Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-07-30
SPEECH OF GEN. TODD

June ZStn, lcOf, In reply 10 tue cnaTse u
cowardice made in the printed speech of
VIM. Jayne:
Mr.. Speaker, rise to personal expla'
nation. On the llth instant the House
decided that was the legally elected Del.
ega,e for the Territory Of Dakota after
somewhant extended debate During this
discussion .he late sitting Delegate asked
and obtained leave of the House to print
the speech he had prepared, but which he
did not deliver. In that find the follow,
ing paragraph, and ask the Clerk to read
it: The Clerk read, as follows:
"As to any personal illusions the con.
testant has seen proper to make, or any
attempt to connect me with any Of the
fraudulent voting, have only this to say,
,ha, it is wholly false and | may as we'll
say that have too much respect for my
character to notice, care, or concern my.
self abount any such attempts at slander,
coming from man who resigned his
place, so says report, from fear Of being
dismissed from the Army for cowardice
mestc influence of the White House has
three times induced the Executive of the
United States reluctantly to send to the
Senate for confirmation as q bri gadIer
general aud who has three times met with
promp. refusal by the Senate. | should
scorn to notice any personal remarks com.
ing from any one bearing the name of the
contestant (Todd,) family somewhat no
torious for their love Of office. If they
cannot get Office under President Lincoln,
they take it under jeff. Davis
The gentleman wakes very indignat at
being charged with bribery Or an attempt
to connect him with any fraudulent voting,
and boldly pronounces the accusation
false ye, the proof is conclusive and
comes from four different witnesses, in
different parts of the Territory, who had
no colluson and no motive for false
swearing. His denial, unsupported by any
evidence, is what might be expected from
one detected and exposed as he has BEEN
He took advantage of the indulgence of
the House to utter imputations which have
no foundation in fact and which he dared
not express in his place, and then bad the
discretion to leave the city before the Globe
containing it was published. At the time
it made its appearance was confined to
my room by illness, and, as it has all the
merits of covert and c!andes.ine attack,
l hsye deferred noticing it until l have
deferred noticing it until have felt we'll
enough to do so.
He brings grave charge against me,
and bases it upon report. On what report,
and how supported? Nothing, absolutely
nothing, but the most vague and inde6n.
ite rumor, of which he is the author, and
to whom the responsibility belongs. The
charge is that resigned from the Army
from fear of being dismissed for coward
ice. Sir, the good name Of long service
in the Army of the country is not, trust,
to be suliied by the malignant voice Of de-
tec,ed fraud and disappointed ambition.
Appointed from the State of Illinois,
graduated o. the military Academy at
West Point in 1887. Ia the fall Of that
year I joined the Army in Florida, ard
continued in that arduous and thankless
service until lS42. when the Seminole war
was closed by General Worth. From that
period served upon the frontiers Of Tex.
as ard Arkansas, until the campaign open
ed before Vera Cruz, and only terminated
with the fall of,he City of Mexico, through
which served. then on the return Of
the Army to the United States was sta.
toned on the Upper Mississippi, in Min
nesota, until 1854, and in 1855 took ali
active part in the campaign Of General
Harney against the Sioux Indians Of the
Plains. and in the following year. 1856.
when all was peace, I resigsed my com.
mision in the Army after twenty years
service, and settled in Dakota, where l
have resided ever since.
Let US see what opinion General Har'
ney held Of my services during my last
campaign previous to my leaving the SER
vice; what my record is at the War De.
partment, and how The case stands before
the Senate Military Committee touching
this Infamous charge, which should forev'
er condemn nc in the minds Of all honor.
able men If true, or consign to everlasting
infamy the man who recalessly makes it il
false. l ask the Clerk to read the CORE
spondence which send to his desk. The
Clerk read, as follows:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE,
WASHINGTON, June 20, 1864.
Sra: The accompanying extract 8 TAX
en- from . speech OF Mr.. Jane, late sitting
Delegate for the Territory Of Dakota, pub.
lished in the Globe Of the 18th instant,
! but which WAS not delivered 10 the House,
j. be having asked permission 70 print.