Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-06-01

Nv bIlHRs VIII uuNO ut cuut uuu 80 even Is " WIFI
the glorious achievements of our general. Time is
on the wing, and will not stay its flight; the sun
ns If frightened at the mighty events of the day
rides down the sky, and at The close of the day
when "lhe hamlet is STILL" the curtain of night
drops upon the scene,
aAnd glory like the phrnix in It's fires
Exhales its odors, bazes, aud expires
Such, sir, has been the experiences in war of the
gentleman from Michigan We know this from
the simple annunciation that he is and has been
hrigadGr of militia in time of pence And now
hnving II full understanding of the qualifications
OF our learned genera, 10th from study and prac-
tice, hope the House will see, thut il should give
its profound reflection to his discourses on the arr
of war. And this il will he more inclined TO-
when we take into view, that The gentleman has
III his review of General Harrison's campaigns
inodestly imputed TO The latter great mistakes, gross
plumbers, inbecilty, and even worse thpn this, as
shall sho " hereafter The force, too of the lee
tlre OF our learned md experienced friend from
Michigan, is certainly greatly enhanced, when we
consider another admitted fact, which is, that the
general whose imbeces and errors had not, like
the gentleman from Michigan, the great advantage
OF serving III watermelon campaigns, but only
fought fierce Indians, in the dark forests of the
West, under such stupid fellows rs Anthony
wayne, and wns afterwards appointed to the COM
niand OF large armies. by the advice Of such an
inexperienced hoy as Gov Shelby, the hero OF
Kings Mountain.
And now, Mr.. Speaker rs have the ,enerity
to entertain doubts mud with Difference 10 differ
in my opinions on this military question with the
gentleman from Michigan, desire to state few
historical facts, concerning General Harrison,
whom the general from Michigan has pronounced
incapable, inhecile and, as shall notice hercaf-
ter, something worse even than these. General
Harrison was commissioned by General Washing
ton an officer of the regular army of the United
STATES in the year 1871. lie served MS mid to Gen.
Anthony Wayne, in the campaign against the In
dians, which resulted III the hnte of the Rapids
OF the Maumee in the fall of 1894 Thus, in his
youth, he was selected by General WAYNE, as one
of his military family. And what did his youth.
ful othcer do IN Tint memorable battle Of the Rap
ids? Here, Mr.. Speaker, let me summon wit
ness merely to show how military men niay differ.
The witness call to controvert the opinion of The
gentleman from Michigan is Gen.Anthony Wayne.
I'm his letter to the Secretary Of War, giving an
account of the battle of the Rapids, he says:
"My faithful aud gallant Lieutenant Harrison rendered
The most essential services by communicating orders
every direction and BY his conduct and 6Taery excng
troops to press for victory"
sir, this evidence was given by General Wayne
IN the year 1894 some time imagine, before the
gentleman from Michigan was born, and long be-
fore he became II militia general, and long, very
long, before he perllsed the title page of Bar.
on Steuben MIR. Speaker, let me remind the
House, III passing, thai This hattie and victory over
the Indian forces of the Northwest, in which, nc.
cording to the testimony Of General Wayne
Lieutenant Harrison rendered the most essential
services, by his conduct and bravery" gave peace
TO an exposed line Of frontier, extending from
Pittsbnrgh to the southern borders of Tennessee.
IL was, IN truth, the close of the war of the Rev
ouion; for the Indians who took part with Great
britain III our Revolutionary struggle never laid
down their arms, until after they were vanquisled
by Wayne in 1884.
We now come to see something of the man, the
general whose military history our able and cxpe-
rienced general from Michigan has reviewed I'VE
know, that debates like this have sometimes been
had in the British Parliament. There, believe,
the discussion was usually conducted by those in
the House, WHO had seen, and not merely heard of
service. We all know that Colonel Napier has
in several volumes reviewed the campaigns OF
Wellington, aud criticised the movements and
merits of Beresford, and Sotlt, and Massena and
many others, quite, yes, say, quite us well known
III military history as any of It's, not even except
ing our general from Michigan. We respect The
opinions OF Napier, because we know he not only
thought of war, but IL t he fought too. We res
pect and admire that combination OF military skill
with profound statesmnnlike views, which we find
III Caesars Commentaries" because we know the
"mlghty Julius" was soldier, trained in the field,
aud inrrea 20 the accidents and dangers of war.
But. sir, generals of Congress require no such
painful discipline - give value 10 our opinions
We men of the lYh century know all things in
ART by nature. Yes, sir the notions of the gen
tlenan from Michigan agree exactly with II sage
by the name of "Dogberry," who insisted that
"readIng and writing come by nature" Mr.
Speaker, we have heard and read much of "the
advance OF knowledge, tn Improvement of the
species, ana The great march %! mind ;" but never
w now have we understood the extent of mean
ing in these pregnant phrases. For instance, the
gentleman FROM Michigan asserts that General
Harrison has "0nc of the qualities Of general,
BECAUSE Ut the battle Of Tppecanoe, he was found
at one time at distance from his tent, urging his
men on to battle. He exposed his person too
much, it seems lie should have staid ut his tent
aNd waited for the officers TO come 10 him for or
acrs. y FL, sir, see now to what conclusion this
leads us. Napoleon seized standard nj Lodi, and
rushed IN front of his columns, across n narrow
bridge, which was swep, by Il whole park of Ger.
man artillery. Hence, Napoleon was no officer
be did not know how TO command an army. lie
like Harrison, exposed his person too m1ch. Oh,
MIR. Speaker, what pity Tor poor Napo leon, that
he had not studied slenben aud sauglitered wal
erElcions with us natural-boln generals of III |
great aye OF The world! Sir, it might have alter
ed the map of Europe; nay, changed the desiinies
OF HE world
Again: Alexander ,he Great spurred his horse
foremost into the river, and led his Macedonians !
across the Grancus, TO rout the Persians who stood
lllll opposed Oh the other side Of The slream.--
True, this youth conquered the world, aud made
himself muster of what had constituted tho MeJe-
an, Persian, Assyrian, and Challean empires
Sill, according TO The Judgment OF US warriors Ivy
nature, the mighty Macedonian would huve con
suited good sense by coming here, it, indeed,
there were any here hereabouis in those days. and
studying, like my friend from Michigan first Tidd's
Practice, and Espinasscs Nisi Prius, and II hule
snatch of Steuben, and serving ms n general Of
militia awhile. Sir, Alexander the Great might
have mnde imam OF himself in the art Of war had
he even been member Of our Congress, and heard
us colonies discuss the subject OF an afternoon or
two Indeed, Alexander, or Satan, doubt not,
would have improved greatly in strategy by ub
serving, during this session. the tactics Of the Adj
minlstration party, Oh the New Jersey election
QnesIinn. Mr. Enenker. Ibis nllieclinn In n NON