Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-12
THE "OTHER SIDE
GENERAL McLrLLASs OPINION or
SOME OF HIs suBoRpINATEs.
Spicy TRANSFORMATIONS Of the Leading
Spirits In the Civil War-one Of
Iincoln's Stories. {

General McClelIan's "Osn Story"
which has been published by C,ares
l.. Webster 4 Co., contains much mat
ter likely 10 lead to lively controversy,
as the following extracts will show:
HALLECK.
OF all men whom have encountered
in high position uslleck was the most
hopeltssly stupid. Ii was more Diff
cult TO get 40 ides through his head
than can be conceived by any one who
never made the attempt. | do not
link be ever bad correct military
i6ea from beginning to end.
WHAT STANTON SAID or HALLECK
Speaking of Bsl)eck, day or two be-
fore be arrived in Washington, Stanton
came TO caution me against trusting Hal
leck. who was, he said, probably the
greatest scoundrcl and most bareftced
villain in America. He said tha, he was
totally destitute Of principle, and that IN
the Almsden Quicksilver case he had con-
victsd Hslleck Of perjury in opeh court
When IIalltck arrived, he came to eau
ton me against Stanton, repeating al
most precisely the same words that
Stanton had employed.
WHAT PROFESSOR DAVIES is SAID
TO HAVE SAID.
DO not base my assertions as to the
motives Of the Radical leaders upon
mere surmises, but upon facts that have
frequently come to my knowledge during
the war and since. For instance, Major
Charles Davies, once professor OF ms.h'
ematics at West Point. told me, and at
q different time told General Joseph Il.
Johnston, the following story; He
said that during the very early part OF
the Peninsula campaign he was one OF
q commission sent from New York to
urge more vigorous action in supporting
me. They called upon the President,
and found Mr.. Stanton with him. In
reply to their statement OF the purpose Of
their visit, Mr.. Stanton stated that the
great end and aim of the war was to
abolish slavery. To end the var before
the nation was ready for that would be
failure. The war must be prolonged and
conducted so rs to achieve that that the
people Of the North were not yet ready
to accept that view, and that it would
not answer to permit me to succeed
until the people bad been worked up to
the proper pitch on that question that
the war would not be finished until
that result was reached, and that, there
fore, twas not their policy to strengthen
General Mcclellan so as to insure his
success.
STANTON.
had never seen Mr.. Stanton, and
probably had not even heard Of him
before reaching Washington in 1861.
Not many weeks after arriving | was
introduced to him as q safe adviser on
legal points. From that moment he
did his best to ingratiate himself with
me, and professed the warmest friend
ship and devotion. had no reason to
suspect his sincerity, and therefore be-
lieyed him to be what he professed.
The most disagreeable thing about him
was the extreme yiruleDce with which
be abused the President, the Admins
traitor, and the Republican party. lie
carried this to such an extent that |
was often shocked by it.
lie never spoke of the President in
any other way than as the original
gorilla" and often said that Du Chaillu
was a fool to wander all the way to
Africa in search Of what he could so
easily have found at Springfield, Ill.
Nothing could be more bitter than his
words and manner always were when
speaking Of the Administration and the
Republican party. He never gave them
credit for honesty or patriotism, and
very seldom for any ability.
At some time during the autumn Of
1861 Secretary Cameron made quite an
abolition speech to some neTly.srriged
regiment. Next day Stanton urged me
to arrest him for melting to insubordi-
nation. lie often advocated the pro-
priety of my Selling the Government
and taking affairs into my own hands.
ONE OF LINCOLN's STORIES.
Officially my association with the
President was very close until the Sc
we're attack of illness in December.
1861. / was often sont for to attend
formal and informal Cabinet meetings,
and at all hours whenever the President
desired to consult with me on any SUBJ
iect; and he often came TO my house,
frequently late at night, to learn the
last news before retiring. His fame as
a narrator OF anecdotes was fully de-
served, aud be always had something
opropos on the spur Of the moment.
Late one night when be was at my
house ! received telegram from an Of
ficer commanding a regiment on the
upper Potomac. The dispatch related
some very desperate fighting that had
been done during the day, describing II
p,gniloqusnt terms the severe nature
Of The contest, fierce bayonet charges
etc and terminated with very smal
bst Of killed and wounded, quite out o
proportion with his description of th'
struggle.
The President quietly listened to M
reading Of the telegram, and then sait
that 1t reminded him Of notoriou
liar. who attained such reputation q
an exsggerator that he finally instructe
his servant to stop him when his tongu
was running too rapidly by pulling HI
coat or touching his feet One day to
master was relating wonders that b
had seen in Europe, and described
building which WAS about mile lon
and . half-mile high. Just then th
servants heel came down on the nara
tors tees, and he stopped abruptly
One of the listeners asked how broa
this remarkable building might bs
The narrator modessly replied: "Abor
q foot J"
! think be enjoyed those things quit
% much as bis listeners.
A VERY "UeLY MATTER"
It was part of Mr.. Stauton's pol
cy-only too well carried QUITO pr
vent frequent personal interviews b
tween the President and myself. II
was thus enabled to say one thing
/ the President and exactly the opposi