The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-04-27
Vindication of Gen, Mcclellan
SP E E CHI
HON. SAM UEL 9. COX,
OF OHIO,

) Deliuered an the House of Representative
of the United States. March 16, 1864.
The joint resolution to drop from tn
rolls of the Army unemployed genera
officers being under consideration
Mr.. COX moved to amend the resolu
| ton by adding the following proviso:s
Provided, That whenever any Office
comprehended in this act shall demand
board of inquiry according to the rules
and regulations in such cases, and who
J shall be willing to serve, that such board
shall be forthwith convinced: and if sale
board shall find him competent to com
ma1d in the rank to which he is entitled
he shall at once be restored to active ser
vice with full pay: And provided further
That all officers who have received the
thanks of Congress during the present
war shall be exempted from the provi-
sions of this act. r t3-t
Mr.. cox said: z.sia-a
Mr. SPEAKER: I presume that the prin-
cipal object of my colleague Mr.
Schenck in pressing this bill, and which
he avowcd the other day, is an enconomi-
cal one. He disclaimed having any in
tention to strike at any particular officer
or officers / am bound to accept his dis
claimer. The remarks have to offer will
indicate the effect of the bill upon certain
officers of the Army
Some time ago this House passed a
resolution inquiring of the War Depart
ment what general officers were unem-
ployed, and what general officers were en-
ployed, in duties below their grade. To
that the War Department made reply. /
have it before me. Executive Document
No. 5. | have analyzed and classified it.
find that twenty major generals and
forty seven brigadier generals are reliey-
ed from service, or were at that time re-
lieved, making in all sixty-seven officers.
One thing will strike every gentleman,
and that is this, all of these officers. with
the exception of twenty-five, are reported
as employed in some service, valuable
service, though it may be below their
rank. Some are employed as agents for
prisoners, commissaries, quarter masters,
and upon court martials, and many as
superintendents of depots for drafted and
enlisted men. All the officers enumera-
ted in this report are actively and usefully
employed. except twenty-five. This fact
lessons the force Of my colleagues eco
nomic argument.
Although these officers are employed
in service not equal to their rank.-yet
they are rendering very faithful and in
dispensable service to the Government,
which would have to be rendered by some
one else, perhaps by officers of inferior
ability as well as grade. The Govern
ment has its full consideration for their
service; and there Is no question OF econ
omv as to them As to the rest the ques-
ton of economy can be settled by the
p esident, who has it in his power, with
out our action, to dismiss these officers
and strike them from the pay roll. But
as | understand the matter, even If the
President should do this, the Government
will only save about three hundred thou
sand dollars per annum by this measure
the salaries of about twelve officers
sum for year not one-tenth of what is
required to carry on this Administration
for single day! One or two Of these
relieved officers have stats. Gen. Ere
m ont has four of his staff with him now.
Mcclellan has none of his staff.
Of these twenty-five unemployed, one
is put down as being in prison--General
Neal Dow-and another as being in Con-
gress, my friend from Kentucky [Mr.
Smith who now stands by my side.
Several of these twenty-five generals
thus unemployed have been relieved be-
cause of wounds They are Generals
Sickles, Hatch, Tower, Barlow, Paul,
Rowley and others. This bill should not,
and properly does not. affect them. Now
! let US see who are to be affected. 1t
reaches then only about dozen unem
ployed officers. All the economy of the
bill is reduced to these officers. Who are
they? They are Generals Mcclellan, FIRE.
mont, Buell. Wallace, McCook, Critten-
den, Milroy, Oglesby, Hartsuf Andrew
Porter, Abercrombie, and Roberts. L
may omit one or two from inadvertence.
see by the morning papers that General
Wallace is assigned to active duty. As
matter of course Milroy will be employ
ed. That may be the'case with others
/ that / have named. These, then, are all
that will be affected by this bill. All the
saving, then, will be the salary of these
dozen generals. Is it fair and just to
strike them from the rolls of the Army
because they have been relieved by the
caprice or under the prejudices of the
President, the Secretary of War, or Gen.
Halleck? If, in the opinion of the Pres
ident, they are no longer serviceable to
the Government, why does he not dismiss
them? He has the power. Why devolve
it upon Congress? Why does not the
Executive assume the responsibility?
Many of these officers who are to be
affected by this bill left civil life for the
army and sacrificed positions of proff
and honor to their patriotic duties. Gen
!, bMcC Clellan left an employment of $4,000
a year at the call of Gov. Dennison, o
4 Ohio, to take the command in Western
Virginia, where bis services were so sig
nal and successful Since then he ha
sacrificed everything be had made in civi
life, and lives now upon salary less thar
he could obtain elsewhere Under sucl
circumstances, l ask is it fair to. drop hin
from the rolls Of the army? | ask it as