The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-04-27

the other day under our authority an inc
! briate, because it was said that he coul,
testify that Gen Mcclellan was in crimi
nal conference with Gen. Lee during tn,
Maryland campaign, after the battle %
charge Gen. Mcclellan with plottin:
treachery to his Government. / believe
however, that that story, SO infamous ant
monstrous, has already been exploded
1t was started the day before the New
Hampshire election, published in all the
Republ papers, and was not contra
dieted by them until after the election
Indeed, it was not denied in some of then
here until this morning, when the inc
briate, becoming sober, was about to re-
veal the plot by which he was intrappec
into. the clutches of these defamers
What diabolieal disposition is here re-
yealedl How ready is the party on the
other side to clutch and circulate any fou
islander, however seuseless and ground
less, because they fear and hate Genera
McC cClellan. 4 81. =. s.,,l. ii-,z.,5g, .s.z,-
Mr.. Speaker, it is hardly necessary and
scarcely proper for me here to notice such
ca.umnies but as they have been circula.
ted by the Administration party thrc ugh
out the land, their correction should have
an extensive circulation. l trust, Mr
Speaker, with your permission, that the
reporters in. the gallery will give as wide
a circulation to this denial as was given to
the SANDER which was started under the
auspices of some of your peculiar friends
/ say here that Gen. Mcclellan has
never seen Gen. Lee since 1855; that he
has never held any communication with
him III writing except in reference to pris-
.oners and wounded men, which commu
nications or copies were at once sent to
the War Department. During the Mary
land campaign he never heard from and
never saw Gen. Lee at all, or any of his
officers. This story was not only made
out of whole cloth, but shoddy cloth at
that. will not help to give currency to
such stories, by aiding the passage Of a
bill like this, which would seem to be
predicated on them. This bill will have
the effect, if it be passed, of giving ad-
ded strength to this system of defamation.
1t will naturally be. asked why Congress
should displace and disgrace soldier lil E
him to wi on 1 have referred. Why
erase his name from the rolls Of the army,
unless there is something wrong in his
conduct, or some perfdy in his character;
similar to that implied by the irnputa-
tions to which have referred? Let us
be careful of the character and rsphta-
ton of men who have served the country
so jealousy and so we'll, even though their
political opinions and policy may not
please those who are now in power.
Mr.. Speaker, there are various objec-
tions that might be urged against this
blll, which military man could more
properly judge than myself. There is a
sort of sensibility among military men
which takes alarm at any attempt to
place them servilely before the Executive
This bill proposes to do this. We have
enough of this cringing abjectness in the
civil service; although it is disayoWed that
this bill originated in partisan passion and
personal rancor; And although have
accepted that dissvowal, yet the people
of this country, and the gallant soldiers
of the army, IN spite of such disclaimers,
will look upon, it in that light. An hon
orable body like this should repudiate all
such sinister appearances by repudiating
the bill itself.