Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-10-13
F. P. BLAlR'S ACCOUNT OF HIS INTERVIEW WITH
GENERAL MCCLELLAN
He Substantiates his Sons Statements.
Second Chapter from the Secret His
tory of the War.

tOry OI INC ware
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 6.
My DEAR SIR:-I once went huntings and
fired at a mischievous, chattering chip
munck, and found, when the smoke had
cleared away, that the chipmunck, although
badly wounded, made great pretence that
he was not hurt at all. But, strange to say,
when firing at the lesser game, had hit a
fox and that fox one of the most cunning,
destructive animals that had verinfested
the neighborhood. Would you believe it,
never stopped to listen to the chipmunck,
but loaded again for the fox.
Now, Judge, the moral: Without word
or an act on my part to justify it, you at
tackled me, and | responded. Although
winged, you declare you are not hurt; but
the President and Secretary, am informed,
are badly hurt, the latter mortally; the
former so much so that | shall let you flut-
ter until | try another. load. Look on,
Judge; be quiet. await your time; | have
ammunition for both the fox and the chip
munck.
In The Press, North American, and Enquirer,
and in all of the Republican newspapers
of the country, have found the following:
GENERAL NAGLEE's LETTER-oNE OF HIS
STATEMENTS ABOUT PRESIDENT LINCOLN
AUTHoRITATIvELY DENIED.
From the Ma ional Republican (0ficaD, Oct, 81
"The copperhead press of the country are
giving circulation to a letter addressed by
General Naglee to Hon. William ID. Kelley,
of Philadelphia, in which the author, speak
ing of General Mcclellan, makes the follow
ing statement:
$50 far as the objections to his military
qualifications are concerned, have only to
remind you that, within the last sixty days,
confidential friend of the President was
sent to offer him one of the most important
commands of the army. But this PROPOSE
ton was coupled with the most dishonor-
| able condtion-that he should decline to be
| candidate for the Presidency. General
| Mcclellan restrained his Indignation, and
| replied to the bearer of the message, go
| back to Washington, and say to the Presi-
| dent for me- that when | receive my official
written orders, he shall have my answer
"We are authorized to say that the Presi-
| dent has no recollection of sending any
message or messenger to General Mcclellan,
or of receiving any from him, at any time
since he was relieved of the command of the
| Army of the Potomac, and certainly none
such as mentioned in the published letter of
General Naglee. If the President sent a
message in writing, the writing can be pro-
duced; if messenger, he can be named.-
| Let either be done if 1t can"
To this answer, that before the assem-
bling of the Chicago Convention, about the
middle of August, the President sent one of
his old and confidential friends to propose
to Mcclellan, that if he would decline to be
candidate for the Presidency before the
Chicago Convention, and would consent to
throw the weight of his influence, with the
Democratic party, in favor of the Republic
can nominee, he should have any position,
civil or military, in the gift of the President
when reelected, and that the whole inf1u-
ence of the next Administration should be
thrown in his (McClellan's) favor for the
succession
Pardon me, Judge, but hold still just one
moment longer, that | may inform you,
that prior to this, there was written cor
respondence between the son of this conf
dental old friend of the President, and a
prominent Democrat making. substantially
the same proposition. Now, in connection
with the above, let me call the attention of
your friends to the following extract from
the published speech OF Hon. Montgomery
Blair, made since my letter to you of the
9th of September was written:
''On his (Valandigham's) motion, every
voice that had been raised to fury against
the nomination of Mcclellan was silenced,
and the vote in his favor made unanimous,
There was potent spell in his voice that
made cessation of hostilities,' "a conven-
|
independent, and Qudndom chief OF the
Federal army-(one whom to the last be-
lieye to be true to the cause In which his
country is embarked, and, may add, whom
| the President held to be patriotic, and had
concerted with General Grant to bring
again into the field as his adjunct if he
turned his back on the proposals of the
peace iunto at Chicago)-to lead the last
assault pressed by the Southern conspira-
tors, countenanced by foreign powers,
against the institutions of the country"
Let us rejoice. There is some hope for
our country. Let us rejoice that we have
found one honest man, one who would not
sell HIMSELF and betray his country, and
who amidst the most outrageous persecu-
tion that ever strong Government intlict-
ed upon a single, unsupported, inexperi-
enced Young officer, had the courage to re-
, sent a dsgraceful bribe and insult.
You have affirmed and reaffirmed that
General Mcclellan had no plan, and that,
finally, about the end Of February, in your
own words, Mcclellan had exhausted the
Presidents stock of patience; but that he
had in the kindness of his heart determined
to give General Mcclellan a chance to re.
deem himself from utter ridicule, and had
given him ten days in which to propose
plausible plan of campaign. 1t was ther
syou said he had no plan, and that wher
several of the promised ten days had passed
he was still without a PLAN" You further
saw that General Naglee received q com
milnication from Democratic Senator. Mr.
latham, of California, which let you (Gen
eral Naolee) know that General Mcclellan
was IN danger of removal, because he hat
stipulated to submit plan of campaign
"within a certain number Of days, ant