Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-04-01
DEMOCRATIC CHARGE PROVED
FALSE

DEMOCRATIC CHARGE PROVED
FALSE.
Nothing is oftener on Copperhead lips than
the falsehood that the Administration has shown
favor 10 Republicans in its appointments to mil
itary offices. This charge, the other day, was
revived by Senator Davis, of Kentucky, upon
which sprang up debate, in the course ofwhi
it was proved that Mr.. Lincoln, in his appoint
ments, was so anxious TO deal fairly with Un-
ion Democrats that he even was unjust towards
his own political frieRls.
We extract from the Globe a portion of the
proceedings of the l4th relative to appointments
to West Point:
Mr. Davis. | am opposed 10 that amendment
because 1 am satisfied that if it be passed there
viii never be any other than young black Re-
publican soldier appointed to West Point.
Mr.. Doolittle. | do not know upon what
facts or foundation or authority the Senator from
Kentucky can make a statement like that, for in
all the military appointments made since the
war commenced i venture to say that the polit-
ical complexion of the individual appointed has
never been discussed in the Senate, or in the
Military Committee, or by the States that have
made the appointments. They have been APP
pointed everywhere not at all upon the ground
of their political character but because of their
loyalty to the Government, no matter whether
they were Democrats or Republicans. l never
heard the question asked anywhere even as to
generals: and great majority of the generals at
this day are named from the Democratic party,
as / understand.
Mr. Davis. l have another objection to the
proposition. In the growing favor into which
the young negro is emerging. suppose thata
good many nominations may be from the ne
groes young 'citizens of African descent. =
Laughter Does the Senator from Wisconsin
Mr.. Qoolittlel think that l am or that any
member of the Senate is so green, or that any
man ofcommon intelligence in the United States
is so vefdant as not to know that all the APP
pointing power, whether it is in the President
or heads of Departments, in the main is limited
and restricted exclusively and inexorably to men
of their own politics?
Mr.. Doolittle. Not in military matters
Mr. Sumner. ! wish to give the Senator
from Kentucky an instance; he has forgotten it,
| think. The first General whom Massachu-
sets sent into the field was a Democrat fresh
from the Charleston Observation-Disclosures F.
Butler.
Mr. Davis. And the Lord deliver us from
Benjamin F. Butlerl
Mr. Sumner He was Democrat
DIR. Davis. Yes, sir; and the meanest and
most mercenary Democrat that ever trod the face
of Gods earth. Laughter l could buy him
for sufficient consideration every day in the
week.
Mr. Wilson. Mr. President, think this is
rather a strange debate, but nevertheless ii is
forced upon us and we must meet it. We have
had since this war began, more than five hun
dred Generals appointed. / belive some forty
five or forty-six have been killed or have died
in the service. / do not know that any one of
those Generals received his appointment on ac-
count of his support of the Administration
know, however, that some officers, eminent men
in the Democratic party, did receive their ap-
pontments as matter of public policy, when
the war commenced, because they were of the
Democratic party. The Administration desired
to bring to the support of the country all men
of all parties and in the first year of this it
was much easier for a man who had voted for
Douglas or Bell or even Breckinridge,to receive
a high military appointment than it was for one
who had voted for Mr.. Lincoln. / think twen-
ty-three General officers have been appointed
from Massachusetts since the war opened, and
not more than eight or ten of those officers ever
acted with the Republican party. | venture to
say that of the twelve thirteen general officers
appointed from the State of Maine, majority
of them never took any part or gave vote for
the Republican party. | believe they have had
eight or nine general officers from Connecticut,
almost every man of them belonging to the reg
ular army, and men who took no part with and
had no association with Republicans. 1t is the
same in other States.
OF more than five hundred general officers
| think the number must be five hundred and
fifty-appointed since this war came upon US, l
do not believe one-third of them ever voted the
Republican ticket in all their lives, or supported
the policy of the Republican party before the
war began It has been so to considerable ex-
tent in regard to the appointment of minor Off
GERS. Paymasters, quartermasters, commissa-
ries, and other appointments have been often
made without reference to political opinions
| will say, further, that in the Thirty Seventh
Congress six thousand eight hundred and twen-
ty-five nomintions were acted upon by the Mil
itary Committee, and that committee, consisting
of four Republicans and three Democrats, never
gave divided political vote on one of them,
and at this session something like two thou
sand nominations have come before the commit
tee, and not a divided political vote or a ques-
ton connected with politics has ever arisen In
the committee. / think the Administration, in
IFS military appointments, has sought to do JUS
tce TO military men without reference to polit-
ieal opinions; and if any preference has been
made it was made when the war commenced in
favor of gentlemen who had acted with other
parties.
Mr.. Conness l desire to furnish the Sena-
tor with the California record on this point
There occur to me eight names of men who have
been appointed generals from that State since
this war began --Halleck Hooker Negley, Ju-
dab, West, Carleton, Denver and Shields.
believe they were all Democrats, and these are
the only appointments of generals we have had
from that State.
Mr. Wilson. l think from the State of Ken
lucky we have had some dozen or fifteen gene
raj officers appointed, some of them majors and
some of them brigadier-generals, and l do not
know that any of them voted for Mr.. Lincoln.
Mr.. Howe. did not suppose that should
live to hear any man, speaking in the name of
the Democratic party, object to any administra-
ton upon the ground of prescription for pOliti-
cal opinion. Wherever that lesson has been
practiced or wherever it has not may be open to
some dispute; but there is no room for dispute
whateverre as to where the lesson was learned
1t was taught us by Democratic Presidents and
Democratic Politicians,and they are the last men
who should urge it as an objection against any
Administration. Upon that point, l think
shall not be disputed.
1 have one more point to submit and it is
this: that if we have had any Administration
since the day that George Washington retired
from the Presidency, against which this charge
of conscription could not honestly be urged, it is
the Administration in power to-day. A more
liberal, a more tolerant Administration we have
not had i'll know anything about the histories oi
parties, since the Administration of George
Washington. This Administration came into
power upon known, published policy; the
country approved the policy, and therefore Sc.
lected the Administration, or him who stands
at the head of the Administration, the present
President of the United States. But that Pres
ident was not fairly inaugurated before he wai
confronted not by any rival policy, but he wal
confronted by an armed force-ar rebellion cause
less, unprOvoIed, unjustifable; not only with
out cause, but without decent pretext; ant
its first and its only work has been, down to thi
day, not to carry out particular policies or meas
ures. but to put down that rebellion which saiC
that the United States should not dictate poll
cies for the country of any kind, good or bad
and the moment it came in contact with tha
rebellion, it did what? 1t abandoned all part,
distinctions whatever; it said publicly, From
this day forward we know only two parties il
the United States-the party of patriots and th
party of rebels; the friends ofthe United State
and its enemies;'' and whatever any man
opinion might have been on the question of sla
-, fle TarrifOries in the District of ColuTn