The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-10-11

q tygM FdFfot'
With a sincere hope that these, my
conscientious convictions. may coin.
eide With those q my friends, | am
very truly, yours,
SrFPHtE a. Dou0LAs.
TO Virgil Hickox, Esq, Chairman
State Democratic Committee.
a MILITARY DIcrAroRsuIp.-Ii
was during the MeClellen supremacy
! that The country came nearest toa mil.
itary dictatorship His partisan OH,
I GERS filled all pablic places at Wash.
ington, overawihg public sentiment,
( instieting disaligciion against the Gov.
ernment, and publicly threatenig that
4 tie army would tarn Congress out OF
doors. Then military dictatorship
seemed good thing in Democratic
eyes. Then, instead Of the supremacy
OF civil power over the military, which
is the Democratic hue and cry, the
whole party kept up a cry against any
Congressional supervision Of military
affairs Then McClcllan's officers
wrote iusoIent and threatening letters
to members Of Congress who ventured
to comment on the military manage
ment The President was obliged 10
write 70 McClellen that this insolence
must be stopped.
II was then that tie feeling Of the
whole Mcclellan influence in the Ar
my Of the Potomac was hostile TO the
Government. The organization Of the
army in corps, and the Presidents
appointment Of commanders. rescued
the country from this peril. And
from that time Mcclellan was the en-
emy Of nearly all these commanders.
as is shown by the Presidents private
correspondence with him, although
they saved his army, aud gave it a
heroic fighting reputation in spite of
the imbeciliiy OF its Geneaal.in- Chief.
And when he Lad exposed one
third of his army to destruction at
Gaines Mil, by the enemys whole
force, when he might either have sup.
ported it and overwhelmed the enemy.
or withdrawn it without loss, and after
lie had sacrificed ten thousand men.
and the artillery and material of thai
wing, he had the insolence 10 write 10
The War Department; You haye
done your best to sacrifice this army.
If ! save this army now, | tell You
plainly that ! owe no thanks TO you or
to any other person in Washington.
The Government has not sustained
this army. If you do not do SO now
the game is lost. You must send me
very large re-enloT cemcnts, ana send |
them at once"
This from a commander who after
several days warning Of The epemy's
had permitted one third Of /
his army to be cut in pieces by force
which all told was not equal to his by /
$1,000 men. And this insolence and /
nsubordnation the Goyernmc was
to submit to by tie fear
hat Mcclellan contemplated the sur
render of bis whole army,
And when by his treachcry in with
holding his troops from the support of
Gen Pope, our army was defeated
and by his advice had been with
lrawn to Washington, his partizan
,flicers demoralized their troops with
n the city, and overawed tie Admin
stration with their clamor for McClelI-
N, and by filling the streets with an
armed mob, SO that It succumbed and
restored him TO command.
Those were the dark DAYS Of the
Republic. 1t escaped because this
nan had not the nerve for military
Isurper; because, thanks to the or
sanization by corps, the real Gener-
ais Of the Army Of the Potomac were
aithtul men; and because the patri.
)tic private soldiers, however demor-
llized by the Mcclellan officers, can
rot be relied upon as tools Of usurpa-
DIN. Bot the crime Of making this
nan the virtual dictator Of the Re:
,ublic, and of placing quarter of
million of patriotic volunteers in his
,ower, TO be demoraIiaed by his spir-
t, and wasted for bis partisan uses,
an never be cancelled. The coun-
~ has not recovered from lhe effects
t this Mcclellan reign. II cosolida-
ed the rebellion, gave it military pres
ige, inspired il with contempt for our
military capacity, and for tie admin
siratiye weakness, and il resurected
he Democratic party in tie North, (
nd gave il all the power it nov has
! fighting the Administration Gin
ialtatti Gazette.