The Indianapolis journal., 1885-05-27
MCCLELLAN AND STANTON.

MCCLELLAN AND STANTON.
Few "Reminiscences Called Out by the
Century Article.
The Hour. New York.
General McClellans recent article on 'The
Peninsular Campaign" in a popular magazine,
has reused the ire of great many people, not
so much because OF its savage attack upon the
late Secretary Stanton as because of its imputa
tons upon the memory of President Lincoln.
According to Mcclellan, Lincoln was putty in
Stanton's hands, while Stanton was the bitter
enemy Of the young soldier who now, late in
life, seeks to defend himself by attacking others.
McClellans charge is that, in order to destroy
him, Stanton wickedly withheld reinforcements.
preferring to sacrifice army rather than that
its commander should achieve success. This
charge is one that is too great tax upon the
creduity of all honest men, No American will
believe that any Secretary of War could do any
thing so Infamous The simple fact is that Nc
Clellan was not equal to his opportunities, and
now, after the lapse of quarter of century,
when the charge can be made with impunity, so
far as Stanton and Lincoln are concerned he
comes forward to rescue his own military repu-
tation by imputing an infamous crime to Stan
ton.
Every American who was of age in the sum-
mer of 1861 cannot fail to recall the universal
satisfaction that was felt in McCellan's appoint
ment to the command of the Army of the Po-
tomac At that time not one Of our commanders
had proved himself great soldier. Only one
important engagement had occurred, and that
had brought disaster and disgrace upon the Union
arms But in the mountains of West Virginia
young Mcclellan had made two or three brilliant
dashes upon the enemy that had given the coun-
try renewed lfe and raised him to the chief
command of our armies Mcclellan was at once
accepted as young Napoleon by the army and
the people. The soldiers gave him their hearts
to man. AS by a common impulse the whole
country gave him it's confidence. Never was a
commanding officer more fortunate. He was the
idol of the men, who expected him to
an assurance of triumuh to the
whole country. That he would succeed was
never doubted for moment. The war poets
sang his songs of triumph before he fought a
battle or seemed disposed even to seek the ene-
my. His military genius was sentiment
There was no ground for it except in the fact that
the country was looking for leader and be-
heved it had found him in Mcclellan. 1t was a
dangerous eminence to which the young com
mander was raised as in moment Of inspiration,
and his great responsibility made Mcclellan tim
id, when it should have made him strong.
How the golden days of the autumn of 1861
were frittered away most of us can recall Nc
Clellan's camp was only camp of instruction.
The American yeoman was turned into toy SOL
dier, seen at his best on dress parade That
there was an enemy in the front was admitted
but he was an enemy that was to be treated
with extreme tenderness. If, perchance, there
SnOulu De DatJle 1t was TO De q DatGle Win as
little bloodshed as possible. Thus the golden
days of the autumn of 1861 were
passed. and the winter came and went
without blow being struck. Our young Napo
leon was no Napoleon at all-his policy was the
policy of mastery inactivity. In the meantime
Edwin NJ. Stanton had been called to the War
Department. Stanton was a man of strong
brain, of imperious will. To him not even Nc
Cellan could be god unless his claim to god
ship was supported by godlike deeds That
of McC ic ohcur
There could be no rivalry between them in the
nature of things But in the early spring Of
1862 Stanton insisted first that Mcclellan must
move upon the enemy. When the movement
equipped army ever seen on this continent had
been kept at bay for months by wooden guns
and bogus batteries. Our young Napoleon had
allowed himself to be fooled by trick that
would never have deceived real soldier The
enemy being gone, there was no help for it but
to follow Instead of going overland, as Grant
went two years later, Mcclellan chose to go by
sea. This would leave Washington exposed if
the entire army was carried to the James.
Stanton would not take the risk of allowing
should our young Napoleon be fooled again by
wooden guns and bogus batteries. Had Wash
ngton been left defenseless Mcclellan might not
have been beaten on the peninsula, for it would
not have been worth the enemy's while to beat
him. The Confederacy would have succeeded by
the skiliful application of McCellan's principle
of warfare-fighting battles without shedding
blood; gaining bloodless victories because the foe
was somewhere else
There is probably no such story of shame in
all the annals OF modern warfare as that of Me
Clellan's peninsular campaign. More men died
from the fever OF the swamps than the shots of
the foe When the fight came, army WAS
hurled against defenses that we're impregnable.
only to be hurled back again in defeat and dis
honor. What had begun with boast ended in
a rout 1t was not a time place for rein
forcements, for the greater the army under Nc
Clellan!s command the greater must his discom-
future have been. Had Mcclellan been
allowed his way at that time the Republic would
have been overwhelmed, and General McClel-
lans feebleness as soldier the cause of its
downfall And yet, after the lapse of nearly
world believe that the wisdom that saved the
Union was only the personal hatred of giant
toward pygmy-that Stanton was willing to
sacrifice great army in order to DESTROY it's
littlo commander. 1t is too late in the worlds
history for any such tale as this Slowly but
surely Mcclellan has fallen in the esteem of
mankind as soldier. His exaltation was acct
dental, spasmodic. His supposed military ee-
MUS long ago came to be recognized as natural
hallucination. In soldier it is deeds not
words, that give military renown. He was un-
sank out of sight We confess we are sorry to
hear a soldier thus talk of scars who never felt
wound. 1t would have been better for General
McClellans reputation if he had let history tell
its story in its own way.
Ingersoll on Politics.
Interview in Minneapolis Tribune.
''How do you regard General Logans re- cleo
to the Senator