Evening star., 1895-08-03

the capture of Richmond.
OF the report Of thisieommission General
Mcclellan said 1t was. not true, and was
made in complete ignorance or willful
malevolence. and thatif the Secretary was
cess. 81
The Opinion of Lincoln.
While the President and Mr.. Stanton
constantly had before them the safety Of
Washington and the danger Of its capture,
Mcclellan was as constantly showing his
disgust for such craftsmanship, and said
that the force underl Mcdowell would do
more for the protection of Washington, If
sent to him by water; than in any other
position in which it could be placed. While
Mcclellan was thus dressing his demand
for Mcdowell, Jackson, that lion in battle,
swept down the Shenandoah valley from
Lee like cyclone. spreading consterna-
ton in Washington and confirming the
wisdom Of retaining Mcdowell. In tele-
gram to Mcclellan the President said: "If
McDoWelPs force was now out of our
reach we should be utterly helpless. APP
prehensions like this and no unwillingness
TO sustain you, has always been my reason
you"
General Mcclellan having told the Presi-
dent that Jackson had come back, and was
against him at the desperately fought bat
tie of Gaines Mill, the President tells him.
N you have had a drawn battle or a re-
pot potse oi IT. is the price we pay for the enemy
washington, and the enemy concentrated
on you. Had we stripped Washington he
wouid nave been upon us before the troops
could have got to you.'t
After McClellan's defeat he still called
not only for Mcdowell but for Pope's
entire army and said he did not believe
the enemy would trouble Washington SO
long as he had powerful army in the
vicinity of Richmond; that he did not
share the apprehensions for the safety Of
washington that were entertained by
great many. This was indicated in his
whole conduct. If there was any one thing
that was plainly seen in advance il was
that the taking of the army to the penin-
sula by water, instead of from Manassas
Where 1t was, was certain to invite, nay,
to compel interference from Washington.
That was inevitable and as far as l then
knew and now know such interference was
wise and best for the safety of Washing
ton.
When Mcclellan Was Anxious.
There was only one occasion when Gen.
Mcclellan expressed solicitude for the
safety Of Washington, and that was while
Pope was furiously fighting for its safety,
and Mcclellan was at Alexandria doing
nothing. 1t was on this occasion that he
told his wife that he did not regard Wash
ington as safe against the rebels and that
everything was uncertain and unsafe
the detaching of McDowelrs corps from
his command was the most Infamous thing
that history has recorded, because he was
then actually under fire at Yorktown But
history tells that his army-nearly one
hundred thousand strong. was under the
fire of about seven thousand Of the enemy
or this infamous thing he told his wife
that he had raised an awful row at Wash
ington.
In his demand for Mcdowell, he said that
there would be troops enough left to hold
the works against any force the enemy
could have brought and the more they
sent the easier would be his work in front
of Richmond. After receiving the Presi-
dents telegram about being helpless with
out Mcdowell, he wrote his wife that the
President was terribly SCARED about Wash
ington, ana he hoped heaven would save
him from such couEselsiand from Wash
inSton: that the scare would do them good
and bring them to their senses.
He characterized the cabinet as a crew
of ineompetents, Washington as the sink
OF 1niCuity and tho President as wretch
He, who was wonder in wisdom and
sound judgment. He.s who was a mystery
in goodness and in forbsarance He who
mad magnited his olfiices more than any
OF his predecessors and in my intelligence
and Judgment, more than all his success
ols. He. who was without envy which
Plato, in his philosophy, on the immor-
tahty OF the soul said; Forms no part in
the divine choir"
GllSSeS.
Gen. Mcclellan was newer known to give
correct estimate of Lees army. His
secret service must have been supremeiy
incompetent and worthless. for he advised
Mr.. Stanton that the enemy was always
and everywhere greater and sometimes
double in number his own army In the
Light of history these conditions never ex.
listed and there never was a time when the
Army of the Potomac under Mcclellan did
not largely exceed that of Lee. Gen. Grant
lot only always knew where 70 find the
enemy and what his force was, but he
knew what gen. Lee had Tor his d,aner,
when he wanted to know-if he had any,
thing t all to eat
After the defeat Of the army on the
peninsula AMI before its withdrawal to join
Pope there was terrible howl by the
friends of Mcclellan against Stanton, as
having been the cause Of his defeat and of
bringing on the then impending peril to
Washington. Having fun knowledge of
this the President. in a speech, at war
meeting in Washington, three days after
the order was given to bring that army
here, said: Il am very little inclined on
any occasion to say anything unless 1
hope to produce some good by it. The only
thing l think of just now not likely to be
better said by some one else is matter
in which We have heard some other per-
sons blamed for what l did myself There
has been very widespread attempt to
have some quarrel between Gen. McClel-
ian ana Inc secretary OF VA.
Now, 1 occupy position that enables
me to observe that these two gentlemen
are not nearly so deep in the quarrel as
some pretending to be their friends. tien.
McClellans attitude is such that, in the
very selfshness of his nature, he cannot
but wish to be successful, and I hope he
willard the Secretary Of War is IN pre-
clsely the same situation. If the military
commanders in the field cannot be sue
cessfui, not only the Secretary of War, but
myself, for the time being the master OF
both, cannot but be failures
Lfncoln's Terse Statement.
II know Gen. Mcclellan wishes to be
successful, and I know he does not wish it
any more than the Secretary of War and
both of them together NO more than wish
it. Sometimes we have a dispute about
how many men Gen. Mcclellan has had.
and those who would disparage him say
that he has had very large number. and
these who would disparage the Secretary
of War insist that Gen. Mcclellan has had
a very small number. The basis for this
is there is always a wide difference, and on
this occasion, perhaps wider one than
usual, between the grand total on McClel-
lan's rolls and the men actually mt for
61ty, and those who would disparage him
talk of the grand total on paper, and those
who would disparage the Secretary OF War
talk of those present fit for duty. Gen.
Mcclellan has sOmatimes asked for things