Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-05-05
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 1864.
GEN. BLAIR's SPEECH.

of to-day's paper the report of the committee
made upon the charges publicly brought by mem
: ber of the House of Representatives against the
Hon. Francis P. BLAIR, jr., and also the speech,
as officially published, made by that gentleman on
tie day the report of the committee was submitted,
in vndication Of his character from the attacks of
which he has lately been the object, and in expo
sure of the motives to which he ascribes the
origin of these attacks.
The summary of this report, and especially of
Gen. Bairs speech, published by us on Mon
sions as inaccuracies in the unofficial resume Of
the Congressional proceedings, that the political
friends Of Gen. Blair have .ignifed'to us . desire
to see them 10th reproduced in our columns from
the official report of the Congressional Debates, and
We accordingly comply with their request, not only
in justice to that gentleman, but because the atti
tude in which he has recently been placed by the
President before the country gives particular in
terest to the discussion and issues that have been
joined over his name, in Congress and out Of
Congress.
1t is not difficult, we suppose, to trace the origin
of the feud which has eliminated in the speech
before our readers 1t is known that in the poll
tical divisions which have prevailed in Missouri,
Mr.. CHASE has sympathized with the radical par
ty, and Mr.. LINCOLN with the conservatives.
Maj Gen. Blair, having early sided with the latter,
incurred the bitter hostility of the partisans at
tached to the former, among whom certain Office
holders of Secretary Chase, it seems, signalized
fhorns oil hu al in of duo
ing him, to this end circulating forged papers de-
signed to bring him into popular odium. Called
to make defence against these assaults, Gen. Blair
appears to have identified the Secretary with his
employees in the Southwest and to have held him
responsible for their alleged official abuses and per-
sonal aspersions And President Lincoln, in ap-
pointing Gen. Blair to command the Thirteenth
Army Corps after he had thus publicly arraigned the
Secretary and his subordinates, seems at least to
have indicated that in his opinion it was as fair
that the General should take large license in
the work of self-defence as that the employees of
the Secretary should assume to themselves immu-
nifty in the work of attacking officer in the mill
tary service of the country.
So long the controversy between Major Gen.
Blair and the present distinguished Secretary OF
the Treasury seemed to be of personal character,
we abstained from all reference to it in our columns
from a feeling of respect for the personal worth
and official position of both, one of whom was
serving his country with signal ability in the field,
and the other at the head of Department in
which, notwithstanding our dissent from some
features of his financial policy, he has challenged
our admiration and received our support.
But, within the last few days, it has been made
apparent to minds, as it is apparent to the
minds of all, that the feud between these gentle
men has been lifted by the President of the Uni
ted States out of the narrow boundaries in which
it might have seemed to revolve if the recent
appointment of Major General Blair to the com.
mand Of the Thirteenth Army Corps had not
been made immediately after he had reflected
SO severely on Secretary Chase upon other than
purely personal grounds, and in doing which
he assumed to speak as the political friend Of the
President. Such attack, made upon the Sec
retary by political opponent of the Administra
tion, we should have disregarded, as being the off
spring of political prejudice; but such an attack
AAsuO w pohoiOab liicuu VI phO
and by one who, Immediately on making it, re-
oeives signal proof of the Presidents confidence
and friendship, is something that seems to us
hardly compatible with tho relations that should
exist between the official subordinates of the same
President If Gen. Bairs charges against th'
Secretary are true, he should not be permitted Il
retain his place in the Administration. If the,
are false, he should not be honored by high mill
tary command, conferred under circumstance
which end the name of the President to the sup
port of the charges And, even if in conferrin,
this appointment, the President has had simpl
regard TO the qualifications of Gen. Blair for mill
tary command, and has meant to imply no endorse
ment of the attack made by that gentleman OF
Secretary Chase, it seems to that the Secretary
and the friends Of the Secretary are entitled to
pect disclaimer Of such intention on the part o
the President. Candor and fair dealing require pt
less when such allegations are made in the face O
the nation by one rcputcd and believed to be ia
vorite Of the Executive.
It is known that the relations between the Pro
sident and the Secretary of tho Treasury, in con
sequence Of their rival pretensions to the Presi
deuoy, have been already topic Of correspondence,
between them and Of discussion in o publi,