The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-08-17

over made TO him By national authority
giving even . hint Of the grounds on
| which fo- half year ho was pill
| hried before tho country as a malefactor.
The wound which Gen. Stone received was
| Deep From some motive. the source OF which
| will probably remain q mystery. his porsecu-
ton continued in many petty and offensive
ways. until he was finally driven. toward tho
close OF the war. whom he saw that he could DO
| no longer useful to his country. TO tender his
resignation. II waa promptly accepted. Hs
found abroad the respect and consideration
which had been denied him at home. and for
many years he was Chief Of tho General Stan to
tho Khsdivs OF Egypt" Mr.. Blaine has earned
the gratitude Of every trus-hearted American
for this act OF atonemsnt for tho wronI done to
brave soldier He does not omit to note that
throughout the ordeal Gen. Stones bearing
was soldierly. He faced accusation with
eQuanimity and endured suffering with for
tltude. He felt confident Of ultimate JUS
tice. for he knew that 1t Is not the manner Of
his countrymen to deliver any man to die be-
fore that he which is accused have the acoussrs
face to face and have license to answer for
himself concerning the crime laid against
him."
We are sorry that Mr.. Blaine 10 not moved to
donounce with equal indignation ono Of the
most disgraosful exhibitions OF envy injus-
tice. and ingratituds known to history--the
peremptory removal OF Gen. Mcclellan from
command Just after he had saved tile Union on
the field Of Antietam. Hs admits indeed. that
Gen. Mcclellan fought that nome ntous battle
under extraordinary embarrassment. caused
by the nntecedent surrender OF Harpor's Ferry
to the Confederates. with a loss to the Union
army OF more than twelve thousand men.
Could he have had the advantage OF this
force on the battlefield under Q competent
commander at tho critical moment. his
victory over Leo might have been still more
decisive. His success however. was OF over
wheming Importance to the national Govern
mont. and put stop to an Invasion Of Penn
sylvana which might have been disastrous In
tho extreme" When we recall that tho order
directing the man who literally snatcbsd the
North from ruin. to surrender the command OF
the army to Gen. Burnside tsave the mark D
WAS issued only seven weeks after his
priceless service. we cannot but feel
that Mr.. Blaine might have found moro
apt and trenchant terms with which to express
his criticism than tho somewhat chill acknowl-
edgment that tho time OF removal was not
opportunely selected by tho Administration"
A little later. however. tho author adds with less
reserve that He McCellanl had rolled back
the tide OF invasion by q great battle. in which.
for tho first time. the army Of Lee had been
beaten. He was now marching forward with
his army strengthened for another conflict. and
without explanation to the country or to him
self was deprived OF his command. A large part
OF the people and Of the public press and an
overwhelming majority In the army were dis
satisfied with the act. and believed that 1t would
entail evil consequences" 1t is gratifying to
seq the fact imbedded in a history OF so much
Arstv l,.~I.
the army" wero incensed by MIR. Lincoln's
treatment OF Gen. Mcclellan. and we should
have been glad to see Mr.. Blaine reconcile this
fact with the pretended record furnished by
Republican returning boards Of the votes cast
by soldiers of the Army OF the Potomac at the
Presidential election Of 1864.
Impartial students OF the war will be pleased
to SEQ that Mr.. Blaine places tho responsibility
for tho failure OF tho Peninsula campaign
where 1t undoubtedly belongs. viz. on tho
shoulders Of the authorities at Washington.
Promising that whore military critics have
widely differed. civilians may assert right to
personal Judgment he announces his convic-
ton that the withdrawal Of McDowell's CORPS
was n fatal blow to Mcclellan" Tho statement
OF facts by which he enforoes this conclusion
will be found unanswerable. when Con. Nc
Dowell was turned back from fredericksburg
wall Jackson in tho Shenandoah valley. ho was
doing precisely what the President of the Con-
federate States would have ordered had he
been able to issue tho orders OF tho President
of the United states. Mcdowell saw the blum
der. but his directions were peremptory and
nothing was left but to obey. He trlegraphed
to tho Secretary OF War. Tho Presidents
order Is crushing blow to u.s. Mr. Lincoln
personally and Immediately replied to Gen.
Mcdowell Tho change ia as painful to
me as 1t can possibly be to you or
to any one Mcdowell then ventured
TO argue the case with the President. He dis
tincty told Mr.. Lincoln that he could effect
nothing In trying to cut of Stoncwall Jackson
In the Shenandoah valley. l SHALL he con-
tinued gain nothing for you there and shall
lose much for you here. 1t is. therefore. not
only on personal grounds that have heavy
heart in this matter. but feel that it throws
us all back. and from Richmond north we shall
have all our large mass paralyzed. ard shall
have to repeat what We have Just accom-
plished.' Conclusive as the reasoning
OF Gen. Mcdowell seems. 1t did not move Mr..
Lincoln from his purpose: and the heavy rc-
enforcement which WAS then within three days
OF the point where it could most effectively aid
Mcclellan WAS directed to n hopeless and USE
less pursuit. Had Mcdowell been allowed to
proceed as no desired and rs Gen. Mcclellan
confidently expected, he would have reinforced
the Army OF the Potomac for an attack ON Lee
while Stonewall Jacksoh's corps was in the
Shenandoah valley. BY the unfortunate diver
sion ordered by Mr.. Lincoln precisely the To-
verse occurred. Stonewall Jnckson's corps mr.
rived before Richmond In season to aid In de-
feating Mcclellan. while Mcdowell. with his
splendid contingent. was aimlessly lettering in
a distant part Of Virginia"
In the extracts just quoted Mr.. Blaine dis
cusses the two great crises OF McClelun's
military career from the point OF view
Of an unbiased. independent thinker,
"hen therefore. he sums up his opin.
ION OF that eminent commander we arc not
prepared to ind him influenced in some
degree by unfr!endIy critics. and inclined TO
ao"'iiV ms praise with restrictions and abate-
ments which are not borne out by any OF the
facts previously SGT forth a., ornr,i..,