Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1862-01-23
Gen. Lanes Speech in the Senate
ShaHMe Troops go INTO Winter quarterss 2
A plea for e-Action-Fatal eonss.
quences of tie DO Nothing Policy. s
WAsHINeroN. Dec. %, 1861.


WAsHINeroN, Dec. %, 1861.
SEsArE.AThe Vice President announced
that the following resolution offered yes5
terday by Mr-Lsne, of Kansas, was now
before the Senate for consideration:
zs Resolved, That the Secretary of War
be requested TO furnish to The Senate cop
les Of the orders directing the erection of
barracks and other buildings for winter
quarters for the Kansas troops. 100
Mr.. Lane, of Kansas Mr.. President, |
do net desire to conceal my motive in in
Producing this resolution. As citizen
and Senator, Ihage the right critics.
inp the acts of the Goversme. !; and /
mean tosexereise it with the full flush of
a truthful patriotism-kindl ysbut fearless
ly, cordially but searchingly. 5alsis .ia4
will waste no words. l do not wish
useIessly to consume your time. D But the
hour is arrived, when truth should be spo-
ken in these nahs, and that plainly. l. de-
clare then, as fact which all 6uanciers
will admit and no statesman dispute, that
every days delay in the vigorous prosecu-
tion of this war, is pregnant with peril to
the Republic. ",srs1 stI lsvs s5z g5.a5
Sir, this is a war of the people. When
Sumter fell they became q unit. Party
p.ejudices were scattered. personal hates
forgorten. Reused by their wrongs, they
protfered their strength and pledged all
their resources to avenge an injustice which
threatened to destroy the freest Govern
ment on earth. Manassas followed a
fearful reverse, and seemingly fata de-
feat. But even that did not dash the spir-
il nor shake the purpose of the people,
The balk of the moment, the blood and
treasure-lost, only deepened their determi-
nation to crush out the conspiracy. Such
unity, such ardor, such sacrifices, the world
bas rarely or never witnessed. a5sa 1.o6i
Sir, let me not be misunderstood in this
matter of delay. Ny confidence in the
Administration will moi permit me for a
moment seriously to entertain the inJurl-
Gus suspicion that. this army We have Gre
aled-so admirable in sprlt and discipline,
SO complete in all its appointments-this
magnificent organization, TO which the
country has contributed its choicest spirits,
and on which it has lavisbed untold mil
lions of treasure-is destined, without one
decisive blow struck, to aiving burial in
the inglorious obscurity of winter quar-
tiers! But should this confidence prove
to be misplaced-should this fatal policy
of inaction seize upon the energies of our
rulers, feel, know, that the public an
nouncement of the fact will be as the fire.
bell at midn ight. Dismay and confusion
will follow and the evils of anarchy may
interpose new and. fearful obstacles to the
restoration of that Government whose
chic, peril must always result from the
loss Of confidence on the part of the peo-
pie. g1p1T Sd. ,.ssiau..s rzv5 s}i p eais
l= Fortunately, the people are as intelligent
as they are patriotic. They do not re-
quire impossibilities. nor insist upon pre-
mature action. And thus we are brought
to the consideration of the questions Of
strength and preparation. .5,rg,a a..Fs
Why is our army inactive?, Will il be
answered. that it is still deficient. in disci-
pline?Ir That reply would be as unjust as
it is illogical. Ours is an army of volun-
teers, who must not be judged by the rules
applied to regulars. You cannot drill it
into that mere machine which martinets
consider the perfection of efficiency. The
citizen-soldier is an, individual; no amount
of discipline can destroy his Individuality.
-Four months of industrious drill is ample
time 10 prepare such troops for active SER
vice Prolonged inactivity will finally dis
courage his zeal. The prospect of action
must be ever present as an Incentive. In
action is the bane of the volunteer. .-
These opinions express with confidence,
for have had large personal experience
in the management of volunteer soldiers.
The training of two distinct regiments du-
ring the Mexican war, with subsequent la
bors in Kansas, and the campaigns of the
last spring and summer in Missouri, have
given me practical knowledge on; this
subject entitled to consideration. ro 15q
The regiments that fought and won the
battle of Bvena Vista, were not as well
provided as the army of, the Potomac,
and not better drilled. Sir, l have wit
messed the dfill Of that army, and 7 am
satisfied that it has reached the maximum
of discipline attainable by volunteers, and
that every day of sinaction now, tends TO
its decentralization. eia' s.'A' d2-av tit7qoTG
While, also, as regards discipline, we are
as fully prepared for action as we ever
shall be, we have the advantage of supe-
riority, in that respect, to the enemy. Ey-
cry unprejudiced observer during the Mex
lean War will testify that the regiments
from them orth, in the excellencs of their
drill, far exceeded those from the States
now in rebellion. Our opponents are for
midable, only when their individuality'ean
be shown while fighting under GOVERNS
at Manassas, Springfield and Balls Bluff.
0pernting in mass, on the open field, we
can always conquer; as at Dry Wood,
where four hundred Kansas troops checked
and drove back ten thousand rebels. And
of these facts the coDfederates are them
selves fully aware. Recently at Spring
River, eight hundred Kansas troops en-
countered six thousand rebels, covered by
that stream and six miles of timber. The
handful of heroic men offered fight on
open prairie, which was declined by the
enemy; either because they expected us
to repeat the folly of attacking them in
their timber strong bold, or feared de-
feat without its protection. 1t will require
ON. nnr mart, raniditv of mnran,ant and