, 1862-01-13
Gen. Lanes Speech in the
Senate.

Senate. I
tars she IT p1eR aeta Rtas
ie7.
SENATE, Washington, Dec. q, 1884,
The E-PREslDENT announced TINT
fhc following resolution offered yesterday by j
Mr. Lane, Of Kansas, WAS now before the Sen ,
ate for consideration:
Reso{ted That the Secretary OF War be request
cd furnish to the Senate copies Of the orders d.
insa ior winter quarters for tie kansas troops.
Ar. LANE, Of Kansas. MI. President, do
not desire to conceal my motive in introduc-
ing this resolution. As citizen and Sena-
tot, have the right Of criticising the acts Of
with the full Aush Of q truthful p3triotism-I
kindly but feazlcss1y, coTdially but search
ingly.
Iwi11 wasteno words. do not wish use1cssly
when truth should be spoken in these hollis,
and that p1ainly. I declare then, as fact
which al hnaneiers will admit and no states
man dispute, that every days delay in the zig
orous prosecution Of this war, is pregnant
with peril to the Republic.
Sir, this is a war Of the people. When Sum
ter fell they became unit. Party prrludices
were scattered, personal hates forgotten.
Roused by their wrongs, they prottercd the1r
strength and pledged all their resources to
gycnge an injustice which threatened to de-
| stroy the fcest Government OF Garth. Ma /
nassas followed; Q fearful reverse, and seem- /
| ingly fatal defeat. But even that did not !
| dash the spi1k nor shake the purpose Of the |
| pcopc. The balk Of the moment, the blood .
and treasure lost, only deepened their deter |
nination to crush out the conspiracy. Such |
unity, such ardor, such sacrifices, the world !;
! has rarely or never witnessed
| Efr lar mr. ha Md in
matter Of delay. Ny confidence in the Ad
| ministTation will not permit INC for moment |
seriously to entertain the injurious suspicion
that this army we have created-so admirable
ppointments-this magnificent organization,
to which the country has contributed its
choicest spirits, and on Which it has Eayished
untold millions Of treasure-is destined, with
in the ingIorious obscurity OF winter quarters!
But should this confidence prove to be mis-
placcd-shou1d this fatal policy Of inactlon
seize upon the energies of our rulers, feel,
6n61c, that the public announcement OF the
tact will be as the fire bell at midnight. Dis
| may and confusion will follow; and the evils
Of anarchy may interposc new and fearful OBJ
stacles to the restoration Of that Government
whose chief peril must always result from
the loss Of confidence on the part Of the peo-
Fortunately, the people are as intelligent as
they are patriotic. They do not require I'M
possibilities, nor insist upon premature action.
An thus We are brought to the consideration
Of the questions Of Strength and preparation.
Why is our army inactive. VIII 1t be an
swered that it is still deficient in discipline?
That reply Eould be as unjust as it is Illogical.
Ours Is N army IN Of volunteers, Tao must ', not
You cannot drill it into that mere machine
which nl1rtinets consider the perfection Of
efficiency. The citizen-soldier is an individual;
no amount Of discipline can destroy his indi-
v-S1y f111r ~ dill
Is ample time to prepare such troops for edec-
tive service. Prolonged inactivity will finally
discourage his zeal. The prospect Of action
: must be ever present as an incentive. 1naction
! is the bane Of the volunteer.
These opinions I express with confidence,
:, for have had large personal experience in
c the management Of volunteer soldiers. The
: tralning Of two distinct regiments during the
Mexican war, with subsequent labors in Kan
;, sas, and the campaigns Of the last spring and
= knowledge on this subject entitled to consld'
! eration.
u The regiments that fought and won the bat
IT tie Of Buena Vista, were not as well provided
!, drilled. Sir, haze Witnessed the drill Of that
- army, and am satisfied that it has reached
3, the maximum Of discipline attainable By vol
le untecrs, and tlat every day Of inactlon now
+ tends to its demor;lization.
i While, also, as regards discipline, We arc a
!" fully prepared for action US VIC ever shall be
Is We have the advantage Of superiority, in tia
re | respect, to the enemy. Every nnprejudiced Oh
~ server during the Mexican War, Will testif,
- that the regiments from the North, in the ex
It. cellence Of their d1iu, far exceeded those fron
cs the States now in rebellion Our opponent
,o | are formidable, only when their indiyidu
~ ality can be shown while fighting under cove
"a AS at Manassas, Springfield and Balls Bluti
always conquer; as at Dry Wood, where fo1l
bo hundred Kansas troops checked aud drove bac
~ ten thousand rebels. Aud of these facts, til
OF confedcrates are themselves fully aware: Re
D. Gently ut Spring river, eight hundred hansa
ro troops encountered six thousand rebels, coz
~ cred By that stream and six miles of timber
ed This handful Of heroic men Offered i fight O
II open prairie, which was declined By the enc
ny my; either because they expected US to RI
re peat the folly OF attacking them in their tin
nd ber stronghold, or feared d defeat without ii
sn+ protection. It will require on our part, raI
g, idity Of movement and boldness Of strateg
IN to force them into battle on the open fielt
rs So much for efficiency. That heroic yetera1
'ys the la:e Lieutenant General Of the army, no
We forced by age md infirmity into retirrmel
r. made glorious by the memories Of a long Ii
= Of patriotism and triumph, announced the fa
IN that the ides Of October would see his colnmt
;ed not to believe that they arc by this tinc co1
cry pletc in arms, equipments, means OF transpor
e eeS alton. and every other physical appliance
~ ~ service.
Il
ing With sixty thousand undfsciplincd recruit
the scaling the frozen businesses Of the Alps, 81
M Mns. avoiding their hostile Notifications, could,
{hc five weeks, reach the pElins Of Lombard
'itn pierce the Austrian lines, and annihilate Il
ges amy of Melas, 4 hundred and twenty thou
lae aud strong, on the field Of Marengo, there
inc emancipating the whole Of Italy, shall it
OF said that VIC cannot sur1nount thu hills Of =
'te5 @ ginia and Kentucky In spite Of their dsfenst
de, strike in detail their armies, inferior to Q
tA own in numbers, arms, equipment, discip1i1
up, and all that constitutes the true soldier, a
| IN stretched along line Of over two thousa
9 ON M miles in eStent-destroyi ing the heterogcno
him hosts as we 70, or scattering them in con5t
ten, nation, and restore to the rule Of the Rcpub
those fnir regions now cursed By usurpati
sur. more intoleruDle than that Of tie AustEI
Z o1 and which holds in bonds Of terror even tll'
ifice mort ; Nj. President, to doubt our ability
not disgraccful.
ince Let It not be said that the SHOWS Of win
old, barefootcd soldiers over the frozen roads
New JcFfey, their footsteps marked "
ID as blood, and, in the middle Of winter, cross
5con | Delaware, filed with floating ice. can We \
ged- Mt the same season, move our well clad legi
c We towards th2 mild valleys Of the South to
are estnblish that freedom which their suffer-
ne3- secured?
VIII you wait till spring, when the roe
e NJ if ever, will become impossible: OF till
that | trcnr snlll nave bcen dcc1mated by the
/. # cases ofsummei-s9 No. Clear this war Of
! the doubts that surrender it's purpose give to
cart volunteer a battle cry; cherish that cnt
% Dc siasm which is Indispensable to succ.
same and which neryed the conserj
hles, Of Napoleon to tile achievement Of yict
ncl- without reference to disparity Of numb
ped See that your volunteers arc not thrown NJ
nta!s artillery without preparation; they must
and the guns, count them, hear tile whistle
not their balls, and thus prepared, no strength
Notifications can resist them: they are
NEST effective troops on earth. He who dou
this, OF undertakes them in comparison =
others, knows but little Of their cncrg
on Of purpose, and their devotion to their cour
sck Of and their fay.
<nt- Tic occupation Of the rebel States By
Big army is military necessity: laugh to Sc
the policy Of wooing back the traitors to t
allegiance By seizing and holding unimpori
une,1 | points in those States Every Invitation
So, tended to them in kindness, is an eneou1:
r;za3 mcnt to stronger resistance. The ezhor
t4A0o policy is failure so long rs they have
these million slaves to feed them, SO long will
force rebellion be sustained Ny word for it,
! 1..,r f,,f, +f.I + 1F a.-h