Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-10
StIrttr0 9fllstrIlanp.
A Friendly and ssCOmfOrting'' speech
to the Rebels


The Hon and Rev JOIN A GURLEY, NJ. c.,
from Cincinnati. delivered speech in the House
last Wednesday bitterly denunciatOry of the man
ayers of the war. He charged the entire delay
of the onward march Of the army from the POto
mac to Missouri to the inaction, and we may
add, inferentially from his remarks, to the inca
pacity Of Gen. MCCLELLAN. We make extracts
from the Rev. GURLEY, to present Republican
view of the conduct of the war:
But what means this long delay in attacking
the rebelliOus fOrcesg Sir, our army has long
been ready and anxious to fight, our soldiers burn
with desire to strike at the traitOrs-the madmen
who have risen up against the best Government
in the wOrld-and our subordinate officers are
chatting and painting for the battlefield; but what
avails all thisg They have earnestly about for
a bold and daring leader, ready for the great con
test: but where is he? Sir, echo answers in the
far distance-lchere is hey 1t is painful to con-
fes the real truth on this subject at this late day.
Thus far they and the country have looked in
vain for a commanding General Commander
in Chief, / mean-whO has exhibited the will and
the requisite enterprise and genius to lead our
forces on to victory. But why not fghtl What
lion is that which stands in the way? Is it fear
ed that if we fight somebody will get hurtl or is
il the ghost OF Bull Run still lowering about and
haunting the minds of our commanding Gener-
alsI Sir, we have lost more men in camp by or
binary disease and sickness during the last five
months, than should have lost, in all human
probability, in half dozen engagements in the
field. Not only so (: hundreds of millions
OF money have been spent, and one OF the
largest armies in the world gathered only to
main, it would seem, comparatively idle. and to
become weak and demOralized by inactivity in
camp.
Do you reply that there is a General who stands
in the way OF the onward march of our troops,
who holds in firm check more than half a million
of men2 Then | say take him out of the way
and let his place occupied by another, if this is
the only remedy for terrible evil. Generals are
nothing of themselves in this great contest when
thrown into the balance against the honor and
integrity Of the Union. Sir, if the angel Gabriel
had command Of our forces, and he failed 70 do
his whole duty and march out against the enemy,
/ would at once petition that court TO which he
holds allegiance and ask for his instant dismissal
Sir, | prefer no charges against him. That he
is a good and lOval man have no doubt; that he
is brave officer is perhaps true; and that he is a
skillfu commander shall not now question; but
that does not live, that man does not breathe,
in my judgment, who can command with that
success required six hundred thousand men, scat
tered over a territory extending over two thou
sand miles; and vet he has been holding the
thread that guides and controls this vast body of
men, larger than any man of modern times has
commanded. Indeed. sir, the destiny of this
great Republic has long hung upon the voftion
of his will, for the army that must decide the
veal or woe of this country only moves as his
mind directs. II requires no great military sci
ence TO decide, it requires nothing higher than
common sense TO comprehend the fact that it is
impossible for a standing upon the banks of
the Potomac 20 guide and control an army in de
tail a thousand or two miles distant so as to sue
cessfullv meet the sudden exigencies that must
arise, requiring almost instant movements and
attacks upon the enemy. Nothing short OF ON
niscience and Omnipresence would qualify him
for so vast responsibility and so great work.
No other Government invests its Generals with
such unlimited authority; and although France
and England have some of the best trained, best
educated and ablest Generals in the world, no
man has been found high enough, no man has
been found great enough to receive the supreme
command of even three hundred thousand sol
diers. Sir, the idea that the destiny of this
mighty Republic, with its army of half a million
men. with its great wealth, its multiplied inter-
ests, its hopes and fears, should exclusively rest
with a single General in the field. and he an un-
tried man, with almost unlimited power, is not
only anti republican and alarming, but mOnstrOus
20 the last degree.
So / am informed, on authority which am
not permitted TO question: that some three weeks
ago from ten to fifteen thousand Confederates IN
the meghb0rhOOd of ROmney. were virtually IN
the power Of a division of our army, numbering
about fort, thousand. General Lander sent a
messenger to General Kelley, saying in substance,
We have got them now certain-jon me; and
General Kelley, without the knowledge OF such
"A messenger, sent one of his own bearing simi-
lar message. showing that they both concuTed IN
the same thing. Meanwhile one Of these Cen
erals teegraphed Geueral Banks To advance on
one side, while he advanced upon the other; but,
unfortunately, teiegraphed the same time TO
head quarters in reference to what was going on,
when an answer came in the form of an order not
% advance. accompanied with severe reprimand
for even the suggestion; and this. too, when able
officers on the ground saw, or thought they saw,
more than ten thousand men completely in their
power. The capture of this army, which was al
most surrounded by an immense force of ours,
about forty thousand men would have fired the
whole country with enthusiasm, and lifted the
nation up from general distrust of the efficiency
Of those in high command. That the battle
would have sadly broken in upon some great
plan, or favOrite scheme, Is quite probable; il