Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-12-21

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JEFF. DAVIS DBuoUnCsp. 81

~ 1eOes Coo8reoo.
rHs REBEL DisAsrsR At cBASAnooA-
JEFF. DAVIS DRsoUnCsp.
Mr.. Foots offered resolution iuslrsc-
ting the Military Committee to inquiss
INFO the causes Of the ate disaster nsar
Chattanooga, and a.certain and report
whether it was owing TO : want Of val
or in the troops, - stated in the Psssi-
dsnts message, or to other csuses.
He would undertake to say that the
President himself was responsible Tor
that defeat, and be was prepared 70
prove it I; and furthermore, he would
show that be had endeavosed to skulk
that responsibility and throw it
upon the brave men who had barred
their breast to the battle. No man
should denounce those men % wanting
in valor with impunity. It wss IN &C.
cusation dishonorsble to the honor and
dis .red,table to oil, which would tend to
the demorlization of our troops, and
may be productive Of still wore dis.
ster.
1t has been urged upon the Presiden.
TO remove from the command Of that ar
my General Bragg. who bad proven him.
.elf alrea y incompetent for bis position.
The President was called upon 10 re-
move him - incompetent, and even den
gerous. Bot the result is known. Bragg
Was not removed. That man (Brsgg)
has been most odious to both the army
and people for more than = year, and
the President must have known it. But
be visited the army and said there was
no cause for the complaints. Bot
found the whole army d's'rustful Of him
One thing il certain, be has driven
swsy every one OF his best generals.-
lie has driven away the skillet and gal
liant Polk; he has forced the noble heart
I'd Bucknsr to leave him he has calu-
minated Breckinridge, and victimizc Nc
Gown. Everybody knows be is On bard
,e,ms with Ha,dee. lie 10 40 consti,u-
ted that he cannot agree with any OF bis
commanders. What is more, one Of my
colleagues hiss received = letter from
Bragg himself, 10 which he said-onlv
five weeks ago-tbat he couldn't CON-
mand thst army effec ualIy unless he az
lear of-unless there were cashiered =
tw I've brigadier generals and whole
regiment Of field officers. President Ds-
Wis was appealed to by nearly every Of
Gcer there for his removal. But he stood
up for Bragg be had committed him
self to the country he had expressed
bis opinion, publicly. Of Bragg's eminent
fitness for the command, and was deter.
mined to risk the safety Of the cosntry
upon it. For the same reason and IN
der the same circumstances Pemberton
was retained. That was the sole reason
Of the fall of Vicksburg. To show the
pertioacity Of the President, the Militia
ry court directed to inquire into the con.
duct OF Pemberton was disposed with 10
two days after it met, ty the order of
the President. When this man had sur
Enthusiastically surrendered =
his command to the enemy, the Presi-
tsut made him his companion, carried
him with him te Braggs army, and if
the truth mnst be told, many soldier,
~ they rode along the line said, "there
goes the traitor who delivered US over at
Vicksburg." Even then the President
had the lemerity, the unblushing dlsre-
gard Of public sentiment, in his own
State and elsewhere, to offer to that
same Pemberton the command Of Folks
corps and if he had undertaken that
duty, be would have been slain in the
earliest hour Of battle, or even before a
battle by the hands OF his own men. l
will further add that upon the PROPOSE
ton sending Longstreet into East Ten
nessee, the President concurred with
Bragg. and that army was divided
What now doos the President say I
Does be come forward boldly aud geoer.
ously and say, II am responsible tor the
disaster ?'' No. He charges them with
want of vslor. I charge him, not with
want Of volor, but with want of conf
dence in the opinions in the wants Of
others; with gross Encouragement; With
contempt Tor the sentiment of the pco-
pie of the country. told him twelve
months ago that unless Bragg was re-
moved Tennessee would be in the hands
Of the enemy, and now my tleed'ug
State at,ests the truth of my and the
whole country's prediction. The Pres
ident never visited the army without do
ing lis injnry-rever yet that it has not
been followed by disaster. He was ms
t.umental in The Gettysburg affair he
instructed Bragg at Murireesbo'o; he
has opened Georgia to one hundred
thousand Of the entmy's troops, and laid
South Carolina liable TO Obstruction. |
charge him with having almost ruined
the country, and will meet his champion
anvwhar. TO discuss it. Would to God
he may never visit the army again ;
would to God he had yielded tothe pub
lic sentiment of the country would to
G. d be had been able TO appreciate the
truth that when confidence il once lost
By the people in 40 officer it is suicide
10 retain him.