The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-08-08
speech OF senator Wrigh g.
How hc would cOnduct the
War.

.
ago made most admirable and patriotic
speech upon the conduct Of the war. We
give below as liberal extracts from IL as
our space will permit. Senator Harris
had just caused the reading of an cx-
tract from letter of Gen. McClellan's,
in which the latter had declared that he
had employed all the contrabands com
ing within his lines:
/ We have passed bill on the subject
Of coniiscation Nhich gives the Prcsi.
/ dent power 10 employ negroes TO work
at his discretion. | believe he had the
power without that bill; and will take
this occasion 90 say to my friend from
New York, Mr.. Harris.l that so far as
the exercise Of that power is concerned
BY our Generals, my information is not
OF the character he gives to us in the let.
ter from Gen. Mcclellan. have a let.
ter before me, written in the South from
gentleman that have known for ma
ny years, and propose now TO read an
extract from It in relation 10 the Ciicc,
Of Gen. llallcck's order No. 3. My friend
writes rs follows
"Halleck's order No. has killed at
least ten thousand of your western sol.
dicls. You can see them in every car
and on the corners OF every street. At
Hamburg, four miles above Pittsburg
Landing. there were 27OO soldiers sick,
aud 600 had been taken away the day
before we We're there. | saw dctach.
mcnts of our troops making roads in the
hot sun; saw the boats being unload-
cd by them; and in fact, young men, no.
bic mon, who had sprung to arms to save
the couatry, wcrS performing labor which
was enough TO break down the cousttu-
tiUn of the strongest; and | did not see
Il single negro at work at any of the
landings en- the Tennessee or Cumbcr-
land ri5ers; but did see two stout fell
lows blacking the boots OF rebel prison.
crs on board the steamer Uncle Sam, at
Pittsburg landing"
This is the authority Of a gentleman I
can vouch for as a man Of rcspcctability.
lie sent me another fact. lie inclOscd
to me a list Of i7O sick mon who were
then on board one steamer, most of whom
I were from our own State and Ohio: and
out of the whole last there were but three
wounded in battle. They were all af.
flictcd with the diseases Of that country
as shown from the list opposite to each
name, and but three were wounded.
, only refer to this to show the fact that |
, will go ns far us any man in prosecuting
! this war, in upholding the generals in the
/ field, in sustaining any proposition that
may be necessary, 10 employ these men,
not only to work and labor, but will do
whatever else may be necessary, with
the vast means God has given Us, to save
the life of the Republic.
Sir, must express fears that difficulty
has grown out of error on this point
fear there has not been true apprecia.
ton Of our condition among Us as the rep
Irescntatives of the people. Th re was u
great deal of truth uttered by Gen. Wal
lace of my own State, the other night, in
those magic words: "We want to make
war" Sir, we have to make war; we
want to make war. There was much
force also in the reply made the other
day by an officer in Alexandria, when he
was asked by the commissary department
what he wantedj 81 want ropes in Alex
andril."
ltwas laeonic reply, but il meant q
great deal. purpose for few moments
70 look at a fact that stares us in the
face. What has been the conduct Of
our army! When was in Kentucky in
the month of October last, spending a
few weeks, there was aregimcnt located
right in the Blue Grass region, where
] 4 L
| have interests at the South. | was told
when that regiment left there, they had
never touched or taken thing from any
man.
Governor Wickli0c orthc House told
me of regiment from my own State
that remained for some weeks in his re-
gion with perfect order,perrect discipline
and perfect system, and not one particle
OF property was taken or injured. When
our Army took Williamsburg the other
day, they took possession of lunatic
asylum, and placed our own physicians in
it, and furnished our own means for its
support.
What treatment have we received in
return! What has been the policy pur-
sued in return for all this lenity and kind.
ness! Need answer, when we have all
seen these armed rebels defy the laws of
Jehovah himself, violate every law of man
and outrage every sentiment of humani-
ty. | have honestly regarded as the on
ly measure that will save this country
the bill to contiscate the property OF
these rebels; but IL has been DELAYED
here for weeks aud months. In my judg.
ment, ii there is anything for which we
shall be held responsible in the future il
will be the delay upon that very meas
ure.
Will any Senator answer me this
question, and appeal to the Senator
from Missouri; have you heard anything
about bridges being burnt in Missouri,
since the execution Of an order to hang
seven men for that offencel In that case
the punishment was promptly inflicted;
but have you heard of any other volutors
OF the law beng punishedl You have |
gone into the enemy's country to restore
order, aud while there they have violated
every law on earth aud deiied US, and yet |
the mercy aud leniency OF the Govern.
ment forbid still, in u manner, their pun
ishmcnt.
Sir, | might as well be plain about this /
matter, for mean what say. The fault
has been in the execution of your Gov
ernment. There has been no policy
Ono course has been pursued in the
South; another in the East; another in |
the West; another in the North; but
there has been nc uniform, firm and de. !
cided policy. IL was your duty when you
met in July last TO sustain the arms 0 Il
the President, aud to give him policy.
This Congress ought not to have sat four
weeks until the property of Lieutenant