Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-11-17

ment would DO quite absurd to require such course of
General who has filed such relations to this war; and to
the objects and methods Of its prosecution as those in
which Gen. Mcclellan has stood 1t is obviously imposs
Die Tor him to light in of extermination of rapne
and devasaton of disregard of constitutional restraints
and Of violation OF constitutional rights. He is not sol
der OF fortune, but soldier of principle When he offered
his sword to the Government of his country he had right
to presume and did presume that the war would be pros
ecutsd for the simPe purpose Of the restoration of the
Union When this ceased TO be the course pursued by
the Administration he could voluntarily quit the SER
vice while there was hope that the people would inter-
vene and command return to constitutional and hu-
name and therefore effective policy. The people having
now endorsed Mr. Lncons Administration there can be
no longer any claim upon Gen. Mcclellan to continue
standing ready to serve Administration which has kept
him IN forced retirement for period of nearly two yearr
which dismissed him from active service with every mark
Of ndgny after he had saved the capital of the nation
from an invading foe and which has since that day
proposed to give him a command without coupling tho
proposal with the dishonorabe condition that he should
desert the political principles which he has always pro-
fessed, and on which he has always acted.
But if there are any who disposed to say that Gen.
Mcclellan should the country without identifying
the country with the Administration they will doubtless
DO able to see and to admit that his patriotism of that
quality which has always led him to separate the country
from the Administration, in considering what bis obga-
lions to the country embraced They must also that
ne alone can form safe judgment to his power to
the country under through Mr. Lncolns Government
II he satisfied that he longer be useful to the
country, now that the people have failed to command
change in its public councils the only reasonable inquiry
s whether he served the country faithfully and truly
long as he had the power, the chance of power
serve it at all On this point there be complaint
for no one, who considers that he possessed any fac
ulty for military service, will deny that he struggled long
and faithfully to use all that faculty for the public good
and those who deny him any faculty for military command
will certainyn object to his retirement Our opn-
ion Is that he could not again undertake to without
being followed into the field by the impedments to
his success those which have heretofore placed
his way and that he and tho country would under exist
ing circumstances be alike poweress to restrain those
who will consent to his further usefulness or dis
tncton 1t is with deep that we record these
convictions, but they indeibly impressed upon u.s.
We must reap what has been
Gen. Mcclellan will be followed into his retirement with
the gratitude the admiration, and the affection of millions
of his countrymen and when they have acquired the
of enabling him to be Of service to the country and
he is convinced that he do them any good cannot
be doubted that his patriotism will be found living virtue
as it has been.