The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-08-21
The Military Administration of General
Mcclellan.
speech Of Hon. n. Chandler
Of Michigan.

(DE IvERED IN THE Z. s. SENATE, JULY 10th, 1862
Mr.. CHANDLER, As | remarked few
minutes ago, what l have to say may
not be deemed qnite gcrmane to this bill;
and what have To say are connected
with the conduct of the war, and there
fore ask the indulgence Of the senate
for a short time.
At an early day of the present session
of Congress, the committee ON the con
duct of the war was raised by the fol
lowing resolution, which was passed by
both Houses
Resolred By the Senate, (the House of Represen-
tatives concurring. That a joint committee of
the House of Representatives be appointed to in
quire into the conduct of the war; that they have
power to send for persons and papers,, and to sit
during the recess of either House or Congress.
In accordance with thatresolutiOn the
committee has expended much time and
labor upon this investigation. Al
though the committee has made but one
report to Congress, and that only upon
the barbariti, practIced upon our dead,
wounded, and prisoners, yet, when the.
testimony is printed, it will be found
that it was not for want of material,
hut for the reason that in tile opinion
of the committee the public interest
would not be subserved by printing
the testimony. The committee has
been in constant, almost daily, commu
nication with the Administration, and
has, from time to time, submitted such
information rs in their opinion should
be furnished tn the Executive. How
valuable this information may have
been to the Administration is not for me
or the committee to decide, but in my
opinion, when the history of the
war shall have l,een written, the cOun-
try will give credit where credit is due.
The battle of Bull Run seems Ia
have been the eliminating point If the
rebellion. Up TO that time the North
hardly seemed to appreciate the fact
that we were in the midst of wnr, that
a gigantic and wicked rebellion was
shaking the very foundation stones of
our poliiical institutions, that the rebels
meant bloody frairicidal war. The
firing npon Sumter vas considered
rather the action of frenzicd mob than
the fixed, determined intent to break
up and destroy the best Government
the world had ever seen. That battle
left the enemys of the country masters
of the field aud virtually brsiegers at
the capital. From the 2lst day ofJuly,
1861 the Nations of the earth consid-
cred the experiment of republican
institutions a failure, or at least an nm
tried experiment. Rebellion had tri.
umphed, and the nation believed the
Republic was tottering to its fall. Or.
securities became valueless outside our
borders, and our armies to he raised
were considered men in 6uckran,.
Not an the brave and loyal millions of
the North. They knew thatthe resour-
ces of the North had not been touchetl,
that the battle of Bull RIM was but an
insignificant skirmish, without results
to either side, and forthwith began to
put forth their mighty energies. Up
to this time the earnestness Of this
rebellion had not been appreciated by
the North.
l.. Upon the canse or causes Of that
disaster propose to dwell very briefly.
The army Of the Potomac at that time
vas composed of two columns. The
one under Patterson at Martinsbnrg
consisted of =. force of about twenty
thousand effective men of all arms the
other, under Mcdowell, of about thirty
five thousand, and a reserve in Wash
ing'en, Lieutenant Genaral Scott IN
command Of all, conducting both COL
umns.
VIII read General Patterson's orders:
General r. Patterson: '1's A'' i0'i
Itelegraphed you yesterday. If not strono
enough to beat the enemy early next veet maIe
Recommendations 30 as to detain him in the valley
of Winchester. But If he retreats in force towards
Arkansas, and it is hazardous TO follow him then
consider the route via keyess Ferry, Leesburg, &c
WINFIELD SCOTT