Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-02-09
Gte Ohio 6tatesnra,r
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SPEECH OF HON. 8. s. cox,
IN REPLY TO HON. MR.. aURLEY,
Deliusrsd in the House Of Representatives in Coz
gress, January 80, 1862,
ARMY APPROPRIATION BILL.

ARMY APPROPRIATION BILL.
Mr.. Stevens--I move that the House resolve
itself into the committee of the Whole on the
state Of the Union h,s@ aas
The motion was agreed to- stse.
i The House accordingly resolved Itself into
the committee of the Whole on the state of the
Union (Mr. Holman in the chair), and resumed
the consideration of the bill of the House (No.
2O9) making appropriations for the support Of
the army for the year ending June 80, 1868, and
additional appropriations for the year ending
June 80, 1862.
The Chairman stated that, in accordance with
what appeared to be the understanding of the
committee last evening. the gentleman from
Ohio Mr.. Cox was entitled to the floor.
Mr.. Cox-Mr. Chairman, obtained the floor
on yesterday to give prompt answer to the
elaborate attack made by my colleague Mr..
Gurley on General Mcclellan. was not una
ware that my colleague had thus prepared him
self. TWAS bruited about that we were to have
q dissertation on the conduct Of this war which
would annihilate its present managers. Iwish
that my colleague could plead the impulse Of
the moment for bis speech; but | give more sig
nihcance to his labored effort because 1t beto-
kens plsn--and in which my colleague plays
his ToLe-to get rid of the gallant Maior-G en-
deuce of the people. If his speech had been
made by Democrat, it would have been said
that 1t was an attempt to aid secession; TO Grip
| pie our credit at home and our honor abroad; 10
undermine the popular faith in the power of the
Government to conquer peace and restore the
Union. Il would have deserved, according TO
the practice now obsolete, prison Ia sea-
bound castle.
do not understand, nor will attempt to
analyze, the motives of my colleague. II
were to Judge of HE intent by the effect of his
speech, he would discourage the army In their
efforts, and the people In their payment of taxes
His speech will old the rebellion, not 80 much
because 1t was epOken by him as because 1t seems
TO be part of plan, outside and inside of this
House, TO beget dstrust and SOW discord. lido
not know, sir, how much weight will be attribu-
1 ted to my colleagues military ettictures. II
bis facts are no better than his conclusions
and will demonstrate that neither are correct
his speech will only 60 for what 1t is worth
the scodng of an unniiltary Congressman.
My colleague began with the CRY that gener-
ais are nothing; that If any general wes incom-
| petent, to take him away, He read from the
Richmond Dispatch to show the errors our gen.
eral hal committed. The article read was 80
full of slander and falsehood tba. he himself
corrected part OF 1t. He charged the Com
mander-in Chief with causelessly holding Oack
our eager soldiers f5s months. He charged him
with denying to them the victory which was In
their reach. He said ii at no man living was At
to command over three hundred thousand.
Mr.. Gurley-I said six hundred thousand.
Mr.. Cox II have read ihe gentleman's speech
in the Globe, aud am right. He further said
that it was not only ansi-republican and unWise,
but alarming to elast degree. He found fault
With his plan-as he clSimed to know ito at
tack the enemy's whole iiI5 &C once at all
points. he said this was unWiae because it was
impossible He did not approve Of the generals
''nice and precise adjustment of military affairs''
before the army moved. He wanted the army
to overwhelm the enemy without waiting for
orders from Washington city He then under
took, by statement Of facts as to the affairs at
Romney, In Missouri and Kentucky, TO depreci
ate the character Of that Commander-in-Chief.
He demanded that the ermy should move at all
hdSaids, unreetrained by single hand. He
thought he cav 10 the accession OF Mr. Stanton
a streak Of sunlight, for he (Mr. Stsntop) was
like brave Ben Wade, Of Ohio He thought, If
We did not move soonj our feputsk0n aB 8 milf.
cary people would about equal that of the Chi
nese; and then my colleague wound up his speech
oy the figure OF the anaconda, in which he tried
to be humorous at the expense Of General Scott.
who originated the trope, and finally he was for
stirring up the anaconda, even though, like the
snakes from Tenedos in Virgil, they wound their
tolls around the most sacred of our hopes
to crush them forever. This Is the analysis of
my colleague's speech. t . s
On the very eve, cir, of the most important
movements, aud when, too, our army in one Sec
don has already given earnest Ia carrying out
successfully one part Of General McCielIan,s
scheme, we have this most inopportune display
would rather have heard it from any other than
an Ohio member. Ohio gave Mcclellan his
tirst commission. I remember to have eeen
him when he came With alacrity to her capital
20 accept this mark of our Governors trust
How well be repaid the confidence, Western
Virginia can ansWerj aud If all his plans there
had been carried out by subordinates with
vigor equal to their wisdom, we would had less
tfouble and more glory in that campaign.
AS to the advent of the new Secretary of
War, Mf. Stanton, whom my colleague halls as
a "s.reak of light" in the gloom, | do not be.
leve that he will delight In such hailing, cou-
pied With such railing at bis friend the general.
IL ia too much like the 'sff haiI!'' OF the witches
to Macbeth. Laughterl. There turks sinis
ter object in this congratulaton. It was intend
ed as q depreciation of Mcclellan; as If the
errors and incompetency of the late Secretary of
IL r..
as much and more sincerely than my colleague.
j welcome the new Secretary. His advent Ia the
harblnger Of O better day, when the generals
energy can be seconded by the determination
and intelligence OF en- ACCOMPLISHED civilian
and an honest man -4 = .|
But my colleague would hurry the army into
movement now Eat all hazards" because for
eign nations may soon interfere. | do not nm.
derstand this logic. He would have US risk ey
erything for fear of trouble from abroad. We
may have foreign war; but this nation should
not hazard its own existence from serviie fear
OF England or France. If he had been Dem.
ocrat, be would have not been SO fearful of oy.
cry movement abroad. Choate said he loved
the old Democracy, because they had "a gay and
festive defiance OF foreign diosation." ~
, Mr.. Gurley-Tbat 10 the party Of which ]
toas q member.
Mr.. Cox-Then my colleague has been q rem.
egade to his ancient faith. am sorry for Il
We would be unworthy Of our fathers and OF
our land, did we fire our own house over oul
heads because we may fear neighb0r will come
some night to despoil IL 17
. My colleague objects to the organization OF
an army with one head. He wants mauy.
headed arrangement, with, I suppose, distract,
ing couneels. Utterly unconscious of the abso
lutte necessity of unity of movement of our ar
mlss, under one direction, my colleague. Il
strike at General Mcclellan, would change tht
military system, which has obtained from th,
time the war began or armies were levied. M,
colleague has military wisdom beyond ell hu
man comprehension. Because our army Is larg,
We must, on this logic, dispense with its propsl
organization. There il the more need Of on,
executive head 10 so vast an array as this arm,
of half million. :
My colleague, in this attack upon the gener