The mountain Democrat., 1864-10-15
the regular army, which rank be now
holds.

uOb3cs
The part borne BY General cClelIani in
A. ---T-- - 77SSsWkieA T8 ~ S:eS
ing, is too well known 70 need any special
recital. The persistent attempts Of the
Administration and party journals, to IN.
jure bis fair fame, has made the public
take such interest in the perusal Of the
many histories Of his Campaigns as to rem.
der it unnecessary to renew the narrative
In our columns. We feel assured the peo.
pie have bad impressed on their minds, 10
characters never to be erased, that bril-.
liant career which began in victory among
the mountains Of West Virginia, in the
summer Of 1851, to end in digni6ed pa.
tience under the unparalleled wrong meath
the bills Of the Shenandoah in the aut.
umn Of 1852, is the simple task of recital.
At the names Of Yorktown, Williamsburg,
Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, South Mountain
and AnIietam, the heart Of the nation will
beat out nObler commentary than words
can frame upon the merits and the deserts
Of the heroic young commander who gave
these trumpet names to Us and TO OUT
children.
The writings and addresses, as we'll as
the " orders" Of General Mcclellan stamp
the author as no ordinary man. II we
commence with his first address to the
troops after assuming the command, the
rejecting reader will observe how clearly
the hero and statesman stand forth, above
and superior to, the mere military com.
mander. Notice these golden sentences
addressed to the trI obs:
Your mission is 10 restore peace and
confidence, to protect the majesty Of the
Law, and to rescue our brethren from the
grasp Of armed traitors"
Bear in mind that you art here to pro.
tcct, not to destroy"
1--WE have come here to save, not to
upturn."
You will respect the right Of private
opinion"
You will punish no man for opinions
sake"
The celebrated memorandum" con-
laiuing his plan OF operations for the I'm.
ion forces, aud addressed to the President
on the 4th OF August, 1861, proves con
Clusively that Mcclellan alone, Of ell the
MN connected with the army or govern
mtnt, understood at the beginning fully
the vastneSs Of the civil war into which
the nation had been plunged. 1t has truly
Oeen said:
This most remarkable paper, though
thought to be visionary then, is now his
torir, for it ioretold. substantially, the
whole history Of the war from that day to
this, and stamped General Mcclellan as
the master mind Of the day. ltis enough
to say here that where that plan has been
followed out, success has attended our ef-
forts to crush the rebellion, and nearly
every lewiston from it has resulted in
disaster"
His instructions to department com.
manCcrS aIe models Of clearncss, direct.
ness and brevity. and show that he never
inIgnt the political, as well ~ the militaIy y
bca' ing> Of the conflict. "Y"u will please
constantly TO hear in mind" he writes TO
General Buell., then commander Of the
Department Of Ohio, 1.-THE precise issue
ior which We are fighting that issue is
the preservation Of the Union and the
restoration Of the full authority Of the
general government over all portions ol
our territory" And then follows this
most memorable sentence:
I'VE shall most readily suppress this
rebellion, aud restore the authority of the
government, by religiOusly respecting the
constitutional rights Of all"
That General Mcclellan has heart as
great as his iatellect, has been shown by
all his deallugs with his llow-citizenS
and brethren in aims. There are no more
pathetic words in the language than these
wrung from his manly siirit by the sacri.
flee of his army on the Chickahominy.-
Thus he writes to Secretary Stanton from
Savage Station, June 2Sth:
~ have lost this battle because my
force was TOO small. again repeat thai
! am not responsible for this, and say il
with the earneetneSs Of q general whu
feels in his heart the loss Of every brave
man who has been needlessly sacrificed
to day. still hops to retrieve our for.
tune; but to do this the government must
view the matter in the same earnest light
that | do.
| know that few thousand more men
would have changed this battle from de-
feat to q victory. AS it is, the govern
ment cannot hold me responsible for the
result
~ feel too earnestly to night. have
seen too many dead and wounded CON-
rades to feel otherwise than that the gov.
ernment has not sustained this army. II
you do not do SO now, the game is lost.
If save this army now, tell you plainly
that owe no thanks to you or to any
other persons in Washington. You have
done your best to sacrifice this army"
Again to General Halleck on August
SOtb, when the braggart Pope was sacri-
ficing thousands Of brave men through
sheer incapacity aud folly:
cannot express to you the pain and
modification have experienced to-day in
listening TO the distant sound of the fire
Of my men. As l can be Of no further
Use here, | respectfully ask that il there
is probability OF the conflict being re-
newed tomorrow, | may be permitted to
90 to the scene OC battle with my staff,
merely, tn be With my own men, If no.
thing more; they will fight none the worse
for my being with them. II it is not
deemed best TO intrust me with the COM
mand even Of my own army, | simply ask
to be permitted TO share their fate OH the
field OF battle"
/ None but a true man and brave soldier
could write thus, and his comrades on
many q well fought field, all bear tesIimO.
ny to the kindly, generous disposition OF
the man We would place at the head Of
our government in the chair occupied by
George Washington.
CoEUNDRrXs.-.Why is loSe like 4 duck e
foot Because it often lies hidden in the
breast.
Who is the most industrious Of all
plowmea Nme, for he t0rns the most