Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-09-21
THE DIFFERENCE.

In recent letter to the Press, Coca
sional contrasts the acceptance Of President
Lincoln and that of Gen. Mcclellan in the
following forcible manner:
''Beiieriig that the rie,cs here oppressed
are Mose Of tie CoaCcatt0a ami the pe0pie
yDn represent, / accept the a0aIiaatioH.
These words are contained IN the last
para graph Of the letter OF acceptance of
Major General George Is. Mcclellan. ire
they taias , That Is the question. " hen we
reflect that the man who writes these words
was educated at West Point, and claims to
be on that account, one OF the chiyalry,
and especially a soldier and d gentleman,
we may well wonder at an assertion like
his lie believes that the views he eX-
presses are those OF the Convention that
nominated him, and As he does not reject
the platform. it is fair presumption that
he approves the resolution Of that Con
vention which demands that Immediate
eff orts be made for the cessation OF hostlII-
ties. Ia other words, that he sanctions the
monstrous idea of an arnlstice between the
Federal Government and the rebel traitors.
BIT ho,c are these ticO poSiti0Rs to be recon-
ciied2 The Convention practically declares
i'll favor Of an armistice. General McClel-
Ian declares in favor of continued war for the
preservation of the Union; and in view Of
the fact thal the one position defeats and re-
Dukes and destroys the other, he coolly tells
Us that he believs his opinions express ed in
his letter of acceptance are those OF the
Convention that nominated him We re-
member nothing in the terglversationS OF
party politicians SO discredItable as this.
General Mcclellan certainly could not have
meant to say that the Convention declared
in favor of an armistice and for an immedi-
ate cessation of hostiiities and yet approved
his letter. Can he believe as he says? Ii
be so, then the Convention is fraud, or
General Mcclellan himself has violated the
truth Now mark the difference between
Mcclellan and Lincoln, When the resolu-
tons of the Baltimore Convention were pre-
sented to Abraham Lincoln, he said, in
fully accepted. rs the resolutions Of the C0n-
ce,.tton, called the platform, are heartily ap-
p5,0red No qualifications here; NJ false
and dishonest front, but an earnest and EN-
phatic endorsement of the work of the men
who had put him before the people for re
election He heartily approves the Balti-
more platform, because IN that platform
there IS not a word nor a sentence that has
not been inspired by earnest attachment to
the Government, by gratitude for our brave
men in the army, by Il desire to conclude
peace on the basis of the restoration OF the
Union, by hatred to slavery as the cause of
the war, by determination to maintain the
national faith inviolate and to redeem the
public debt, and by utter ignoring of all
sects or parties until the war is happily con
cluded and the Republic vindicated. But
it would seem that General Mcclellan fears
his platform, and yet while fearing it, and
doubling it, and while writing letter which
he desires the people to understands as in op-
position to it, he get coolly says IN hls letter
of acceptaace that he belieres the cte'cshe ec-
presses IN that letter are the vie,cs Of the Con-
yeut;on itself! | think no man, in or out OF
public life, and no soldier, in or out OF the
army, has ever deliberately placed himself
in more inextricable dilemma