The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-04-27
place the harsh clangor of arms, and its
swee:er song lie
"Shall swell from shore to shore;
One hope, one faith, one love restore
The seamless raha that Iesus Xore.n

"Shall swell from shore to shore;
One hope, one faith, one love restore
} The seamless rsbe that Jesus wore"
The heroism which brings such painless
woundless, deathless, all merciful, all Low
ing results, is crowned with a chaplet fra
: grant forever with the white flowers o
: peace 3a e
Now, to dismiss an officer who has beer
thanked with such beautiful, expressive
and truthful praise as Gen. Mcclellan wa
thanked by Congress, is not only unmili
tary and unjust, but a reproach to thu
preceding Congress which / am unwilling
to allow. If we were wrong then, lie
there be at least some inquiry into the
Justice or injustice OF our encomium.
Many of these officers who ire to be
dishouored by this bill have not only i'm
paired or lost their fortunes but have i'm
perilled life and limb while serving the
Republic against the great rebellion
This bill proposes by sweeping clause
to retire them from service without many
of them having adequate means at thi.
time to take care of their families.
l do not know what may be the wishes
of other generals who arc to be degraded
by this bill, but this l know, that gentle
men on the other side have it not in theil
power to degrade General Mcclellan, even
if it be their intention to attempt it. He
is above their assaults. | wish it dis
ltinctly understood that in.speaking as
do do not plead FOR him. He does not
ask any favors from the other side of the
! House or from the Administration His
labors and deeds are historic and belong
tU better tribunal than partisan Con-
gress or party press. .ou
Mr. Speaker, my colleague Mr..
Schenck the other day, when I opposed
the immediate passage of the bill, thought
I desired chance to make speech for
Gen. Mcclellan. assure him that was
not my intention at all, and that it is not
my intention now There was no neces-
sity for it then, nor is there any now. All
that / have said or desire to say is called
for by the bill introduced by my colleague
which strik es at Gen. Mcclellan. i
1t would be enough to say, as an objec-
ton to this bill. that it will have tho effect
of RENTING Gen. Mcclellan to the regu-
lar army and cutting off his pay, thus
forcing him to resign his position as the
first major general, Under the circum
stances, this would operate as. stigma
upon him, and would have disastrous
effect upon the esprit Of the army, where
he has tbous;;h lids and thousands of de-
voted friends. and among the people, too,
where he has thousands and thousands of
ardent admirers.
A measure of this kind, striking at the
military status of general who for two
or three years has given all his stupen-
dous energies TO the cause of the Repub
lie, should have better reasons than mere
economy. For what's he to he disgraced?
Is it for his prompt rescue of Western
Virginis. where amid the mountains and
along the Kanawha, with many of my
own constituents from Ohio, he advanced
the banner of the Union? Is it for his
humane and orderly march into those
dlsaffected regions which his arms pre-
served from the rebels; while his policy
saved it from disafectioH and ravage? Is
it for his grand system of strategy where
by he directed successfully the opera
tions of every point OH the. Cumberland,
on the Tennessee, on the Mississippi, at
New Orleans; round to the Carolinas
where Burnside achieved those successes
which he 50 promptly attributed to his
superior? Is it for thus Illuminating the
.'whole horizon with the blaze of victo-
Iry, achieved upon comprehensive plan
whose constimhation he had reserved for
his own army of the Potomac? Is it for
founding that noble army out of The ruins
of the Bull Run disaster? Is it for saw
| ing that army by his unprecedented and
miraculous retreat for seven days and
nights after the Government had failed
to sustain him. aud wheh thrown upon his
own resources? Is it for rescuing theIar-
my after General Lincoln, Pope, and Hall
lleck had blundered? Is it because he
took the army, weary and wan, footsore
and dispirited, and by his simple pres
ence MADE t:heroic and clamorous to be
!. led at once after the enemy? Is it be-
cluse the President said he was worth any
ten generals, if all were compressed into
one, when it became necessary to save the
archieve,, he capital, and the personnel
of this Administration? Is it because
Twice lie saved this national capital, in
cluding those at the other end of the
avenue who have done their utmost to
traduce and disgrace him? Is it for all
these services-now, thanks to his own
truthful report Communicable his oryi and
over which recorded honors VIII gather
forever? For which of all these works
do We pelt him with your pitiFul persc-
cutions? All! no, for none oil these; but
because, forsooth, he would hate made
the war honorable and civilized; not a
war for political faction, partisan revenge
or fanatical hate, but war "to enforce
the equal operation of the laws of the
/ United States upon the people of every
State" a war to save and not to destroy
I the Constitution Because he dared to
write to his Majesty from the sacred pre-.
cincts of Malvern Hill, in the agony o.
his heart at the failure of the Govern
ment to aid him, and to plead with it
=. agents to conduct the war on the princi
pies Of civilization and Christianity, ant
not with view of emancipstioR, suhju
CATION, aud determination? Or is it be
cause, now that he has been retired, h
looms up as the idol Of the army and tn
5 hope of the people?
: l know, sir, that stigmas are cast upo
lCoo MoClallan oil ovpr tho oouptrp