The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-11-01

spicuous fguresof the war for the preser-
walton of the Union-next to General
Grant the most conspicuous figure on the
Union side Few men have had stauncher
friends or more bitter and persistent enc
mics than General Mcclellan. Ga one
hand it is claimed that he coald have
ended the rebellion, but would not; on the
other that he would but could not because
he was hampered by politicians who had
favoriies 10 reward and contractors who
cared not how blood-stained was the
money that flowed into their Golfers.
Much may be said on either side and
careful aud dispassionate review of the
evidence leaves the disinterested observer
biased in General McClellan's favor. 1t
may be that he was too cautious but that
is creditable fault. If General McClel-
Ian failed on the score of hesilancy it may
be urged that he had brilliant examples.
General Scott was cautious soldier, and
that he influenced the early career of Gen
eral Mcclellan to a great degree is I'M
questionable. The contest between Gen
eral Mcclellan and General Grant was
much the same as the contest between
General Taylor and General Scott in the
Mexican war. Both were intrepid soldiers
but their methods we're widely different.
TAYLOR dashed in with hot-headed bravery,
won the victory and then sat down to
count the cost. Nor did he seek to spare
himself. Scott counted the cost first and
achieved his victories with the least eX-
perditure of force and waste of life posi-
BILE. In their more restricted field of
operations they were as prominent as the
two men who so closely resembled them
in after times That General Mcclellan
might have crushed the rebellion in the
time that he spent on the peninsula is
possible, but it is matter that can never
be fully determined. He might have hurl-
ed his forces on Lee in front of Richmond
with success-and he might have courted
disaster. The Army of Virginia in its in
trenchments in 1862 was not the Army of
Virginia in the Wilderness or at Apo.
mattox, When it was conquered it was
overwhelmed by sheer force and when it
finally succumbed it was broken in spirit
and almost absolutely devoid of supplies.
But granting all that was charged against
him, it was, at its worst, only an error of
Judgment That he was soldier by in
stinct his record before the rebellion will
prove. And if he never did anything else
his achievement at Antietam entitled him
to the gratitude of the nation. On that
field he took Hooker's broken, dispirited
forces in hand, rallied and turned them
upon a foe flushed with success, and in a
moment changed defeat into victory.
And just there is where the charges of
malevolent political influences find their
surest grounding. Because Lee was al
lowed TO escape across the Rappahannock
Mcclellan was bounded as traitor until
his removal was effected The men who
would have had him pursue Lee forgot, or
did not choose to remember, that the army
was in no condition to pursue the enemy.
1t had exhausted itself in the splendid eff
fort it had made under the inspiration of
the name of Little Mac" and it was for
the time an inert mass. 1t had saved
Washington and sent Lee back into Vir-
ginia and for the time the nation was duly
grateful. But its gratitude was short
lived and thanks were soon replaced with
inyective. 1t was at this time that Nc
Clellan demanded more men and was told
in effect that he had enough by Halleck,
one of the best engineers and worst
soldiers the regular army ever knew.
History will probably do General McClel-
AN justice in good time For him the
battle is over He is indifferent now to
the justice or injustice of hisItreatment
but he has left friends to whom his reputa-
ton is heritage. 1t should be gratifying
to our State pride to know that General
McClellan's remains are to be inferred at
Trenton. The funeral will take place to-
morrow.