The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-02-13


lief and support of INDECENT insane persona. being
put on its passage, the yeas and nays were ordered
and taken. The bill was pAsscd--ycas 81, nays 10
follows:
YEAs.-Nlessrs Badger, Baldwin. Bell, Baton.
Bcrrien, BorlAnd. Bradbur, base. csafts. hay,
Cooper, Davis Of Massachusetts, Dawson. layton,
Downs, Ewing, Greene. Hale. Hamlin. Miller, Nor
ton, Norris, Pearce, Phelps. Pratt, husk, seward
Shields, Smith, Soule, Spruance, sturgeon, Un-
derwood, Upham, and Wales-35
NAYS.-Messrs. Atchison, Cass, Davis oil Aissis-
sippi, Dodge of Wisconsin, Dodge OF Iowa, Feich,
Gwin, Houston, Hunter, Jones, King, Mason,
Rhett, Turney, Walker, and fulce-lo.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL
Mr. SHIELDS moved that the Senate take up the
Joint resolution authorizing the President to confer
the title of lieutenant general, by brevet, Tor emil
nent services He said that he desired vote upon
the resolution. He would make no speech himself,
and if others desired debate it, he would be will
ing to postpone it till some other day
MIR. TURNEY said that he was not prepared to
vote ON the resolution, and would desire that the
Committee on Military Affairs should explain the
necessity for comforting this rank at this time.
Mr.. SHIELDS said that if the resolution were
taken up, and debate should take place, he would
move to make it the special order for some early
day. The motion to take up prevailed-ayes q,
noes not counted.
MIR. ATCHIsON, by way ofobtaining a test vote,
moved that the resolution lie on the tables which
motion was disagreed to-yeas %, nays 2S-as fol-
lows:
YEAs.-Messrs. Atchison, Borland, Bradbury,
Cass, Chase, Davis of Massachusetts, Davis OF Mis-
sissippi, Downs, Fetch, Gwin, Hale, Hamlin,
Houston, Jones, King, Norris, Rusk, Spruance,
Sturgeon, Turnsy, Wales, Walker, and fu-
lee-23.
NAYS.-Messrs Badger, Baldwin, Bell, Ben
ton, Berrien, Butler, Clarke, Clay, Cooper, Daw-
son, Dayton, Dodge Of Wisconsin. Dodge of Iowa,
Ewing, Greene, Hunter, Mason, Miller, Pearce,
Phelps, Pratt, Rhett, Seward, Shields, Smith,
Soule, Underwood, and Upham-2s.
The Joint resolution was then read as follows
Joint resolution authorizing the President to con-
fer the title of lieutenant general by brevet for
ON nent services.
Resolved by the Senate and House Of Representatives.
of the United States Of america in Congress assem-
6led That tho additional grade Of lieutenant gene
raj be- and the is hereby, created in the army,
and that when in the opinion Of the President and
Senate il shall be deemed proper to acknowledge
eminent services of officers Of the army, in the
mode already provided for in subordinate grades,
the grade of lieutenant general may be conferred
by brcvet, and by brevet only.
MIR. HAh1LIN had voted to lay the resolution on
the table, and would vote against the resolution, be-
cause Congress had repeatedly voted down propo-
sition to create this grade in time Of war, and be-
cause there could be no necessity for il now in a
Mr.. RHETT would vote for the resolution on the
ground of the personal merits of General Scott,
upon whom he supposed the rank would be con-
ferred.
ton. Congress had expressed its high respect and
of General Scott's services in every possible
shape and form. General Scott now the high
est officer in rank in the army. This additional
grade could not increase his fame, the merits of
bis services. Moreover, he regarded this as but
entering wedge to the creation of other grades,
both in the army and navy; already it had been
suggested to make admiral5 In the navy, and he
expected the next would be 10 make the grade of
field marshal in the army
Mr.. TURNKEY. opposed the resolution, as con-
fcrIing q radk wholly unnecessary, -.
resolution, because of the gallant achievements aud
distinguished merits of General Scott. General
Scott had won this compliment from his country
by his services in Mexico; He would not have
voted to give him this rank before the war. He
considered this rank as but page in the historical
reputation General Scott had won for himself by
his brilliant achievements
Mr.. HALE was opposed to the resolution He
considered this rank wholly unnecessary to COM
pete the fame of General Scott. 1t at best but
an empty honor. He was nov at the head of the
army; no additional rank could make him higher.
always understood that major was above a lieu
tenant; and the unsophistcated might suppose that
by making the major general q Lieutenant general
his rank was reduced instead of being increased.
These were days of compromises; and he would say
to the friends of General Scott to look out and
if this were not compromise by which, in con-
sideraton of his receiving the rank and honors of
lieutenant general, he was to decline all preten-
sions to the post of commander -in-Chief
He thought that there was danger in this prece-
dent, and that recommendations Tor an increase OF
grades in the navy would follow. He passed high
encomiums upon the military deeds and services
of General Scott, and commended that Legislation
by Congress would add to the great reputation he
now possessed. The deeds of the heroes of anti
guilty live, but the empty honors paid them arc
forgotten The fame Of General SCOTS achieve
ments could not be increased by placing this reso-
luton the records of the Senate. Some years
ago a resolution was placed on the Senate records
condemnatory of the conduct of another dstin-
guished general and statesman. A subsequent
Senate ordered that black lines be drawn around
that resolution. And in a short time that rcsolu-
ton and the black lines around on the record Of
the Senate will be forgotten in the brilancy of the
life and career of him to whom they related.
Mr.. CLAY would have been content to have
given silent vote on this resolution, but the
of distinguished officer had been drawn unneccs-
sarily, he thought, into the debate. There was
nothing in the resolution to authorize Senators to
indicate any particular individual upon whom this
rank was to be conferred. The resolution simply
authorized the President to confer the rank, by
brevet for eminent services. II was objected to
because Congress. on a former occasion, had
fused to create this office while war was actually
existing. The proposition was rejected by the
Senate, but not till it had been approved by the
other House and it was only rejected in the Sen
ate by few votes At that time another individual
was named as the person to be appointed to this
that individual or of his qualifications for the post
of lieutenant general, but he had not done anything
in the field to entitle him to be appointed to the
office, according to the terms of this resolution,
WHICH provinces tudI inc rank 6udu DC conferred
only for eminent services, for great, brilliant,
patriotic military deeds upon the field of battle.
He considered that there no comparison be-
tween the two cases. Mr.. C.. alluded to the init
nations that increase of grades in the navy
would be likely to follow this precedent, and said
that ne nothing wrong in increasing the grades
Of our gallant army and navy to an equality with
the grades established in other nations
Mr.. DAVIS, Of Massachusetts,, said that, as the
passage of the resolution placed on the ground
of the merits of General Scott, he would vote for
the resolution.
Mr.. HALE followed in reply TO the Senator from
Kentucky, and in opposition to the resolution.
MIR. SEWARD advocated the passage Of the joint
resolution. Congress had always rewarded the
army and naval forces for their gallant deeds. He
thought the time had come when q national ac-
acknowledgement should be made to General Scott for
his eminent services. General Scott had achieved
distinction hitherto unknown in the history of the
country. He carried the war successfully to the
gates Of the city Of Mexico; he conquered the
try, and restored peace. After having done this
he suspended from his command, and the army
was placed under the command OF another. lie
came home under the implied censuro Of his Gov