The mountain Democrat., 1864-11-05
Hear Rsvsrdy johnson.


the 18th. be says the manner in which
Lincoln has conducted public affairs has
confirmed him ip the opinion that he 10
unequal to the duties Of his position, Snd
he adds:
With moro than two millions Of soldiers
placed in bis hands, and an unlimited
amount Of treasure, his policy and his
manner Of using his power, instead Of put
ting the rebellion down and bringing to
our ranks the thousands Of Union men
who were then in each Of the seeded
States, and who, in some, are believed to
outnumber the rebels, have but served the
double purpose of uniting them against
us, and of dividing the opinion Of the loyal
States. The effect, Of course, is, that not
withstanding the gallant deeds Of our ar
my and navy, and the manifest justice of
our cause, the Union is even more effect
ually broken now than it vas when his
honesty of purpose may belong to him.
and l am willing to admit that be has had
il, his vacillation, his policy, now conser-
vative, now radical, his selection of militia
ry officers grossly incompetent, his treat
ment of those who were evidently compe-
tent, his yielding in this to what he has
himself been often heard to say as an ex-
cuse, was "outside PRESSURE" his leaving
not only not punished, but as far as the
public know, unrebuked, the vandal ex-
cesses Of military officers Of his special
selection. shocking the sentiment of the
world,a and disgracing US in view Of Christ
endom by the burning of private dwell.
ings, and depriving their often exclusively
female occupants Of home and means Of
livelihoOd-all demonstrate that he is en-
tirely incompetent to govern the country
in this crisis Of its fate.
How can an honorable man believe that
one who has SO signally failed for almost
four entire years, can be successful if an
other four years be granted him? No one
in Congress certainly. Not twenty mem
bers believe him equal or at all equal to
the mighty task. He has been tried and
found wanting. Let us have a change :;
none, If loyal, can he for the worse. 1t is
not that we wish, to use his own classic
figure, to swap horses in the midst OF a
stream. but that when we are on journey
and safety depends on making our desti-
nation at the earliest moment, We should
cast aside q spawned and thin horse, and
secure a sound and active one.
In Gen. Mcclellan we are furniShed--
in the history of his life, in the purity Of
his character, his refinement, his attain
ments, civil and military, and, above all,
his perfect loyalty every assurance that
under his executive guidance, the war
now so exhaustive Of blood and treasure
will soon be brought to a triumphant ter
mination. and this Union, which, "at al
hazards" he will never agree to surrender
will be restored.
With regard, your ob't. serv't,
REvERDY JOHNSON.
In reply to another invitation to ad-
dress a similar meeting, he wrete as fol-
lows:
In the early days Of Mr.. Lincoln's ad-
ministration, | lost almost all hope Of a
successful termination of the rebellion,
whilst he was at the head of the govern.
ment, and this, the merest hope, is now
wholly extinsuished. His in6rmity o.
purpose-his uRsteadiness in any policy
his once expressed dislike to radicaliSu
his subsequent adoption Of its wors
features-hlS ignorant and mischievOu:
interference with our military campaigns
his appointment, often against advice
of high military officers of notorious in
competency frequent and nearly iata
changes Of commanders s-his abandon
ment of the. before, uniform practice o
his predecessors Of cabinet consultations
his permission Of diShOnoring dissen
Sions among its members. displaying it
self constantly, to his knowledge, belor
others, and often, as it is known, in hi
presence, in personal abuse of each othe
his obstinate and reckless disregard O
the wishes of his political friends, com
lnunicated to him on one occasion in tn
solemn form of q committee, represent
ing, as he was aware, nine-tenths, il no
every friend he had IN Congress; an'
again, and. recently, expressed in term
not to be mistaken, in one of the resolu
tions of the convention which nominated
him for reelection his permitting mill
tary interference with elections, virtual,
subjecting the ballot to the control of tn
bayonet- justifying arrests withou
specifications of charges, though over ant
over again demanded, and long continued
imprisonment; and, after release, withou
trial or explanation his tolerating trial
by military commission, OF offences mad
cOgnizable exclusively by acts Of Congress
passed since the rebellion, by the civi
courts, and the virtual con6scation Of pri
vate property, without even resort t
any mode Of trial, and other matters q
like illegality and outrage, too many t
detail in letter, whilst they demonstrat
his utter unftness for the Presidency
give no promise of successful result G
the contest whilst he is the commander
in.chief of the army and navy, and in
trusted, by the power he wields, with th
shaping Of our peace and war policy
This must be arrested, or, in my opinion
the country will be ruined.
This fatal career can be and would b
stopped by the election of almost any 10y
al man in his stead, and the result is Ger
tain if Gen. Mcclellan becomes the sue
cessor. His perfect devotion to the Unio
and his expressed determination to max
its restoration the lone condition {
peace"-the purity of his character, hi
demonstrated ability, and his military al
tainments furnish guarantees, that i
his hands the executive power will not b
abused, but be directed, in strict subord
nation to the Constitution to the sole en-
of restoring the Union, which is our in
heritance, and causing it again to she
its blessings over a now sorely trouble
and bleeding nation. Wild, insane an
reckless partisans may aSSail him wit
every opprobriOus epithet-men VIII
have tasted Of that insane root, the OF
taining Of high Office ut home or abroat
may tell US, to the disgust Of all patriot
men, that ''it is not too much to say thI
it would be fer better that Robert E. Ii