East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-09-14


from striking his rear. The President
at this moment withdrew Mcdowell
in the direction of Washington, and
thus left McClellan's rear exposed. =
He had no troops to replace those un-
der Mcdowell; Lincoln could not OF
would not send him any reinforce
ments. What should he doY Re-
main where he was and allow his
right to be turned and the safety OF
his entire army endangered, or change
his base to some point where his line
of supplies could be secure, and Rich
mond be menaced the same as ever
OF course tho latter alternative had to
be chosen.
Everybody knows that change OF
base with an enemy in front is one ol
the most difficult problems in military
science. Where one. force will sue
ceed in doing it, there will be q dozen
cases Of failure. Suffice it that Nc
Clellan executed this manmuvre-that
he transferred his entire army to a
new base on James River without the
loss of a wagon or gun--that he did
this in the face of the most tremend-
Gus attacks of superior force contin-
ued from day to day--and that final
ly, after having repulsed every attack,
he reached his new base with his army
and material, having inflicted upon
the enemy twice or thrice the loss in
men experienced by himself. And
yet there are men stupid and bigoted
enough to pronounce this unequaled
feat disgrace, disaster.
1t is UNNECESSARY to follow McClel-
lan's career in detail much further
The public knows it all. 1t is known
how he was removed from command;
how he took the disordered and de-
feated fragments of Pope's army
placed them in the pathway of the
triumphant rebel hosts at Antietam
and drove them back into Virginia.
But for Mcclellan at that critical mo-
ment Washington would have been
captured, the North overrun, and Da-
Wis would have dictated at Faneuil
Hall terms of peace to Inundated
North. There was but one man in
all the North who at that moment
could infuse confidence into the dis
piiited fragments of the Federal army
who could fuse into a solid, resist
ing mass, the scattered elements OF
the Army Of the Potomac. But one
single man in that hour could oppose
the rebel army of invasion---who could
resist successfully the occupation OF
Philadelphia, the plundcr of New
York, and the overrunning of the en-
tire North. That man was Mcclellan
He had just been disgraced, hnmilia-
ted, and would have been justified III
allowing the administration to be over
whelmed by that ruin which it has SC
yihfdb Komqp6r omqp6rfiitsa. ii Ba u He magnanimously
the invader, and in a little while wa
once more disgraced by the migrate
full government.
Such is in brief an outline OF tn
military career of one who to-day
second to no military genius OF thls 0
any other country. HIS political life
although not as full of interest as hi
military career, has been as consisten
in every respect. Always a democra
he has ever been true TO tho principle
of that party, carrying them with hiI
not only in local and national poltic
but being governed by their dietatio
in all his military enterprises. 1t wa
democracy that taught him that wa
should not be conducted against mel
opinion-that citizens should not |
disturbed in their property that Il
:~e4itntinns of States should not
interfered with, and that the torce
the Federal government should be q
rected against those only who were
: arms. To illustrate this feature in h
: character, and as fitting close to til
: sketch, we cannot do better than 81
: an extract from Gen, McClellan's le
: ter to the President, dated at liarl
{ sons Landing, July 7th, 1862.
|. shows at once the character OF start,
o man, q soldier, Christian, and ge
s tleman.
IS mThis rebellion has assumed {
It character of a.war; as such 1t shou
e be regarded, and it should be cond'
l. ted upon the highest principles lkno'
5, to Christian civilization. 1t shor
te not be war looking to the subjul
ID ton of the people of any State in a
f. event. 1t should not be at all a "
upon population, but against arm
n, forces and political organizations
p Neither confscation of property,
er litical executions of persons, terrltoi
as organization of States, or forcible
d. clifton of slavery, should be conte
in plated for a moment. In prosecut
IS the war, all private property and
ry armed persons should be strictly T
* tected, subject only to the necessity
pe military operations. All private pr
of erty taken for military use should
al paid or receipted for; pillago and wf
~ should be treated as high crimes;
ny unnecessary uesp"9'
We ted, and offensive demcanor by
'x- military toward citizens promptly
of buked. Military arrests should
of be tolerated, except in places wi
IN active hostilities exist, and oaths
- required by enactments constitut
ms nlly made should he neither dcman
ent nor received. Military goyernn
the should be confined to the preserva
al of public order and the protectio
eer political right. Military power sh'
rht not be allowed to Interfere with
the relations of servitude, either by
!, to porting or impairing the authorlt
al the master, except for repressing
ave order, as in other cases. Slaves
rei- traband under the act OF Cong
lis seeking military protection, Shouts
ceive It. Ths right OF the gos
)w- mcnt to appropriate permanent.
and its own service claims to slave