McClellan asked permission to be able to relieve "incompetent commanders of army corps". Lincoln waffled a bit but declined, asking "Do the Commanders of Corps disobey your orders in any thing?"
It should be obvious to you that when someone asks permission to do something, and their superior answers with reasons they shouldn't have this permission that the permission is denied. McClellan was denied in his request to have the authority to relieve "incompetent commanders of army corps." He did give (in the
accompanying order) permission to temporarily reorganise the corps without breaking the existing ones up.
Lincoln had spoken.
That McClellan is above Burnside is why he can arrest him if he has just cause, and prefer charges. However, he cannot relieve him otherwise because Burnside is ordered to that position by Lincoln, and Lincoln's order cannot be countermanded by McClellan.
I think the most instructive thing about this is what you are leaving out.
Lincoln sent a private letter to McClellan and it does
Major General McClellan. Fort Monroe, Va.
My dear Sir: May 9, 1862.
I have just assisted the Secretary of War in framing the part of a despatch to you, relating to Army Corps, which despatch of course will have reached you long before this will. I wish to say a few words to you privately on this subject. ...
The above is just Lincoln telling McClellan that he wants to brief him on the entire situation, to point out to him matters that McClellan seems totally about. In short, the above is just Lincoln saying: "
Heads up! Pay attention!".
The paragraph continues:
... I ordered the Army Corps organization not only on the unanimous opinion of the twelve Generals whom you had selected and assigned as Generals of Division, but also on the unanimous opinion of every military man I could get an opinion from, and every modern military book, yourself only expected. Of course, I did not, on my own judgment, pretend to understand the subject. ...
Those two sentences are just Lincoln making his motivation and reasoning in creating the Corps clear to McClellan. The word "
expected" was in the source I cut-and-pasted here; I suspect it should be "
excepted". It would make more sense that way, IMHO. In any case, McClellan had been opposed to Lincoln's action in creating the Corps. Like a few other generals (J. E. Johnston, for example) in the Civil War, McClellan seems to have felt that actions he did not like were blows against him personally. Lincoln seems to be making clear to McClellan that he was taking things in the wrong way.
The paragraph continues:
...I now think it indispensable for you to know how your struggle against it is received in quarters which we cannot entirely disregard. It is looked upon as merely an effort to pamper one or two pets, and to persecute and degrade their supposed rivals. I have had no word from Sumner, Heintzelman, or Keyes. The commanders of these Corps are of course the three highest officers with you, but I am constantly told that you consult and communicate with nobody but General Fitz John Porter, and perhaps General Franklin. I do not say these complaints are true or just; but at all events it is proper you should know of their existence. ...
Those few sentences show something very clearly: Lincoln thinks McClellan is either politically blind or a helpless neophyte. Lincoln is trying to explain to McClellan the big problems that McClellan is creating. Lincoln is telling McClellan that:
- McClellan is making enemies, big and powerful enemies
- the word around Washington is that McClellan is playing personal favorites. ("to pamper one or two pets")
- the word around Washington is that McClellan will not listen to "Sumner, Heintzelman, or Keyes", only to "Fitz John Porter, and perhaps General Franklin".
- Lincoln has not decided this is all true, but McClellan better wake up and pay attention.
The paragraph finishes:
... Do the Commanders of Corps disobey your orders in any thing?
Here is the direct point. Lincoln wants to know is McClellan has an actual , tangible cause to complain and/or relieve these (so far unmentioned by McClellan) commanders. If McClellan does have real complaints, here is McClellan's opportunity to respond. Since Lincoln actually asked this question, the implication is that Lincoln would back McClellan if he can just present some solid basis for his relief of these generals.
Next paragraph:
When you relieved General Hamilton of his command the other day, you thereby lost the confidence of at least one of your best friends in the Senate. ...
Lincoln is telling McClellan that he lost a friend and gained an enemy when he relieved Hamilton. Lincoln got a delegation from the Congress bringing a petition to re-instate Hamilton signed by 23 Senators and 84 Congressman over that move. Yet Lincoln stood strong and supported McClellan in that, easing Hamilton on to the Shenandoah and then the West. Lincoln has already told McClellan about that -- and now McClellan is trying to make even a bigger mess by relieving Corps commanders. No wonder Lincoln thinks McClellan is politically clueless (or maybe just too arrogant to figure this out without clear direction).
The paragraph finishes:
And here let me say, not as applicable to you personally, that Senators and Representatives speak of me in their places as they please, without question; and that officers of the army must cease addressing insulting letters to them for taking no greater liberty with them.
This is Lincoln telling McClellan (the boss telling the subordinate) that his people are back-room politicking and feuding with Congress, causing great turmoil and problems. Lincoln wants it stopped ("
officers of the army must cease addressing insulting letters to them"). He wants McClellan to stop it in the Army of the Potomac (why else is he telling it to him?)
The next paragraph:
But, to return, are you strong enough, even with my help-to set your foot upon the necks of Sumner, Heintzelman, and Keyes all at once? This is a practical and very serious question for you.
This is Lincoln telling McClellan to think about this matter before proceeding. Lincoln is asking:
Does McClellan really think he can win a fight with the Congress? Lincoln sees a showdown coming and wants to be sure McClellan is not blind to what he is charging towards --the sort of warning a politician only gives to someone they think is too think to see what they are doing, or too arrogant for their own good.
The final paragraph
The success of your army and the cause of the country are the same; and of course I only desire the good of the cause.
Yours truly. A. LINCOLN.
All of that is good and helpful advice, explanatory background that you seem to have missed completely. If McClellan wanted to relieve one of those five Corps commanders, he needed to explain it to Lincoln. If he made a good enough case, it looks like Lincoln would have supported McClellan. The problem is that McClellan wants free rein, wants to "hire and fire" without explaining himself (as is obvious from the Hamilton case on April 30 and the Lincoln-McClellan dialogue that followed).