The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-03-20

Mu5ch Z, 1862.
The House being ia the Committee Of the Whole,
on the Stotc Of the Union
Mr.. COLFAX said: Mr.. Chairman, did
not intend, at the opening of my friends
remarks, to speak on this subject to-day (;
and therefore am hut lily prepared TO answer
! his elaborate argument of two hours in
/ length. But am gratifed that the House,
on my motion, extended his time, so that he
could present the whole array of charges at
once.
While | differ, as is known to him and
many other members of the House, with
the Administration, which assisted to elect,
! in the superscdure of Maior-General Ere.
mont, in the Department of the West; |
| desire. lest ! might be misunderstood, to
say at the outset, once and for all, that no
matter what General the President may put
up or down, | shall sustain il with all my
heart, and SOUL and strength, and mind, in
every military movement that it makes
against the enemy. believe it to I've our
duty to DO so. 1t is, under Cod, the only
means by which we can put down this
gigantic, satanic conspiracy and rebellion.
And although lament the supersedurc Of
q General who lives to-day in the loyal
hearts of millions of the American people
that can make no difference in my earnest
and cordial support of the Administration
| pass over many remarks of the gentle
man from Missouri, Mr.. Blair which. am
sure, he will himself, in his cooler moments
regret. He has seen fit to mingle person.
alitics with his criticisms, and to speak of a
gentleman who holds commission as Major
General in the Army as tool, a dupe, u
designing man. cannot follow the gentle
man here. The subject is too grave to be
thus discussed.
There has been an attachment between
myself and the gentleman from Missouri
Almost since our boyhood, and ! shall not
suffer a single remark to fall from my lips
which could wound him, or any friend of
his, or any member of his family. l rise
simply to vindicate history, and to prove.
from the records of the day, that my friend
from Missouri has had his feelings am
judgment perverted, or perhaps | should
.athcr say influcrced, by prejudice He
spoke about the "idolators of Fremont
My friend has not used the word fittingly.
Those whom he calls the idolaters of Free
mont are the men who stand by him to-day.
Just as my friend did from the commence
mcnt OF his acquaintance with him till the
last of August, 1861, up to which time he
WAS his warm, his devoted friend and adj
m.rcr. He ought, from that long acquaint-
ancc, to have known his mind, his capacity,
his Judgment, his will. In August. he was
his friend, warm and true in September he
was not. All my crime is that ] continue
the same friendship that, in common with
him, had in August, and did not change
with him in September.
Mr.. Chairman, men are but nothing in
this struggle. They are but ciphers - the
whole of them. These Generals, with all
their cpauCts and sashes. are but the in
strumeuts by which the strong arm of tho
country is to put down this rebellion.
Since the war broke out, | have, in my
humble sphere aud capacity, eudra' orcd 10
preach the doctrine OF lorbearaucc, and
concord and unity, and have implored men
on al! sides to cease depreciatinr our Gcuc.
rails. ] have said that when they 20 forth
AT the head Of the Army with tho + hands,
they are entitled to confidence and respect.
When the Administration supcrsedes them,
well and good; let them pass away, unless,
so far as, this afternoon, we vindcatc the
past, without saying what the Administers
ton shall do in the future. | say this as TO
General Mcclellan, as do about General
Fremont. and every other General command
ing. Whether the Administration shall
yield to the wishes of hosts of the people
by giving General Fremont another COM
mand, is no part of my argument to-day.
| have no right to dictate on tn point and
further than have already advised, | shall
say nothing.
have this, also, to say about Gen. Ere
mont: do not take him to be perfect.
know that all men are iall.ble. He is some
times an impulsivo man. He has feelings,
Ike all of us who are made of flesh aud
blood. regret very much that he suffered
this publication TO be made. which the
chairman of the joint committee on the
conduct of the war objerte 10 to-;lay.
wish that he had bided his time little
longer. For six months he has been stand
ing with closed lips, and listening to the
allegations against him with Il retcence
which has commanded the appreciation not
only OF his friends at home, but of thou DIS
elsewhere in the civilized world waiting
patiently for the hour of his vindication |
wish he could have waited some time longer.
But think that something ought to he
pardoned to a man who had poisoned arrows
hurled against him from every side, and who
had been deposcd of his command under
circumstances so painful and trying.
Without disparaging any other General, J
have this also to say of General Fremont:
he is the only Maor-General of the United
States Army, who has, in this war, gone out
with his troops, away from his Headquarters
gone out over field, and valley, AMI noun
tain, and plain and river, lie was the only
one. ! suppose the others are willing to do
it. But while that record lives and il will
live i'll histOry-nO man will believe the iE-
tinations of the gentleman from Missouri
that Fremont is timid man. The schOolboy
at the log school-housc knows very well
that there is not particle of timidity about
the man. lie may not have been fitted for
tho command of the military department of
the West. | think he was. But whether
he was or not, he was brave and fearless
man. He has braved death in a thousand
forms, and has written his name high up oil
the scroll "f history as great dscoverer.
or as great adventlrer, if yoL VIII. He
has planted the stars and stripes on the
highest pont of the Rocky Mountains. He
has suffered prlvation and suffering and toll
in his daring journeys. His check has not
banched III the presence of danger or of
death. And when he knew that the sword
of Damocles was hanging over his head by
a hair, he went forth with his army in pur-
suit of the enemy, to punish treason with
the sword, and encamped with the advance
guard, instead of with the rear. as is usually
the custom OF commanding generals. No,
sir, General Fremont is not coward. He
has no timidity.
Mr.. BLAIR, of Missouri. My friend does
not state, trust, that called General FREE
mont a coward.
Mr.. C0LFAX. The language that my
friend used was timidity," which is, Of
course, qualified degree of cowardice.
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