The Placer herald., 1864-10-29
Mcdowell on Mcclellan.

dressed political meeting 10 Virginia city
Nevada Territory, in advocacy of the re-e!ec
ton of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency
On Friday evening last he made set speech
to crowd in San Francisco. We may
therefore, consider the General as regularly
in the field to save his master. He processes
to have been very 10th to enter the political
arena. 1t was in opposition TO the rule OF
bis life and at variance with bis tastes and
prejudices but he had been told that the i'm.
preston prevailed to some extent in the Pal
ciic States that the sympathies of this Mill
tary Department were generally for McClel'
Ian; also that Mcclellan was better able to
carry on the war than Old Abe. To remove
these impressions he had taken the stump
The truth of the matter, no doubt is that
because somebody was silly enough to say
that if bis honest opinions we're known, be
was for Mcclellan, the Aboitionists have
dragged him out and made him show his
hand. 1t would not surprise US if he was
threatened with decapitation and loss of
rations if he failed to comply. We are Of
this opinion because it is unnatural for any
man, however pompons, vain and susceptible
OF tiattery, to expose himself 10 the shafts Of
assallants, when he is so Vulnerable at every
point There is scarcely an officer, who has
been in the service during the war, from
whom unfriendly criticisms of the official
acls of any other officer, would come with a
worse grace. There is scarcely another
whose military career has been so complete.
ly disastrous and shameful as that Of this
same General Irwin Mcdowell, Certainly
no General has been so dsgrscefuly beaten
on the battle field as be was at Bull Run
The rout of Banks in Louisiana will moi
compare with it, nor will his foot race down
he Shenandoah Valley, when SlonewalI
Jackson was after him, do TO mention in the
same connection with McDowel's flight from
Bull Run to Washingto. Mcdowell made
the best time on record. This disgracefuI
failure lost him the command of the army OF
the Potomac. lie had TO retire in disgrace
and surrender the command to that General
he now calumniates. and who had won inn
perishable honors by the brilliancy Of his
campaign in Western Virginia. One would
think that the part that Mcdowell played in
the Peninsula campaign would restrain him
from calling attention to it. He knows that
had he supported Mcclellan with the forces
under his command the result of the seven
days battle might, and probably would, have
been very different. He had very large
force under bis command, almost within
hearing of the roar of the contending artile-
ry on the Chickahomny. and suffered Nc.
Clelan and bis army to be sacrificed for the
want Of support. We do not know that
Mcdowell Knocked at McCleIlan's calamity,
but we do know that be did nothing to pre-
vent it. When Pope was so severely pressed
by Lee ne;.r the old Bull Run battle field,
where was Mcdowell What part did he
take in it! That is the question. Perhaps
the General can answer il. Perhaps the re-
membrance OF former visit to that classic
ground awoke dsagreeabe "reminiscences in
the mind OF the hero, aud made him rather
bear the ills he bad than fly to others he
knew some thing Of The disaster to Pope
was attributed TO him. and he was even &C
cnsed of treason. He WAS tried by military
authority, and, it is said, that the evidence
of the man whom he now maigns saved him
from utter disgrace. Never after was be en-
trusted with a command in the field. He is
in command of thi. Department because
General Wright would not do the dirty work
required of him by the radical Jacobns of
this coast. Such is brief review of the
critic and conservor of General Mcclellan.
How be compares with General Mcclellan
the intelligent reader can judge. His capac.
ity to criticise the military campaign of any
General may be safely submitted to the same
tribunal.
This distinguished General who has been
beaten on every battle field, seriously, and no
doubt in all soberness, assures the good peo
pie of bis military department that it is a
military and patriotic necessity to elect Mr.
Lincoln. BY military necessity we suppose
he means that be must be elected some way
or other; if not at the ballot box, some other
way. Under this plea of military necessity
it is claimed that the Constitution may be
set aside and extraordinary power be exer.
cised. We think therefore, it is fair to pre-
sumo that Mcdowell means, if the people do
not vote Mr. Lincoln into the Presidency
again, that Lincoln will declare himself re-
elected by virtue Of the extraordinary pow
ers conferred on him as Commander in Chief.
He cannot mean anything else. Now what
is to be expected of man with such antece
dents as Mcdowell, and who makes such
declarations. We think that instead of CIV
ing encouragement to this conceited cox
comb the people ofthis coast ought to feel
themselves humiated and nsulted by his
presence here. The Administration certain,
y manifested very little regard or respect
for them when it sent broken down failure
Of General to take charge Of this depart
ment.