Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-01-29
LINCOLN AND MCCLELLAN.

The Patience of the President and the
ancompetency of the General.
Nicolay and Hay In the February
Century: With the exercise of very
little ssgacity, General Mcclellan
should have discovered from the tone Of
this dispatch that the presidents mood
was taking on certain tinge OF austerity
Nevertheless, he continued his prepara.
tlons at perfect leisure, and four days
atterward he sent long letter asking fol
definite instructions IN regard to details
of guards to be left on the upper
Potomac; TO which he received reply
thst "the government had intrusted him
with defeating and driving back the
rebel army in his 'front.'" and directing
him to use his own discretion as to the
matters in question. AS General Nc.
Olellsn had referred in his dispatch to
the probable march OF Bragg's army
eastward, General Halleck concluded
his answer with the significant infima-
ton: "You are within twenty miles of
Lee, while Bragg is distant about four
hundred miles,"
He finally got his army across the Po-
tomac on the lst OF Novem ber, 1t had
begun crossing on the 26th of October
and ss the several detaehments arrived
IN Virginia they were slowly distributed
on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge
under the vigilant and now distrustfnl
eye OF the president.
There is no doubt that the presidents
regard and confidence, which had with.
stood SO much from General McO cOlellnar,
wss now giving way. The president
had resisted in his behalf, for more than
year, the earnest and bitter opposition
of the most powerful and trusted friends
OF the administration. Mcclellan had
hardly supporter left among the re.
publican senators, and fsw among the
most promia emit members of the major
ity in the house OF representatives. In
the cabinet there was the same unen-
lmous hostility to the young general. In
the meeting of the I'd of September,
when the president announced that he
had placed Mcclellan in command oi
the forces in Washington, he was met
by an outbreak of protest and criticism
from the leading members OF the gov
eFnmens which might we'll have shaken
the nerves of any ruler. Bat the pres
ident stood manfuljy by his action. He
admitted the infirmities of Mcclellan
his lack of energy and initiative; bat for
this exigency he considered him the best
man in the service, and the country
must have the benefits OF his talents;
although he had behaved badly. We
need not refer again to the magnanim.
ity with which the president had over.
looked the insolent dispatches of Gen
eral Mcclellan from Seyage's Station
and Harrison's Landing. He closed his
ears persist4ntly during all the months
of the winter and spring TO the stories
which came to him from every quarte,
in regard to the tone of ieotious hos
tility to himself which prevailed at Mo
Olellsn's headquarters. But these
stories increased to such an extent dur
ing the summer snd autumn that even
in his mind, so slow to believe evil, they
occasioned some trouble. Soon after
the battle OF Antietnm an incident came
to his hearing of which he fsit himself
obliged TO take rotice, Major John j
Key, brother to Thomas nj, Key, of Mo
Olellen's staff, was reported TO have SAID
in reply to the question. put by a brothe,
Off er, "Why was not the rebel army
bagged Immediately after the battle
near Sharpsburg "That is not the
game. The object is that neither army
shall get much advantage of the other;
that both shall be kept in the field till
they are exhausted, when we will make
a compromise and save slavery" The
president sens an side-de-canp TO Major
Key to inform him of this grave charge
and to invite him to disprove it within
twenty -four rours. A few minntes after
this notice was sent, the msjor appeared
at the executive mansion in compan y
with Major Turner, the officer TO whom
the remarks had been made.