The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-07-22
Prom the Philadelphia Press
Cen. MoClellan's Report.

8n.
the public document necessarily long,
considering the wide field over which 1t trav-
ersss, but extended for purposes Of personal
defence. We are not about 10 enter upon
IL. rcview, which would Of course be tedious;
but We venture to say that the public will
DO as much dissatisfied with Gen. Mcclellan,
report as with his action. We suggest, also,
that this report might be still further extend
Cd IL Gen. Mcclellan would only write de-
fcusc Of Fitz John Porter, or give us fuller
chapter explaining his relations with Gen.
Pope. 81 am sure" says Gen. Mcclellan
in an interview with the President, Septem-
Der, 1862, "that whatever estimate the army
might entertain Of Gen. Pope, they will obey
his orders. support him to the fullest extent,
and do their whole duty" The President,
at this interview, asked Gen. Mcclellan to
telegraph to "Fitz John Porter, or some 9TH
or Of his friends" and try to do away with
any feeling that might exist.
To what condition had Gen. Mcclellan
brought the army, that so honest q man as
the President found it necessary to ask him
to write letter urging his Generals to do
their simple duty! His own disparaging
words with regard to Gen. Pope, and many
well known incidents Of the second Bull Run
campaign, show clearly that the Mcclellan
faction in the army premeditatedly failed to
give that officer cordial support, and history
will approve the dismissal Of Mr.. Etz John
Porter as one Of the most righteous acts OF
the war. Certainly ono Of its greatest
wrongs was the treatment which Gen. Pope,
whatever DO his merits as an officer (and his
claims to consideration were then equal to
those Of any other General, where oil had
risen from obscurity), received FROM those
whose business and duty 1t was to aid him.
The ono great fault Of Gen. Mcclellan up.
pears to have been his over-estimation OF his
own Importance to the country and to the
army. With much plausibility, he was in
subordinate, dictatorial, and at the samo time
merctricious. lie had the greatest army OF
the country entrusted to him, and for time
had no critic or chief but the President. All
his troubles seem to have commenced when
he found a commander-in-chief,a and yet Gen.
Halleck was and is still tho military superior
Of Gen. Grant, who "has always obeyed Or
ders." Gen. Mcclellan seems to have al
ways considered himself success, whereas
the country regarded him Us an experiment,
and to-day the young Napoleon is disenchant-
cd. Suffice it to say that two representative
Generals have gsne out OF date for parallel
reasons we mean Gems. Mcclellan and Ere
mont. If there is a choice between them,
we think time has proved that the latter was
the most indispensable. Certainly no has
best preserved his self'respecs, albeit he never
knew how to obey events, and claimed the
peculiar privilege Of making his own csti-
mate Of his personal services.
1t is not little amusing to read the fol-
=. =,
lowing in the concluding pages Oh "eherai
mcoie'ians reports
I'm the arrangement anu oonuu'. VI CAM
pa'gns, the direction shou'd 10 ie'' 10 pro-
fessional soldiers. A statesman may. per-
haps, be more competent than soldier to de-
termins the political objects and direction Of
campaign; but these once decided upon
everything should be LETT to the responsible
military head, without interference from ci-
villains. In no other manner is success prob
able. The meddling Of individual members
Of Committees Of Congress with subjects
which, from lack of experience, they ore OF
course incapable OF comPrehending, and
which they are apt to view through tho as
tortcd medium OF partizan or personai pre)u'
dices, can do no good, and Is certain to pro-
duce incalculablc mischief"
The greater portion Of this statement is
truc. though its general spirit is too abso-
lutte, and its author means to imply that he
was sacrificed to the interference OF civilians
But We shall measure Gen. Mcclellan oy MS
own rule-a rule that should WORK oo'h
ways. Further, he says with what pro'un-
dity may be observed: 49,
~ believe that a necessary preliminary
IN the rc-eSsQOllSment OF tho Union Is the en-