New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-22

GENERAL HCLELLAN AS Il CAND1DH If.
Some of the Democratic orators over in New
jersey, who have been making d business OF
ratfying the nomination of General Mcclellan,
seem to have taken pains to select the mill
tary career of that circumspect warrior for the
theme of their most soaring flights. Now,
It is easy to understand why a Vulplne
statesman like the Hon. Leon Albeit, should
take this method OF doing his lucky competitor
a sly disservce but why any true friend OF
General Mcclellan should be anxious to re-
lindl4 into yyidness the smOuldOring mem-
cries of the wal and Of the campaign against
Lincoln in '64, is not so apparent. The sting
inc criticisms OF New-Jersey's greatest soldier
upon the conduct of the peninsular campaign
may have been 800 severe, but so long as
Phil Kearney's statue stands facing the Gov
crnors room in the State House at Trenton, it
will not be wise for General McClellans adj
bcrentS to insist that the living General was
right and the dead hero wrong. The country
has taken the measure Of General Mcclellan as
= soldier. ard although it now smiles at the once
noDular hallucmation that he was ayoung Napo-
leon, it looks back with charity upon hisialures.
I, il even willing to forget the worse than
failure of "a, when General Mcclellan had
the evil fortune to be used as the reprcSen-
tative of whatever of timidity and half
hearted loyalty and genuine treason there was
in the North which could he aIayed against
the steady purpose of Abraham Lincoln.
BIT General McClellan's friends who are
eyerlastmgly mailing up protests against
the revival OF dead issues, are strangely
ipdiscreot when they insist upon reopen
ing these questions for new discussion
l. is true that General McClellan's recent ca
reer presents few salient points which can he
utilized az texts for effective campaign adj
dresses. and there is little, either in his
natural aptitude or acquired fitness for
the Goyernorshp, to furnish subiect-matter
upOn which the orators can base any
argument which will tell upon the practical
and economical voters of New-Jersey. He has
proyed himself q rather expensive ornament
whenever he has been connected with public
undertakings He knows little of Ncw-Jersey
beyond what can he seen from the deck Of the
Stevens Battery, or along the railway from
Orange to HobOken. He knows nothing Of
her special wants. He is not acquainted with
the officials whose terms would expire during
his administration, if he should chance to be
elected, nor is he acquainted with others OF
their class from among whom their successors
must be selected. He is a stranger to every
body in the State outside of the small circle
of managers who have charge of him. All his
interests and associations are and have been
beyond the boundaries of the State and, al
though he is accidentally and technically
citizen, he is to all intents and purposes an
alien to the Commonwealth. But in spite of
r ~ - taNy l,., IL.
tion which does not commend him IA a prom
ising Executive, the orators can find some
thing to say for General Mcclellan, even if
hey drop the war, and leave 1t for history to
make some records which will prove sufficiently
disagreeable for General McClellan's friends
in after times. The orators can say,