The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-02-12
LIEUTENANT GENERAL,
General Grant Recommended for
Promotion.
Debate az. tile House on Monday.
February j, 1864.

February ], 1864.
The House resumed the consideration of the
bill reviv!ng the grade of Lieutenant General.
Nh. Garfield (Rep) of Ohio, said there was
nothing to be done by q Lieutenant General
which the General-in-chiefh imselfcould not do
The President had full range OF all the Cen
erals, and could select any one of them to act
IN the latter capacity. SO the bill did not give
nm more power than he now had. Better
wait until the war was over, and then see what
General lowered above all the others. and TO
him give a brevct as a crown of merit. The
scale was now sliding. The General elevated
to-day may be down tomorrow They all
knew what General would probably be ap-
| pointed under this bill-a man who lowered
above Others at this time and justly so. But
he would ask the House, in view of our neces-
sites, whether it would be proper to recall
him, and make him bureau officer in Wash
ington. Would it not be an act of the greatest
danger to call him to this city for service?
Mr.. FarnswOrth, Rep.) of Illinois, replied.
while it was true that some Of the generals
elevated to-day may be down tomorrow. it
was not true of the general for whom this
honor was intended. His star had been con-
stantly rising. He became greater day by day,
and by his mastery ability he stands a head
and shoulders above all the other generals in
the army. He had been tried long enough to
go down to posterity with the most brilliant
military honOrs and has done enough to en-.
title him to the prize. 1t did not neces-
sarily follow that Gen. Grant shall be selected.
He would be brought to Washington to trans
act his business. He expected that Gen. Grant
would still command the army, and would
hasten to points where his skill and voice re-
qoired his presence.
Mr.. Spaulding, Rep.) of Ohio, inquired
whether the bill contemplated that the Lieu
tenant General should actually take command
and replace the General-in-Chief? If so, he
would vote for it.
Mr.. Farnsworth replied that the bill pro-
vlded that the Lieutenant General shall COM
mand the armies of the United States.
Mr. Schenck, Rep) of Ohio, announced
his intention to vote for the bill. He desired
to be understood as not wishing to instruct
the President, for on the latter should rest the
responsibility of making the selection. If the
President, eighteen months ago, had been al-
thorized to confer the brevet rank of Lieuten-
ant General it might have been conferred upon
Mcclellan or subsequently upon Meade or upon
Rosecrans, and now it may lie upon Grant, SO
variable are the fortunes of war. He (Schenck)
was unwilling to enter into any discussion con-
corning the merits OF any of the generals. He
repeated that he should vote for the bill simply
on the ground that it might be considered bet
ter for the organization of the army that such
grade Should exist.
Mr. Stevens could not see the necessity for
the passage of the BILL as the President now
n"o tLC power W appoint from among the
Generals, General-in-C Chief of the army. If
the present General-in-C Chief is not satisfactory
the President has full power to appoint an
other. There Was, he repeated, no necessity
for the bill, unless it was to censure the Presi-
dent for not making such change. This bill
proposed that the selecting of Lieutenant
General should not be made from lower grade
than a Major General. But if soldiers of a
lower grade were better qualified, an opportu-
nifty should be allowed to select from them-in
other words, the most able and meritoriOus
with no regard to rank Reputation depended
upon the success of General. The House
should wait awhile before passing bill of this
character.
Mr.. Boyd of Missouri, favored the appoint
ment OF Lieutenant General, if it would have
the effect OF superseding General Halleck as
General-in-Chef
Mr.. Washburne. (Rep) of Illinois, said the
Dill pending pointed SO distinctly to distin-
ungulshed General that no one could misun-
derstand it. He could not see the reason for
reyiving the grade of Lieutenant General
What would have been the position of affairs
in the present rebellion had it not been for the
services OF General Grants man who could
not be surpassed in history in the brillancy of
his achievements in the field? Two years ago
tide OF calumny and detraction swept over
this great General, and when he (Mr. Wash
burne) arose to defend him, he believed he had
not the sympathy of single man here He
would appeal to the past as we'll as the pres
ent history OF the country to say whether every
prediction he then made as to General Grant
had not been fully verified. Mr.. Washburne
briefly reviewed General Grants career from
Belmont to Lookout Mountain, claiming that
ne had captured more prisoners than any man
IN modern times, and more guns from the enc
my, and had done that which entitled him to
the gratitude of all hearts in the West by re-
opening the great channel of the Mississippi
roufh hos Iod =
He has inspired his soldiers with those great
principles and abilities and enthusiasm which
belong to him. He would never leave the field,
but would ever be where his presence was
most needed, and where duty called.
MI. Hubbard, (Rep. of Connecticut. said :--.
AS the war was not ended, other battles would
be fought. Some gentlemen here doubted the
eXpediency of passing the bill at the present
tlme. All the Generals should have an oppor-
tunlty to compete for the great prize.
:, MI: Washburne would tell the gentleman
tnat the war would never be ended until we
had a fighting General to lead our armies.
p" That's what's the matter" TLaughter. and
voices of "You're right."1
Mr.. Boutwell,, Qep.) of Massachusetts, was
opposed to the bill, not because he was oppos
ed to General Grant being honored. but because
the war was not yet ended, and such an an
pointment might create sectional divisions in
the army; he desired the selection to be post
poned till the termination of hostilities.
Mr.. Garfield moved that the bill and amend.
ments be land on the table.
Disagreed tO-19 against 113.
Mr.. Ross, (opp. )of Illinois, offered an amend
ment respectfully recommending Major Gen.
eral Grant for the position of Lieutenant Gen.
eraI. l,
This was agreed to--yeas Ill, nays 17--as
follows:
Nays-Messrs. Ashley, Bromall, Bailey, Clay,
Davis of Maryland, briggs, Garfield, Order,
Hall, Higbee, Hotchkiss, Hubbard, Julian.
Longyear, Shannon, Epson and Williams.
The bill was then passed-96 against Al.