Year: 1864

The reckless and unscrupulous means
resofted to, to influence and mislead the
public sentiment of the army on the po-
litical issues Of the day the destruction
and detention in repeated cases of mail
matter and documents sought to be sent
there, by those who oppose the political
course Of the present Administration; the
exclusion in numerous cases of Demo
cratic and opposition newspapers from
circulation within the lines of the army
the wholesale abuse and misrepresenta-
ton of the opposition in the Administra-
tiohjourDals principally circulating there,
and their suppression of facts damaging
to their own party and above all, the use
and abuse of the influence pertaining to
official position, have led the undersigned
to believe that a brief statement by per-
sons who are now or have been in the
army, Of the state of affairs in the North,
and confined to what are believed to be
undoubted facts, might not be without ef-
feet in presenting to their friends in the
army a correct view of the political is
sues to be voted on at the approaching
presidential election.


The North is almost equally divided
into two great parties supporting respec-
lively Mr.. Lincoln and Gen. Mcclellan.
We say almost equally, for of the States
which have held elections, two-Connccti-
cut and Pennsylvania are so evenly diyi
ded that both sides claim them, while in
the others-0hio, Indiana and Maine, the
Administration majorities have been SO
small compared with the total vote as to
be merely fractional. In the States which
have not voted this year the result is so
doubtful that no man can predict the re-
suit of the Presidential election with any
certainty. It is a matter Of serious mo-
ment then to know the true purposes and
views of this vast mass of the people,
who are dissatisfied with the present Ad-
ministration, and the reasons on which
their opposition rests.


It has been the constant effort of the
friends of the Administration to raise the
cry of disloyalty against this opposlon
In face of the fact that the candidate of
the party is General Mcclellan, who for
nearly two years was the trusted leader
of our armies, and in whose loyalty and
patriotism the confidence of the President
himself is still so entire that within the
last three months he was concerting meas
ures with Gen. Grant to recall him to a
high command in the army if he would
decline to run for President against him,
(as was stated in a public speech by a
member of the Cabinet-the Hon. Mont
gOmery Blair); in face of the fact that
thousands among the best officers and
soldiers in the army will be among his
supporters, this insolent chargeis persist
ed in. IF it could for an instant be prov
ed it would prove too much. Ifit were
in fact true, that not only the united
South, but also half the North and large
portion of the army, were hostile to the
Government, its cause would indeed be
hopeless. The story is too bald and sill
Iy for serious refutation. Both parties
equally declare for the Union as indis-
pensablej they differ only as to the means
Of obtaining it.


They tell you that the Democratic par
ty prOnounces your efforts in the field
failures. 1t is misrepresentation. Do
YOU think that General Mcclellan, who
organized the Army of the Potomac and
whose greatest fame is identified with it,
would pronounce the deeds Of his COM
rades, which have illustrated so many glo-
rious fields, failures2 What the party
does pronounce a failure, in speaking Of
d" four years failure to restore the Union
by force of arms" is the conduct Of the
Administration which should have reap
led the benefits of your victories by a pro