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

lief and support of INDECENT insane persons, being
put on its passage, the yeas and nays were ordered
and taken. The bill was passed--yeas 35, nays 10 |
follows
YEAS.-Messrs. Badger, Baldwin, Bell. Benton,
Berrien, Borland Bradbury, Chase, Clarke, Clay, |
Cooper, Davis of Massachusett Dawson, Dayton, |
Downs, Ewing Greene, Hale, Hamlin, Miller Nor |
ton, Norris, Pearce, Phelps, Pratt, Rusk, Seward,
Shields, Smith, Soule, sPruance, Sturgeon, IN
derwood, Upham, and Wales-35
NAYS.-Messrs. Atchison, Cass, Davis Of Missis-
sippi, Dodge of Wisconsin, Dodge of Iowa, Felch |
Gwin, Houston, Hunter, Jones, King, Mason,
Rhett, Turney, Walker, and fulce-l6.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL.
Mr. SHIELDS moved that the Senate take up the |
Joint resolution authorizing the President to confer
the title of lieutenant general, by breve, for emil
nent services. He said that he desired vote upon
the resolution. He would make no speech himself,
and if others desired 10 debate it, he would be will
ing TO postpone IL 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 test vote
moved that the resolution lie on the table; which
motion disagreed to-yeas %, nays 2S-as fol-
lows:
YEAs.-Messrs Atchison, Borland, Bradbury,
Cass, Chase Davis of Massachusetts, Davis OF Mis-
Houston. Jones, King, Norris, Rusk, Spruance,
Sturgeon, Turney, Wales Walker ana iu-
lee-23.
NAYS.-NIessrs Badger, Baldwin, Bell, Ben
ton, Bcrren, 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
EN- nent services
Resolrfd butie Senate and House Of Represe natues
of the United States Of America Congress
6ied That the additional grade of lieutenant gene
raj be, and the same 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 brevet, and by brevet only.
MIR. HAMLIN had voted to lay the resolution on
the tai BILE, and would vote gainst the resolution be-
cause Congress had repeatedly voted down propo-
stion to create this grade in time of war, and be-
| cause there could be no necessity for 1t now in
| time of peace.
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.
| Mr. ATCHISON would vote against the resolu-
ton. Congress had expressed its high respect and
sense of General SCOTS services in every possible
| shape and form. General Scott was now the high
est officer in rank in the army. This additional
grade could not increase his fame, or the merits of
his services Moreover, he regarded this as but an
| entering wedge to the creation of other grades
both in the army and navy; already it had been
suggested to- make admirals in the navy, and he
| expected the next would be TO make the grade Of
| field marshal in the army.
Mr.. TURNEY opposed the resolution,
fcrring rad1 wholly unnecessary
| MIR. BUTLER said that he would vote for this
resolution, because of the gallant achievements and
| distin gushed merits of General Scott. General
Scott had 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.
MIR. HALE was opposed TO the resolution He
considered this rank wholly unnecessary to COM
plete 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.
| Moreover, he now a major general, and he
| always understood that major was above a lieu
tenant; and the unsophisticated might suppose that
| by making the major general lieutenant general
| his rank reduced instead Of being increased.
| These days of compromises; and he would say
to the friends of General Scott to look out and
| if this not compromise by which, in con-
sideraton of his receiving the rank and honors of
| lieutenant general, he to decline all preten-
sions TO the post OF commander in chief
He thought that there was danger in this prece-
dent, and that rccommend a tons for increase OF
| grades in the navy would follow He passed high
| encomiums upon the military deeds and services
of General Scott and conended that no legislation
|
| now possessed. The deeds of the heroes of anti
| guilty live, but the empty honors paid them
| forgotten. The fame OF General SCOTS achieve
ments could not be increased by placing this
! luton the records of the Senate. Some years
| ago a resolution placed on the Senate records
| condemnatory of the conduct of another distin-
| guished general and statesman. subsequent
| Senate ordered that black lines be drawn around
| that resolution And in short time that resolu-
ton and the black lines around on the record of
the Senate will be forgotten in the briancy of the
| life and career of him to whom they related.
| Mr.. CLAY would have been content to have
given silent vote this resolution but the name
of a distinguished officer had been drawn unneccs-
sary, he thought, into the debate. There was
nothing in the resolution to authorize Senators to
indicate any particular individual upon whom this
rank to be conferred. The resolution simply
| authorized the President to confer the rank, by
brevet, for eminent services. 1t was objected to
because Congress. former occasion, had re-
fused to create this office, while war was actually
| existing. The proposition was rejected 10y the
Senate, but not till 1t 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
| office. He had nothing to say as to the merits Of
that individual, 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 provides that the rank shall be conferred
only for eminent services, for great brilliant,
patriotic military deeds upon the field of battle.
| He considered that there comparison be-
| tween the two cases. Mr. G.. alluded to the init
nations that an increase of grades in the navy
would be likely to follow this precedent, and said
that he nothing wrong in increasing the grades
of our gallant army and navy to an equality with
the grades established in other natons.
| 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 decide. He
thought the time had come when a national &C
acknowledgement should be made TO General Scott for
his eminent services General Scott had achieved
a dstinction hitherto unknown in the history of the
country. He carried the successfully TO the
gates of the city of Mexico; he conquered the
| try, and restored peace. After having done this
he was suspended from his command and thcarrny
was placed under the command of another. lie