The New York herald., 1864-10-01

warn the friends or Mr.. Humphrey to keep
their eyes open. or Chttenden may step In and
buy up enough Of the delegates to secure his
nomination. This is tho way in which all such
shoddyites operate st nominating conventions
now.
smotnsrsd Histsry-rhs Psniasals
Campsign.
Judge William d. Kelley. Of Philadelphia, In
speech delivered short time since, pretend
cd to give . little Of the real history of the
Peninsula campaign, and made casually very
dissgreeable statement In relation to General
Nagee. Gerecal Naglee has thus been called
out in his own defence, and In the letter
(printed In another co,umn). ia which he de-
nies Judge KeEey's misstatements. he enters
somewhat into the secret history Of the PENN
sula campaign, and details facts that the
country ought to know, but which Secretary
Stanton las hitherto been able to smother
General Naglae was connected with the Army
OF the Potomac, and was present at the council
OF war which decided IN favor OF tho Peninsula
route to Richncnd. He WAS even recorder of
that council, and must. therefore, be accepted
as good and competent authority on ali the
mates Of fact that came before 1t.
General Mcclellan proposed tue change of
base to Fortress Monroe and the Peninsula
iiue, and submitted it to council of
twelve generals Ia March, 1862 His
own mind was then already made up as to
The proprieiy of that line of advance.
He did not, therefore, cali the council to
resolve any doubts that he might have as
commander Of the army; but he called the
council as sort of jury to examine into his
merits and into the merits of his plan, and to
report to tie President whether or no General
Mcclellan was fit to command the army He
was then bitterly and brutslly opposed by
Stanton, at the head of the whole kennel Of radi-
Gals; and they had yelped against Mcclellan
with suct pertinacity OF noise that they had
made the President ''nervous" about trusting
Tim with the large force then in hand. Per-
ceiving this, the General preferred 10 try and
convince the President rather than send in his
res'gaation. That was his frst great error.
His resignation sent in then would have killed
Stanton at that time and forever. Or il 1t had
not absolutely killed Stanton tnen it would
have put the issue between the radicals and
Mcclellan tairiy before the country, aud
Stanton would have sunk long ago under the
weight Ut the tremendous misery that the per-
s.stence in his plan has cost the
country. General Mcclellan, having stated
hls case to The jury of twelve generals,
retired from the room and permitted that
case to stand its trial fairly. Eight of the
generals reported to the President in favor of
the plan and four against it. Secretary Stan,
ton argued all day to convince the eight gone
rails in favor of McCle.lan's plan that tney
worc fools After Secretary Stanton bad
talked all day on these military questions the
twelve generals entertained the same opinions
that they did before Secretary Stanton began
The four generals who voted against Mcclellan
were then immediately taken INTO favor, and
three Of the four were appointed to command
corps d'armee. Six of the eight who favored
McClellans plan have been since dismissed
from the army.
The President decided against Stanton and
the four generals that McClellan's plan should
be carried out He then Immediately took
away from Mcclellan one in every two OF the
soldiers who 1t had been proposed should carry
ont the plan, He did that to cooperate with
the commander OF the army in putting down
the rebellion. Thus, as the very inception OF
the Peninsula campaign was defeat and
humiliation to Stanton, he bitterly opposed it
and its originator from that day, and there
cannot be doubt that he did all that lay in
his power to prevent its success Every one
who desires to keep au fat with the great
events Of our time must carefully read General
Naglee's letter.