ep
significance of Vallandigham's words may not have been fully
appreciated by the Committee;[998] but Tilden understood their
meaning, and vigorous opposition might have avoided them.[999] He
seems, however, to have shared the fear of McClellan's friends that
the defeat of the resolution would endanger the integrity of the
convention, and to have indulged the hope that McClellan's letter of
acceptance would prove an antidote to the Ohioan's peace-poison. But
his inaction did little credit either to his discernment or judgment,
for the first ballot for President disclosed the groundlessness of his
timidity,[1000] and the first work of the campaign revealed the
inefficiency of the candidate's statements.[1001] Indeed, so grievous
was Tilden's mistake that his distinguished biographer (Bigelow)
avoided his responsibility for declaring the war a failure by
ignoring his presence at Chicago.

[Footnote 998: "McClellan's supporters are not scared by any paper
pellets of the brain, wise or otherwise, which ever came from the
midnight sessions of a resolution committee in the hurly-burly of a
national convention."--Speech of Robert C. Winthrop in New York City,
September 17, 1864.--_Addresses and Speeches_, Vol. 2, p. 598.]

[Footnote 999: "When the resolution, as reported, had been debated in
the committee, Mr. Tilden, far from protesting, stated in the
convention that there was no dissent among the members. His remarks
were confirmed by Mr. Brown of Delaware, who said there was not the
slightest dissension, and by Mr. Weller of California, who said that
all were in favour of peace."--_Harper's Weekly_, September 9, 1876.]

[Footnote 1000: The first ballot resulted as follows: Seymour of New
York, 12; Seymour of Connecticut, 38; McClellan, 181. In the
adjustment, after the conclusion of the roll-call, McClellan had
202-1/2 and Seymour of Connecticut, 28-1/2. Vallandigham moved to make
the nomination unanimous. George H. Pendleton of Ohio was named for
Vice-President.]

[Footnote 1001: "McClellan's name, associated with a noble struggle for
the national cause, has elicited and will elicit the wildest
enthusiasm; but leagued with propositions for national humiliation, it
is not a name the people will honor. McClellan is not large enough to
cover out of sight the bad points in the Chicago platform."--New York
_Herald_, September 6, 1864.]

Meanwhile the cheers for McClellan that greeted the returning
delegates were mingled