Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-10
A Defense Of General ucCieiisn--The
speech Of Hon. =. \. Cox, of Ohio. in
Reply his Colleague, the Hon
and Rey. j ohm A. (surley. -.ssr-a

patience with which be now purSues ms schemes
by sea and land. by river and road, grouping
whole sections in his comprehensive combinations
OF strategy, and striving, without irritating and
diminishing, to end the war by
"a sharp. though it may be desperate struggle"
and thus restore the Unionl He has pledged
himself TO the President that if he live ard be
allowed to carry out in action what he has ma
tured in design, that weshall soon see our flag
triumphant and the rebellion crushed.
These ready military critics have not even the
militia training, which was so important years
ago. 70 make them experts.
former colleague of ours, in the DAYS of
1910, when the campaigns of Gen Harrison were
discussed by Brigadier General Of the Michigan
militia, with groteSque humor held up to the rid
icule of the American Congress the peculiar
military studies 10y which the member from Mich
igsn was fitted 20 the subtle criticisms on strate
gy and the careful reviews of battles He ven
tured to believe that the militia General might
have studied the title page of Baron Steuben
enough 10 know that the rank stands right
behind the front Laughter Besides the
critic on that occasion had the fortune to have
been in the tolls priyations sacrifices, and bloody
scenes through which militia officer in time of
peace 10 pass. IL is long since read
that graphic picture of "A muster day i'm the West,
touched by the tints Of Corwin's faeile humor
The troops i'm motion. the corn stalks, umbrellas,
hoe and ax handles, and other like deadly mple
ments of war overshIdowng all the field, when
10, the leader of the host approaches Far off
his coming shines. | need not describe his horse,
the rising cloud the rain. the retreat. the re
morseless fury with which the water melons are
slaughtered and the whisky drank in neigh
boring grocery. Laughter. If, with such ex-
periences the member from Michigan was re
garled then the prince of military critics, what
shall say now of the member from Ohio,
whose gentle life has been passed in the green
pastures by the still waters OF peace and whose
every prospect was the millennium, in which the
lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and
the little child shall lead them
Oh, how it jars to hear the voice so often raised
in benediction and PRAYER, and tuned to the sweet
accents of love and mercy
'.SpItng with tremendous sounds our ears asunder,
With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbuss and thunder"
Here the hammer fell, Mr. Cox's hour having
expired. Leave was granted him to print the
remainder
If militia General was so well fitted for the
task Of criticism on war. fortiori. what heed
shall we not pay to my reverend colleague. whose
only experience has been that of Bull Run re
treatI Such critics ought at least To know
spear from a pruning hook, or a sword from a
pillow share 1t is doubtful ii they can tell an
ambulance from a caisson. They could not bite
a cartridge without biting their tongue. The
only Ease they know is political fusion; they
can deplOy around n convention or caucus, and
fire the political thunder from the batteries of
demagOgue, masked with the negro Ii they
fired gun and should hit, they would do il, as
did Wmkle when he killed the rookie shut his
eyes and blazed away in timid despair.
NY cOea 1ue is one of those whose politics
and prayers have ever been to be delivered from
the men of war In times past he has thought
nj Yin hon, .af ali
the Mexican war was declared the class to which
he belonged echoed Summers "true grandeur of
nations, when he said There was no war which
was not diShonor.bIe" They sang the ironical
Yankee slang of Hosea Bgelow to the recruiting
Sergeant of Colonel Caleb Cushing:
"Fife away. you film Teller.
You may fife till You yeIler,
PORE You get holt of me"
There, away down in some New England viii
lage. they kind o thought Christ went agin war
and plage, and that eppylettS warnt the best
mark of i saint" Now. they are willing to
swear THAT the apostles were rugged out in their
swallow tail coats, an marched round in front OF
il drum and fife" Now, they agree to the roni-
cal verse:
"John p.
says they didn't know every thing down I'm Judee''
These men whose lives have been Dedicated to
considering the horrors of war and slavery, and
whose consciences were very tender about the
downtrOdden when they wanted votes now un-
dertake. by Congressional committees decara-
tions and military datribeS here to set squadrons
in the field and to show Mcclellan how he is not
doing it at ALL how he night do it with the
aid of armed blacks so bravely and at once. Not
satisfied with the President of their choice; not
content with that which they voted in the Crit
tenden resolutions rs the object 10 which the war
h.8t l. in al
greSs of campaign which, 50 far as General
Mcclellan j. concerned, has been comparatively
successful. and certainly without biunderS, they
want movement lat all hazards. even if il
moves the country and the Government to seces
sion. Dictatorship, chaos or destruction. Such
political dyspeptics and martial zanies ought to
be sent home 10 teach boarding school misses
the doctrines that brought MANY members here
the beauty of John Browns life, and the glory
OF his death
Judging by the remarks made here, one would
infer that these gentlemen were all ready ~ re
ceye and provide tor the four millions OF black
vino are To be freed by the war power: that the
coru bread and fat pork were all provided for the
jubilee of freedom. But where will they get the
food. or where will they fix the locus ia ono for
the festive scene! In kentucky ?-Ohi01 Some
OF our soldiers who have Just fought so nobly
under Gen Thomls. have written me complaint,
that they get clothes through which thew can put
their fingers. aad ch.ckory for cpffee We do
NOT even feel decently our white braves: yet
these gentlemen, who reason 20 lunltic.dly. think
that there i some virtue ia "a eOlored child or
wOmin aud that the Lord somehow will provide
for them lie did 10y Elijah with the
Why, sir, the whole country will he swamped
and deluced 10y taxation, without the double tax
of havn, an erodaS OF four millions OF blacks 50
iuently talked OF in this chamber
Why, 10 not these extreme gentlemen know
that they are. ii some part responsible for this
war; Does my colleague from Cleveland want
me 70 prove il by his own speech They are
only fighting what We advised them would come
by their action. We Democrats wiki Mcclellan
Il our mead, are now helping them; and how are
We met 10 these ingrate>l No. they arc not
6shtug II. ,ut they think they are moving the
wheels, when they ONLY IL on the axle and buzz
their murmurs about Mcclellan and the force,
which move ihe cirIrint ct war
What good CONES OF this sort OF debate here
and nov! Talk about milking he goat in a
sles e-and It Is sense To this
Now. there : a little smack of propriety in this
latter idea; but what can We say OF this exhibition
IN delberatiye body. whose only duty j. 10 Ia Z
crease the army and the revenue. discussing the
disposition 90 the slaves before We get them. and
the mo, ement, OF General Mcclellan with the
bankest incapAcity to understand them. Ii is too
ridiculous Tor serious controversy. It can only
be rticulei Yet We have these civil warriors
whose only fight j. loeOmachy. barking at Gen.
Mcclellan. and fer what. Because he does not
proclaim liberty throughout all the land and II