Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-06-13
Gen. GarfeId's Record In Con-
gFeSS.

prleIy OF SenQlng MIN 70 lgr Tor 2 third
term. Against Gen. Garfield as a citizen
and a man, I shall have nothing to say; but
there are grave objections to his course as a
Representative in Congress, which, mas
much as he is q candidate for reelection, it
is proper for me, in a fair way, to criticise.-
He, in my Judgment, made a great mistake
in opposing a Joint resolution of the Military
Committee to continue bounties TO volun-I
teers. Gen. Farnsworth, of Ill, on the 9Th
day of January, 1864, from the Military
Committee, reported a join, resolution to
continue the the payment of boanties TIL the
LIST of March next thereafter. In opposing
this JOINT proposition, Gen. Garfield said,
eBefore I vote for this resolution l desire to
know whether the Government is deter
mined to abandon the draft. If it be its
policy to raise an army solely by volunteer
ing and paving bounties we have one line of
policy to pursue. If the CONSUMPTION Law is
TO be ANYTHING but a dead letter on the stat
ute books our line of policy is a very differ
| ent one. I ask the gentleman from Illinois
to inform me what course is TO be adopted
I ana sorry to see in this resolution the indi-
| cation of a timid and vacillating course. 1t
is unworthy tho dignity of our Government
and our army TO use the conscription act as a
a scare-crow and the bounty system as a bait
to alternately scare and coax men into the ar
my. Let as qice liberal bola1tieS to Ueteran SOL
diers l0ho may re-enlist, and for TG1 recruits
use the draft"
Not withstanding this severe assault, the
resolution passed the House by the decided
vote of I12t to 2. Gen. Garfield was a young
man and a young member, and stiA lac did
not hesitate to characterize this resolution
of the Military Committee Of which he was
a member. as eindieation of a timid and
vacillating course Fortunately the House
was not so over-persuaded by the argument
as to take such a view of it.
Gen. Garfeld's views as te drafted men
were quite extraordinary. He did not seem
disposed to grant them any compassion. At
ter a man had passed from the condition of a
citizen to that of a conscript he would have
had the Government withdraw all those pc
culiar rights and privileges which it extend
ed ordinary recruits. I certainly am I'M
able 10 see why Gen. Garfield should have
pursued such q course, but lest I should be
charged with doing him injustice, l will let
his record speak for itself On the 10th day of
February, 1864, when the CONSUMPTION bill
was under consideration, MIR. Stevens, said,
as reported in the Congressional Globe:
ssMr. Chairman, if 1 understand this section
there is no process provided by which thede-
PENDANT, if you may so call hIm-the draft
ed man-can bring his witnesses before the
the Court. = 1t is only in behalf of the Gov
eminent that such process can be issued, and
the drafted man, who claims that he has been
Wronged, can subpoena no witnesses. Now l
ask the Committee on Military Affairs if
that is intentional ?"
Mr.. Garfeld-sn is Intentional"
Mr.. Stevens-''fhe gentleman says it is
Intentional. Then L think a different pro-
vision should be made, and that the defend
ant should have a right to subpoena witness
es." Now it appears to me, and L believe 1t
will so appear 20 a large majority of Gen.
-Garfelds constituents, that if a drafted man
should feel that injustice had oeen done HIM
by Government witnesses, he ought TO be al
lowed the privilege Of sebpening witnesses to
show that iDjustice-but Gen. Garfield was
of a different opinion.
On the 10th day of February, 1864, the sub
ject wasagain before the House, and Mr.. Stew
ems yainly endeavored to 50 amend the con-
scription bill, as that the, drafted man could
have process at the expense of the Govern
ment, to get his witnesses, and failing in
this he moved an amendment in the folloZ-
ing words-"That drafted men should have
process TO bring in their witnesses, but with
fee or mileage" ~ IL
ISgain quote from the Globe:
'tMr. Garieid-lkopa the amendment will
not prevail, for the reason that il viii lead
to a long array of triah; every man who de-
sires to escape the draft will ask q postpone
ment and the sImmoning of witnesses, and
il will drag out the business indefinitely
Drafted men constantly bring in their test
mony now. ~, 70
l"Mr. Stephens-I will Save the gentleman
If it is thought that drafted men
to have no chance, 1 viii Withdraw
nv amendment
Gen. Garfield denied that there was a
that drafted men should have no
He claimed that they did brink
witnesses. Mr.. Stevens seemed to think
there might be witnesses that the drafted
man could not obtain without process. and
that he 1T least could not obtain them at his
own expense. Gen. Garfield thought other
i~ til.
That Gen Garfield was opposed TO offering
as an inducement for men to enlist I
s apparent upon q further examination of
record. On the next day the subject was
Rgain ny. lt- +
''Mr. Brown, of Wis.-I move to add the
iollowing-AnG be at further enacted, That
the President is authorized to offer bonnties i
" fDNuHhCAs VIM may hefealter DC EequIeQ /
IS he shall deem eKpedient, not. exceeding,
5000 for each, one half of such
bounty to be paid in advance, and one-half j
IN the final discharge of the soldier; and
hat all proceedings under-the draft be sus- [
until it shall nave been aseertained
" actual experiment that a sufficient num- 1
of volunteers connot be procured through i
he bounty hereby authorized, and that the {
President, being convinced that volunteers
be so obtained, may by proclamation, {
resume proceedings under the draft. I
"Mr. Garfeld| am opposed to the t
amendment" n- lie
The speeches and votes of Gen, Garfield c
III through the dicussion of the CONSUMPTION 1
9il showed the same opposition to paying {
to volunteers, that his vote ahdEC
peeeh did against the joint resolution WhiehiI
I nave referred to. Ha became SO impezi-
)us in the pressing Of his PECULIAR views as
. bring upon him a sharp rebuke from Mr. !
of Mass. In reply to Gen. Gar /
laid Gov Ronfuan zat1 KT 4hovoIA a - I