfaction with the Ad-
ministration. Its conductors felt that
they had good ground Of discomfort
explained to Mr. Bryant the attitude of
the President, as / understood it. IN ref
erence TO tha matters that aggrieved
him, both as regarded vital measures for
the safety Of the Republic, and of minor
concerns of personal character.
found Mr. Bryant the honest patriot
which the whole of his life had shown
him He considered Mr.. Lincoln, with
all attachments, the only man on whom
we could rely for the maintenance Of the
cause in which we had embarked for the
unien Of its strength and restoration OF
the National Government
| / next saw Mr. Bennett, Of the Herald
1 had long, agreeable and enlightened
conversation with him. expressed my
views w..h earnestness, and as left his
Office, he gave me, in pretty emphatic
Scotch accent, bis last words for the
President; "Tell him to restore McClel-
Ian to the army, and be will carry the
election by default"
called on Mr.. Greeley. Nv inter
view with him satisfied me that his
best efforts would not be wanting to Sc
cure the peace of the country through
the reelection OF the President.
Through Mr.. Barlow, the intimate per.
sonal and political friend Of Gen McClel-
Ian, who was not ia the city, let the
General know that would be gra.i6ed
by an opportunity Of conversing with
him. He came to towa and visited me
ia my lodgings in the Astor House.
had an hours conversation with him,
which prefaced by telling him the mo-
tives which had brought me to New York,
as | have stated them above, and by
stating distinctly that / did not come
from Mr.. Lincoln; had no authority. or
even consent, from him to make repre-
sensations or overteres of any sort to
him; that he had not been apprised of
my visit or purpose, which was, in part.
to adyise with him-the Generals enc
whom be knew to be his friend, with re-
gard to the public interests and his own.
| told him that had little doubt thas he
would be the nominee Of the Chicago
Convention and that if he accepted be
would be defeated, and defeated, bis fate
would be that of all previously defeated
candidates who bad played for the Presi-
dency: Clay Calhoan, Webster, and the
rest; that although an aspiration to the
chief place in the republic, vas an hon
orable ambition, there was an instinct
in public men which always excluded
from general confidence any Who sought
it with the least suspicion Of sel6shness
at the expense Of great national con-
siderations, and if the public once pro
nounced its will by voting him down, as
having sought the place without duly
weighing its great exigeney, especially
in such a revolutionary crisis as the
present, he could never rise again. i
urged that be ought to consider that at
this moment g schism of the Union
party Of the North, on the issue of the
Presidency, has looked to every one at
home and abroad as the only way pos
sible through which the rebellion could
accomplish its obiect-the dissolution of
the Union; that l believed he--the
General-was the only man who had a
position that enabled any party IN the
North to rally on and 10 command a
force that could make breach in the
patriotic Union party, so as to defeat, or
in any essential degree encourage The
hopes of the enemies Of our Govern
ment. foreign aud domestic. On this
ground appealed to him to withhold
his name from the so-called peace men,
who we're soon 10 assemble at Chica.
20. / expressed the opinion that
it was his duty to his country, and
therefore his own true policy as it
regarded his fame and aspirations to
public honors, to address note TO Mr.
Lincoln, asking command in the
army, declaring at the same time that
he did not seek it with view to recon-
mend himself to Presidential comma
ton; that l thought, and hoped he
thought too, that no man, especially in
revolutionary times, ought to lead an
army in the field, and aim, through the
strength of that position, at once to
grasp the civil power of the Govern
ment; that no man had ever marched
from the battlefield to the civil power,
with an army that he had disciplined
and led in person, that did not find him
self able ard willing to use that army to
secure thar position. l urged, there
fore, that if he wished to exert the high
military attainments which his friends,
and among the rest, believed belonged
to him, for the benefit Of his country, in
its life and death struggle, that be should
abandon the idea of being candidate
for the Presidency, if he entertained it,
and return to service in the field, and
said if the President refused it he would
then be responsible for the consequences.
If he sssented, the result would be that
he would confound his enemies, who
had, as | believe, urged on the War
Com mistee and impressed it on the pub
he mind, that the DELAYS of the great
army he Commanded IN arbsavs~r S;aS