Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1860-08-01

81
Tbs foilowisg whteh - sale sru1 thsI
Ksokuk Iesynal, p4bljhsd s1the homs
Of CO.. Curtis, 10 sesesuziay sss up thsI
argsas assd IN wor II his
In this ssssion oil the Stsss,
that we transfer II 70 our columns, with
tae request thas all may read it, and con-
sider wslI the truths thsseirl contained.
sasofs casting HEIR yoss for Got. euxs
TN. II
INV Guas 0ssy Publishes ! lektar fr6
van fsaren county, urging ths rs-sIsetidk
81 Col. Curtis % Congress. The writes
claims the sapport Of tbs people Of this
district for Col. Carsis upon the ground
Of his great abilities, and his influence Id
prom oting the passage of the Pacific
Railroad Bill. The Gate Guy fully en-
dorses the views of its correspondent
Thus the friends Of Gel. Curtis chAllenss
an investigation Of the fact of his arr
ties and his probable influence In The 80
sage Of that bill. Nov, We most ches1z
fully admit the premises they assauA
namely, that no man Of inferior abilfs1
should be the leading Advoesss Of great
and momentous national measure like the
Pacific Railroad. It's ehia suppors upon
the floor Of Congress should be not only
man of superior general capacity, but an
able debater. The seheme Of Col. Cur
tbs, particularly, 10 opposed by some Of
the most cansammste debatsrs h the
House, and among them by the able and
brilliant Davis Of Maryland, and Lamar,
Of Mississippi. 1t Is in vain to put for
ward . Eaan OF mean capacity, rs de-
batter, in opposition TO such mea. Nov,
the friends Of Curtis conceded that IL be
is q weak man and poor debatsr be is
not ct TOR the position Of leader In car
rying through Congress enc Of thu might
lest projected Of this age. -
Surely, if any maa had ever right to
CRY out in his agony, "sase me from nay
friends, !" thai man is Col. Curtis. II
his friends challenge our respect for bis
social qualities, his agreeable manners
even his private worth 81 q man, We
should at least listen with compiaceney
bat when they undertake to proclaim ham
man pf tatent, and especially an abls
debates, il is more than human nature
can bear. We instinctively feel that they
insult she public intelligence, and will
fully atssmpt 70 Impose upon the popular
ersdulity. La all seriousness, Is there an
intelligent man among us who does not
know that Col. Curtis, intellectually
speaking, i, IN truth, one Of the weakest
Of man, and thas his capacity as dsbs-
ter Is actually below contempt. That
his irrepressibie ioquRcitY and Ewaddls,
have proved leo much for even the pssi-
enee OF has political associates in Goa
gress that his efforts have been treated
with good natured ridieule By his politti-
cal opponents in that body are facts too
we'll kAown to BE- denied by any man Of
intelligence and eaador. We unhesita-
tingly aver that this statement can be
abundantly proved by reference to the
record Of Congressional debates.
Whenever any gentleman becomes an
object of ridcaie in . Legislative body, his
inHusace is fatally impaired. Who de-
mics that Coz. Curtis has made himself
an object Of just ridicule in the House of
Representatives Was not his Quitmau
speech read with a shout of laughter
throughout this broad land I? Did not
| the New York Times, and other papers
Of his party, make themselves AMI their
readers meFFJ over that most absurd pso-
! ductibn, and characterize its author In
| derision as Ffthe sententous Curtis" p
Who does not know that Col. Curtis stood
bgayaly up in Congress, IN the presence
Of the assembled wisdom of this nation,
and deliver an elaborate and carefully
! prepared address which was SO puerile Ia
| both sentiment and style as to excite the
plying mirth of friend and foe. Indeed
| the friends Of Col. Curtis, TO this day,
! yheu kxtraets Esszs hts Quitman speech
1 are published, deny that they are genuine,
and assert that the Democrats have got
them up as burlesque upon the author
4 Of that speech. 1t seeing impossible for
them to believe that full grown man
could have delivered so absurd speech
upon the floor of Congress. 1t Is not
pteasens 20 refer to those things in q
neighbor and tewnsman. Such objec-
tiors to b candidate are necessarily some :
whas personal. Our justification Is that
the friends Of Col. Curtis force upon US
the investigation oil his personal qualities,
BY claiming from him the public support
upon the ground Of abilities which they
must know no does not possess. But it
| is asked, If such is in truth, the character
of Col. Curtis, how happened it that he
was placed at the head OF the committee
on the paeifc Railroadp This is easily
explained. Col. Curtis had been, before
the meeting Of the .ate session, mem
| ben Of the COMMITTEES on Military AfMirs.
The Col. being military man, naturally
expected to be placed st the head of that
committee, under the Republican organ
iz4Eion of the House but the Speaker
passed him over, and appointed as chair
man Mr.. Stanton, of Ohio, 9 civilian
who knew nothing whatever Of military
affairs. Moreover, the Speaker did not
place Col. Curtis at the head o. any
standing committee whenever, although
the Col was an old membeg Of the
Hsus e. What made the slight more
difect and apparent was that several new
members who had never served before.
were placed at the head of the committee.
Col. Curtis and his fEiands complaiasd
bitterly Of this treatment an the part Of the
Speaker. These complaints became load
/ and desp, and finally found usteranss I'M