Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-03-20
THE REPUBLICAN.
PLYMOUTH. IND.
Thursday, March 90, 1862
L. MATTINGLY- Editor.
FREMoNT's HUNDRED DAYS IN MISSOURI.
SPEECH OF HON. s. C0LFAX.
OF INDIANA.
In reply TO Mr.. Blair of Missouri.
In THE HoosE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

An Acpi1 W DiaiT OIL MfSsOuffs
In THE HoosE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
March Z. 1862.
The House being in the Committe of the
Whole on the state of the Union
Mr. CoLrAx said: Mr. Chairman. / did
not intend at the opening of my friends
remarks. to speak on this subject to-day;
and therefore am bat lily prepared to an
swer his elaborate argument of two hours
in length. But l am gratifed that the
House. on my motion. extended his time
so that he could present the whole array of
charges at once.
While d Tered. as is known to him
and many other members of the House.
with the Administration. which assist
ed TO elect. in the supersedure of Major
General Fremont in the department of the
stood. TO say at the outset. once and for
all. that no matter what general the Adj
ministration may put up or putdow shall
sustain it with all my heart and soul and
strength and mind in every military move
ment that it makes against the enemy. | be-
lieve it To be our duty to DO so. Is. under
God, the only means by which we can put
down this gigantic. satanic. conspiracy and
rebellion. And although / lament the su-
persedure Of a general who lives to-day in
the loyal hearts Of millions of the Amcri-
can people. that can make no difference in
my earnest and cordial support of the Ad-
ministration.
pass over man. remarks Of the gentle
man from Missouri. Mr. BLAIR. which, l
am sue, he viii. himself, in his cooler
moments, regret. He has seen fit to min
gle pers sonalities with his criticisms. and
TO speak Of gentleman. who holds a
commission as major general in the Army,
as tool. lupe. designing man. lean
not follow the gentleman here. The sub
ject is too grave to be TINS discussed.
There has been an attachment between
myself and the gentlcman an from Missouri al
most since our boyh oil. and shall not
suffer single remark to fail from my lips
which could wonnd him or any f.iend of his
or any mc,nber of his family. / rise sim
ply to vindicate history. and to prove.
from the records OF the day. that my fliend
! from Missouri has had his feelings and
Judgment perverted. or perhaps l should
rather say influenced, by prejudice. Hs
spoke about the "ilolators" OF Fremont
! My friend has not used the word fttingly
Those whom he calls the idoiators OF Ere
mont are the men who stand by him to
dav. Just as my friend did from the com.
mencement of his acquaintance with him
till the last OF August. 1861. up to which
time he was his warm. his devoted friend
anil almirer. He ought. from that lona
acquaintace. to have known his mind, hi.
capacity. his Judgment. his will. In
August he was his friend, warm and true
in September he was not. All my Grim,
is that l continue the same friendship
that. in common with him. l had in An.
gust. ahl did not change with him in Sep
tember.
Mr.. Chairman. men are but nothing in
this struggle. They are but ciphers-tht
whole of them. These generals, with al
their epaulets and sashes, are but the instru
ments by which the strong arm of tn,
country is to put down this rebellion
Since the war. broke out I have. in my
humble sherc and capacity. erdcavored to
preach the doctrine Of forbearance anG
unity and have implored men on all sides
to cease depreciating our generals.
have said that when they go forth at tn,
head OF the Army with their lives in thei
hands. they are entitled 10 confidence ant
respect. When the Administration super
sedes them, well and good; let them pas,
away. unless. so far as. this afternoon. We
vindicate the past. without saying what tat
Administration shall do in the future. ]
say this as to General Mcclellan, as l dc
about General Fremont. and every other
I. general commanding. Whether the Ad
ministraiion shall yield to the wishes o
hosts oft the people by giving General Ere
mont another command. is no part of my
= argument to day. have no right to die
tate on this point; and further than hav,
already advised. shall say nothing.
l have this also. to say about Genera
Fremont: ! do not take him 20 be perfect
;, know that all men are fallible. He is
sometimes an impulsive man. He ha.
feelings like all OF us aho are made Of flcsl
and blood. ! regret very mnch that h
suffered this publication to be made. which
the chairman Of the joint committee on tn
, conduct of the war objected to-day.
wish that he had bided his time little
longer. For six months he has beer
standing with closed lips. and listening Il
r the allegations against him with reticenc
which has commanded the appreciation no
only Of his friends at home. but of thou
sands elsewhere in the civized world. wait
ing patiently for the hour Of his vindics
tion. / wish he could have waited SOM
time longer. Bat think that something
ought to be pardoned to man who ha,
poisoned arrows hurled againgt him from
every side. and who had been depose'
Ifsom his command under circumstances SC
J painful and trying.
Without disparsging any other genera!
| have this also to say Of General Fremont
: be is the only major general Of the Unite'
States Army who has. in this war. gon
out with his troops. away from his head
| quarters--gone ont over field and vale,
and mountain and plain and river. III
was the only one. l suppose the other
ere willing to do It. But while that re
cord ives---and il will live in history-n
man will believe the limitations Of III
gentleman from Missouri, that Fremont i
timid man. The schoolboy at the loI
school house knows very well that there
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