The Washington herald., 1914-08-30


Fifty years ago today a national con-
vention of the Democratic party. as
sembled at Chicago. adopted a platform
on which Gen. George B. Mcclellan next
day was nominated for the Presidency,
which in substance declared the war q
failure
The plank thus defining the position Of
the convention was drawn by Clement L
VaIlandIgham. of Ohio. leader OF the
called peace Democrats. or Copper
heads" II did not represent the views OF
the wing of the party known as War
Democrats. but was accepted by them as
a compromise to secure the nomination Of
their candidate. Gen. Mcclellan. The
plank was as follows:
Resolved. That this convention does
explicitly declare, as the sense OF :he
American people. that after four years Of
failure TO restore the Union by the expert
ment of war. during which. under tie
pretense OF a military necessity. or war
power higher than the Constitution. the
Constitution itself has been disregarded
In every part. and public liberty and pri-
waite right alike trodden down and the
material prosperity OF the country essen
TALLY impaired, justice, humanity, liberty
and the public welfare demand that i'm
mediate efforts be made for a cessation
OF hostilities, with a view to an ultimate
convention OF the States, or other peace
able means, to the end that at the earliest
practicable moment peace may be re-
stored on the basis Of the Federal Union
of the States"
a Formidable Candidate.
The convention which adopted this
plank was a large one 1t had assembled
on the evening OF August - in the great
wooden structure at the corner Of Micht-
gan avenue and Park place, known as the
Coliseum.
1t was estimated that 25.OOO strangers
were attracted to Chicago by the con-
Yention, aside from the delegates. The
eyes of the country were focused on
Gen. Mcclellan. His relief from COM
mand by President Lincoln had become
the corner stone of the political structure
in which the former commander OF the
Army OF the Potomac stood.
Gen. McCIeIlan's friends.-and they were
many, for his personality was engaging
believed him martyr TO politics and ON
cial incompetency. who, had he been
given a free hand. would have ended the
war long before that date.
Gen. Mcclellan was immensely popu-
lar with the soldiers who had served
under him. He was an ideal soldier in
appearance, gallant in bearing. accom-
plished as a soldier in the art OF war
and eficient as a drill master. He had
created the Army of the Potomac, and
by organizing It well had laid foun-
dation for its successes.
His shortcomings as commander
and his deficiencies of character
among which was a dominating tend
ency to consider himself injured by his
superiors in authority-were not per
ceptible to his admirers. Gen Mcclellan.
therefore, was a formidable political
figure; far more formidable at the
hour the convention assembled to
nominate him than seems possible to-
day. He was the only man, probably,
on whom the War and Peace Demo
Gratis could have united as candidate
I'VE Can save the Union.s-
The convention, with 432 delegates
In attendance. was political phenom-
enon worthy of study. Every man who
II avowed his devotion to the
Union and sincerely believed that Lin
coins administration had failed In its
manner Of conducting the war,
Tha snaachaa NJ the .deleratea lfaanaad