Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-09-15
GEN. q. w. MORGAN ON Nc
GLEELAN.
His Remarks at the Chicago
Convention iR reply to the
attack made upon Generas
Mcclellan by the Honora"ic
MIR. Harris Of Maryland


MIR. Harris Of Maryland.
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF
rir CoNvrNTIoN-As friend and former
comrode in arms of Gen. Mcclellan, can
not ,om,;n silent after the grave charges
,rb;ob hove been made against him by the
,Y;st;na,;sbed gentleman from Maryland
Deeniv do | regret, Mr.. President that the
6rst attack upon the Democratic organlza-
ton. this campaign, should come from q
person claiming to be a Democrat; and still
more that that person should be citizen OF
Maryland, whose release from the despotic
bondage imposed by MIR. Lincoln, depends
upon the success of the Democratic candl-
date for President: and much more do | re-
gret. and am l astonished at the manner in
which the charges we're made, and at the
nature of the charges themselves. But,
sir, this debate is not of my seeklng-the
gentleman made the attack, and | but de
fend. The responsibility is his, not mine.
do not mpute TO the honorable gentle
man desire to wilfully and deliberately mis-
represent the facts, but nevertheless the
statements as made are untrue, as ] hope
to be able to satisfy the Convention. What
are the facts? Who did Gen. Mcclellan
cause to be arrested? | find that the paper
from which the honorable gentlemen read,
is the New York Tribune, and in replying
to him, ] will also answer his worthy co-as-
sociate, Mr.. Greeley. At the time these ar
rests were ordered, the Maryland Legisla-
bled at Annapolis A conspiracy was on
foot between certain members of that Leg
isature and Gen. Joe johnson, one of the
ablest Of the Confederate generals, who
was at that time at the head of large and
well appointed army at Winchester, Virgin
ia. An ordinance of secession was to be
passed. need not explain to the honora-
bic gentlemen what that meant-and stimuli
taneously with its publication, Gen. John
son was to invade Maryland with an over
whelming force, and certain pcrsons-the
honorable gentlemen can best tell Who
where to endeavor to arouse the people Of
Maryland in arms against the United States.
General Mcclellan was then in command of
the Federal armies. What was his duty?
Was he to lie supinely idle until Maryland
was forced into the vortex of rebellion
Was he to wait until johnson had invaded
Maryland, and until the conspirators had
ample time to organize treason against the
Constitution and laws Of the United States?
No, sirs; his line Of duty was plain and clear
it was his duty to nip the intended iusur-
rection in the bud he did so, and sayed
Maryland from the horrors of intestine war.
Had he acted otherwise, he would have
been false to his oath, and traitor to his
country
The distinguished gentlemen from Mary
land, does not know Geo. b. Mcclellan.
He called hima tyrant Why Sirs,. if there
be one man beneath Heavens widespread
canopy, who is not a tyrant, that man is
Geo. b. Mcclellan. (Cheers.) If there is
one man more than another who loves con
sttutional liberty, that man is George b.
Mcclellan. (Applause.) Modest, unset
fish, patient, magnanimous and brave, he
combines within himself the gentlcncss of a
women, with the courage Of lion. Zap
plausc.) These facts concerning the Mary
land conspiracy, | learned at the time they
occurred since then they have been com
muncated to me in black and white by Gen
eral Mcclellan himself And but two even
ings ago General Burns of the Federal ar
my, when taking tea with me in this city,
spoke of the injustice which had been done
General Mcclellan IN relation to the ar
rests Of which the gentleman complains
At the time referred TO Gen. Burns was il
command of his Brigade at Camp Obserya
ion in front of LeesbWg, where he wa
stationed to keep watch and ward agains
the contemplated treason in Maryland a
well as against the armed treason across th
that the persons arrested were kept in con
Gnement fourteen months, but he forgot l.
tell you that III the meantime General Me
Clellan had been removed from CommanC
and that the prisoners were held in custody
subject to the orders Of President Lincoln
These, sirs, are the facts connected with the
affair Of the Maryland Legislature, anC
where is TO be found lover Of the Union
who will not applaud the conduct Of Nc
Clcan? But this is not all. The gentle
man found mare nest. lie told US q
troops having been sent to interfere wit
the freedom of an election. But it is pass
ing strange that the very moment he hel
i'll his hand the order of General Marcl
which expressly declares thatit was issue
to prevent intimidation ut the polls I'll
people of Maryland were divided in sent
ment A portion Of them were identite
with the rebelion--many of them who ha
gone within the enemies lines had returnC
to Maryland, and II was to protect the n
triotic citizens of that State from being II
tmidated by those persons, and TO prote,
the freedom of the ballot box, that trooI
were, at that time, sent into Maryland.
The persons referred TO, We're charged vii
being in communication with the enem
and if guilty, IA there was good reason
believe, they were liaable to suffer the deat
penalty as provided for by the laws of wa
My friends, | only arise 10 dlsabusc yo,
minds of the unintentional misstatcmcn
of the distinguished gentleman, who rc-u
tered the asporsions of Horace Grcele
But the gentleman was not satisfied wit
repeating these charges; he declared tn,
Gen Mcclellan was lederalst, or that !
had descended from federal ancestor
Why, Pennsyl lyanians, and |, too, by bntl
am "a PennsylVanian, aud YOU phiadC