Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-03-17
Important Omission In MeCleIlan.s Report-His
Idea of Complete Civil and Military Pol
7 From the Cincinnati Gazette. !

From the Cincinnati Gazette
When the General took the command at
Washington, and had succeeded legitimately
to General SCOTS torpid anaconda, he issued
wise Instructions to the various commanders
round the circumference. In his general or
der to General Buell. in regard to Kentucky,
he wrote: at is possible that the conduct
of our political affairs in Kentucky is more i'm
portant than that Of oar military operations
cannot overestimate the importance of the
former"
1t viii be noticed throughout Gen. McClel-
lan's report that he conceived he had a spc-
cial mission in political affairs. His genius
for political affairs had good foundation on
the negative pregnant that he had tried other
things, and had found nothing adapted to his
genius. When he had held his army helm
lessly astride the Chickahominy, where if was
disabled from attack, and divided to be at
tackled alternately on the right and left bank
of the river, and when he had sacrificed his
campaign, and withdrawn his shattered army
to Harrison's Landing, sacrificing his army
stores and the costly equipment of that army.
leaving thousands of sick and wounded to the
tender mercies of the enemy, and disengag-
ing Lees army for an invasion of the North.
the first thing he did was to sit down and
write letter to the President, to lay out for
him "a civil and military policy covering the
whole grounds of our national trouble" and a
way 'of directing the whole course of ma
tional affairs in regard to the rebellion"
But while the General-in- Chief impressed
On Gen. Buell. that the conduct of the polit-
ical policy in Kentucky was most important,
he neglected to lay down in any clear manner
the political policy suited to the latitude of
4 h. ID II
the political and military policy that he had
established for Kentucky. To supply this i'm
portant omission, and to correct some of the
imperfections of the report as history, and
to show his capacity to lay out comprehen-
sive political policy to cover the whole ground
of our national trouble, even if his military
performance had not negatively established
it, we reproduce the treaty between Gen. Nc
Clellan, on the part of the United States, and
Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, on the part of
Gov. Beriah McGoffin, which established the
celebrated Kentucky neutrality, and made
that State barrier against the national for
ces, gave up Tennessee to rebel conquest,
placed the COnfederacy in quiet possession of
the Mississippi river below Cairo, made Ken
lucky recruiting ground and supply country
for the rebels, and left it to be carried into
the rebellion by the Vaccinations and VIC
lence of the Secessionists.
This treaty was published at the time, and
was never authenticity denied. Having been
authoritatively published to the people of
Kentucky as treaty, an authoritative repu-
diation by General Mcclellan would have
been required by good faith if it was not
binding. But it was acknowledged by being
allowed to stand, and to bind the Kentucky
people and the Confederacy without denial
Besides the military convenience it gave the
Confederacy, 1t goes the whole length of the doc
tri,ae of the right Of a State to separate herself
from the nation, and to take sides IN secession,
or to stand neutral until she gets ready to decide
We reproduce it as one of the curiosities in
the history of this war, and particularly of
that most wonderful part of it, the Mcclellan
reign, and as showing General McClellan's
ideas of complete comprehensive, civil and
military policy, which shall cover the whole
ground of the controversy.
HEADQUARTERS KENTUCKY STATE GUARD,}
LOUISVILLE, June 10, 1861. {
SIR ON the Sth instant, at Cincinnati, Ohio, I
entered into an arrangement with Major General
George B. Mcclellan, Commander of the United
States troops in the States north of the Ohio river
to the following effect
The authorities of the State of Kentucky are to
protect the United States property within the limits
of the State, to enforce the laws of the United
Statesin accordance with the interpretations of the
United States Courts, as far as those laws may be
applicable to Kentucky and to enforce with all the
power of the State obligations of neutrality
against the Southern States, long as the posi-
ton we have assumed shall be respected by the
United States.
Genersl Mcclellan stipulates that the territory
of Kentucky shall be respected on the part of the
United States, though The Southern States should
occupy at: but in the latter he will call up on
the authorities of Kentucky to remove the South
ern forces from our territory. Should Kentucky
rail to accomplish this obj ect in reasonable time,
General Mcclellan claims the right of occupancy
given the Southern forces. I have stipulated in
that case to advise him of the inability ofKentucky
to comply with her obligations, and to invite him
to dislodge the Southern forces. He stipulates
that if successful in SO DOING he will withdraw his
forces from the territory of the State, al soon as
the Southern forces shall be removed.
This, he assures me, is the policy which he will
adopt toward Kentucky.
Should the Administration hereafter adopt diff
ferent policy, he is to give timely notice Of the
fact.
The well known character Of General McClella an
is sufficient guarantee for the fufllment of every
stipulation on his part.
am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
S. B. BUckNER,
Inspector General.
To his Excellency, B. Magoffin, Frankfort, Ky.