Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-22

II should like to know whether you feel Sc
cure in Washington should this army be de-
stroyed. shall fight il as long as can get .
man to stand up to the work. You must Judge
wha, is TO be done, having in view the safety Of
the capital
This dispatch stunned Mr.. Stanton and over
whelned the President with apprehensions for
the worst The battle was over the day was
lost, and Lee was moving to cross the Potomac
above Washington.
TIE CABINET PROTEST AGAINST GEN. N GILLIAN,
~RITTEs BY The PRESIDENT HIMSELF.
Before this telegram Of startling warning
from Gen. Pope received the President had
determined 10 get rid of Gen. Mcclellan rs the
commander of the Army OF the Potomac, and
on the morning OF August 81, in Mr.. Stanton's
room at the War Department. he himself wrote
the following protest, TO be signed by his cab
met;
The undersigned who have been honored
With your selection as part Of your confidential
advisers. deeply impressed with our great re-
sponsthtlity in the present crisis, do but per-
form a painful duty in declaring to you our de-
liberate opinion that at this time 1t il not safe
70 intrust to Haj. Gen. Mcclellan the command
OF any army of the United States. And we hold
ourselves ready at any time TO explain to you
- N'tsl iAc iooSoAS uPSA "AAeA shA' oPAAAoAA 40
founded
ITO the President"
This paper has the autographs signatures Of
the Secretary Of War, the Secretary Of the
Treasury, the Secretary of the Interior and the
Attorney General It wns expected that the
Secretary Of the Navy would sign this protest,
and there is a space left for his signature above
that Of the Attorney General.
As have stated, il was not known in the War
Department until the close of that day that
Con. Pope's army had been defeated, and on the
receipt of his warning dispatch to the safety OF
the capital Col. Kelton, then Of Gen. Halleck's
stat, row commandant Of the Soldiers Home
at Washington, was sent over into Virginia to
ascertain the extent of the defeat of Gen. Pope,
and returning reported that it was complete
and the consequent peril to Washington.
The President. having been fully advised by
Col Kelton of the appalling situation of the
capital on the morning OF the I'd Of September
went 20 Gen McClellan's house Che then being
in Washington) ard put him in command of the
detenses of the capital and Of the troops then
coming into the city from his own and Pope's
armies. In the meantime the protest and all
that II meant vas on Mr.. Stanton's desk in the
War Department, never TO be made public
while the actors were living. / do not think
that the President came again to see Mr.. STAN
ton until after he had removed Gen. Mcclellan
from the command Of the army, which was
more than a month later.
-Hx FIEsr DRAFT.
The order Placing Gen. Mcclellan in COM
mand for the defense of the capital and the
stormy cabine: meeting resulting from such
action Of the President will presently state. in
connection with Mr.. Startons position in the
matter IL will be found interesting in this
connection to give here what history has to say
about a certain cabinet protest. not however.
the one which have given. OF this other and
similar protest l viii speak in future article,
and Of which Secretary Chase SAYS:
"On August 80 myself and Mr.. Stanton pre-
pared and signed paper expressing our judy
ment of Mcclellan. On suggestion Of Judge
Bates the remembrance against Gen. Mcclellan,
which had been previously signed by Smith,
was modified and having been further slightly
altered on nv suggestion, was signed by STAN
ton. Bates and mvsclf and sfterward by Smith.
Wollcs declined TO sign il on the ground that 1t
might seem Unfriendly to the President. though
this was the exact reverse Of its intent. He said
h. agreed in opinion and was willing to express
II personally. This determined us to await the
cabinet meeting
OF this protest Secretary Welles says:
But Pope was defeated and the army, sadly
demoralized. came retreating TO the Potomac.
The War Department. especially Stanton and
Halleck. became greatly alarmed. On the 3Oth
Of August, in the midst of these disasters and
before the result had reached US. though most
damaging information in regard to Mcclellan,
VINO fingered at Alexandria, current, tho
Secretary of the Treasury, Mr Chase, called
upon me with u protest, signed BY himself and
EtqurOr, ApDOnurIDU the Conduct N Gen Me-
Clellan and demanding his immediate dismissal.
Two other members were ready toappend their
signatures after mine. / declined to sign the
paper. which was in the handwriting Of Mr.. STAN
ton; not that did not disnpprove Of the course
of the general, but because the combination was
improper and disrespectful TO the President /
had doubted the wisdom of recalling the Army
of the Potomac from Richmond. the rein
differing from Chase and Stanton. The OBJ
iect in bringing that army back TO Washington
in order to start new march overland and re-
gain the abandoned position did not under
stand. unless it was TO get rid Of Gen. McClel-
Ian. The President never knew Of this paper.
but was not unaware Of the popular feeling
against that officer. in which he sympathized,
and Of the sentiments Of the members OF the
cabinet aggravated By the hostility and strong
if not exaggerated, rumors sent out BY the
Secretary of War. Both Stanton and Halleck
were. however, filed with approximations be-
yond others. as the army of stragglers and
broken battaliOns the last OF August and
first of September came rushing toward Wash
ington.'
In Abraham Lincoln-A History" re-
ferring to this protest and to the placing of
Gen. Mcclellan in command, it is stated:
The restoration Of Mcclellan to command
was Mr.. Lincoln's own act The majority of the
cabinet were strongly opposed to 1t. The Secre-
tary Of War and the Secretary OF the Treasury
agreed. upon the 29th of August, in re-
monstrance against McCleilan's continuance in
command in any army Of the Union. They re-
duced it to writing; ii was signed by them
selves ard the Attorney General and afterward
by the Secretary Of the Interior. The Secre-
tary 81 the Navy ccncurred in the judgment Of
his colleagues. but declined to sign it on the
ground that II might seem unfriendly to the
President. III the cabinet meeting OF the ID
Of September the whole subject was freely
discussed. The Secretary of War dis
claimed any responsibility for the action
Z taken, saying that the order to Nc
Clellan was given him directly by
the President and that Gen. Halleck considered
himself relieved from any responsibility by It,
although he acquiesced and approved the Or
der He thought that Mcclellan now In
position where he could shirk all responsibility,
shielding himself under Halleck. while Halleck
would shield himself under the President. Mr.
Lincoln took different view OF the Transaction
saving that he considered Gen. Halleck rs much
in command of the army as ever. and that Gen.