New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-08-12
ruR m,CLRLLAN nRETINo.

the estimates In the public journals OF the num-
Der attending Locking over the accounts oi
the Mcclellan gathering at Union square, one
finds The Timer putting down the aggregate
at thirty thousand. Tie Sus attempts an esti-
mate in detail Of the delegations from the
several wards. and sums up by saying, In and
around Union sqnasc at least sixty thousand
persons were assembled" Going up in the
scalc. TIE Journal Of Commerce. with charac'
ter,stic assumption Of moderation in statement,
says that fair and candid estimate Of the
numbers presen, at o'clock. taking other great
meetings of tho past asstandar,ls of comparison,
would warrant putting the figures at 75,ooo.'
This paper also records what strangely escaped
tho notice Of almost everybody else. the
presence of " five thousand veteran soldiers
honorably discharged from service or home
on furlough." The Herald. rarely outone
in sensation estimates. says There were not
less than one hundred thousand persons pres
ent." The s.upcndous achievement d Ihe
Ho-M in this direction caps the climax, and
leaving the jaded Heraid far in the distance. and
ordinary imagination aghast at its hery gaiop'
whips rccklessly up To the goal OF the extreme
absurd, and pronouuees this rally OF the friends
Of Mcclellan rs "by all odds the most tre-
mendous and enthusiastic meeting ever held In
the metropolis" and, at the lowest calcutta
ton. twice If not thrice ~ large ~ the great
War meeting after the fall Of SUMTER" his
will do Tor citation, and tho trustworthiness OF
the estimates will readily DO appreciated with
out comment. Such result CONES from the
disease OF eIaggcration which affects most Of
the press accounts OF whatever trausplros
IN this city out Of the ordinary line OF
events. To say that q meeting not hall as
large a. tho War meeting after the fall OF Sum'
ter was Of two or three times the magnitude oil
that historical assembly, is simply 10 outrage
common sense. The writer OF this had good
opportunity VI seeing both meeIings-was on
the ground when they gathered. and during
their continuance; Yas either on stand over
looking the crowd or moving about in different
parts o! the meeting for tho purpose VI obscrva-
tion-snd ho Wa amazed 10 see such a compan-
son as tina, contained in The World. lie was
surprised also a. soc the editorial statement IN
The Post to the eHcc, that the Irish population
in body. and particularly the Roman Cath"-
lies, refused " come. Ii il certain that from
the principal stand one could see scarce any
other than Irish faces.
II was q largo meeting. It's details were
skillfully arranged ~ a. to produce on the mind
Of the spectator the effect Of greater numbers
than were actually present. The stands were
nearer together than il usually the case with
meetings held in Union square. oil being loca-
ted IN the southern half of the square, while at
the great War Meeting in VI they were dis
persed over the whole area Again, the mancu-
vering of ward organizations, which had been
prodigally supplied with transparcncics and
Cnine Z lanterns. added greatly 10 the scenic
effect and tended TO bewilder the casual OBJ
s,rv,r and delude him into a false estimate of
numbers. The marchings and counter march
inps of certain Illuminated ward organizations
reminded one Of tho m8neuyerns OF "supes,
as the play Of Macbeth IL sometimes put upon
tho stage. crossing and recroSsug the stage,
bearing great boughs tn represent Birnsm
VOID coming to Dunsinsne. The meeting
was undoubtedly largo one. but other
causes than enthusiasm for Mcclellan
made 1t so. Among them was the dull
ne.v, almost stagnation. of the city. New
York is never itself without some special
excitement good many places of amusement
were. closed, and music, fireworks, artillery,
PROFESSIONS, constituted al open air recres ion.
IL was a night following day Of excessive heat.
MANY were attracted to the vicinity OF the
square by mere desire 10 be out-oi-doors. IL
say nothing Of the tas-rag that hung on the
skirts Of the ward clubs ss they made toward
The common rendezvous. Beneath all this " a.
the substratum Of hard work and organization.
Hiram Ketchum, IT,. in his speech, told how
unwearied lad been their efforts since their first
meeting at Cooper Institute, when no said they
could not get respectable politician N TINS city
TO proside and were Obliged to import Amo'
Kendall for that plTpose. There were Tar moro
spectators Of the meeting than participants IN 1t
The speeches were not worth reporting and, il
the main, are beneath criticism. AS to thu
numbers present. We believe tho lowest estimate
given above is aitogoiher too high.
s~.s-s.rss-.ss.-.--.-s.
IN. EYprsw accounts Cor the Emancipation
l. 49,. Z ,ortt al Ia