The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1869-01-22

civil war. 1t was u time to call forth
the best efforts of tho best men. Mem
bers then of different politicalparties,
pursued what was feltto be a common
purpose by different methods and dis
tinct organizations The scenes of
that Congress are not easily forgot
ten. The almost daily contests be-
tween Loyejby and Corwin and Stew
ems on the one side, and Hinman and
| Barksdale and Branch on the other.
speaking alone of the dead, but settled
the issues for the coming years of
bloodshed and carnage. Some of us,
! foreseeing the calamitious timo, inter-
posed to stay the strife, praying that
if it were possible the cup of sorrow
might pass. Visions of desolated
Ihomes, of screaming women, famish-
ing children, and old men, the victims
of torture; fields laid waste, and all
that makes existence lovely perverted
visions fiightfully realized were
ever present before us whose people
occupied what we knew must be the
battle-ground in case of armed CON
tiict. 70 avert this terrible visitation
| need not say we laborod with all
the earnestness Of agonizing natures
The records Eemain to tell of our
laborst l refer to them at this time
and i'd this connection to attest the
feeling of confidence we entertained
toward Mr.. Stevens. Armed though
he was in completest panoply, and
ready for every encounter, we all felt
that if war should ensue it would not
be his generous nature which would
strike the first blow. This is not the
occasion to dwellupon the remember
ed Incidents of his intercourse with
my associates--still speaking alone of
the dead--with Gilmer, of North Car
| olina; Bouligny, Of Louisiana; Bris-
tow and Anderson, of Kentucky and
| Brabson and Hatton, of my own
State. 1t was not the intercourse of
men who expected soonto become en-
| emies So we separated at the inau-
| guration Of Mr.. Lincoln full of ankle.
| ty, vet not without hope,
| When, the next winter, we met
again as members Of a new Congress
all was changed. Ambition Of men
! We're inarms, aud the life Of the ma
ltion hung upon the issue of battles.
| We wereiboth upon tho Committee of
| Ways and Means, charged, as the
| House was at that time organized,
| with the examination of all financial
questions, both Of reveCue and expen-
diture, aud with the preparation of
all revenue bills, which, under tho
| Constitution, must originate in this
House, The expenditures of the Gov
ernment, never less than two millions
q day, and some times reaching three
millions, made a demand upon the
| public resources wholly without pre-
cedent and greatly beyond what many
regarded our ability tn meet Besides,
Intervention of two of the great Eu-
ropean Powers for months seemed i'm.
mnent and struggle between the
Republic and the united civilized
world And what was sill more dis
heartening to one in the position of
Mr. Stevens, he lacked confidence in
the ability and skill both of our civil
and military leaders, aud in some inn
portant instances he had little faith in
their devntion to the cause 40 dear to
the general heart. The early decisions
of the field were not always assuring,
and even here, there were not few,
timid aud unbelieving, ready to fee
at the,frst sign of irresolution on the
part of our leader Yet neither on
the floor nor in the committee-room
did his courage once weaken or his
purpose grow infrm. On the con-
trary, we saw his energies increase
With every new emergency, and his
spirit rise buoyant as those around
him becume more despondiug.-
Among the elements Of our final sue.
cess his unfaltering leadership at this
cardinal period was not the least
While events were shaping them
selves and the public Judgment was
bafied by the novelty Of the situation,
weakness, doubt, instability in that
quarter would have been disastrous,
might have been fatal The unabat-
ed hostility toward him by the par
tioans ofthe rebellion is explained on
" by their consciousness Of bis un-
yielding and overmastering power
The internal revenue system,
the currency system, the national
debt originated az this juueture and
under bis direction, In no instance,
| believe, did his individual views
entirely prevail, and there we're
point upon which he was diamet-
rioaIly opposed BY the action Of the
two Houses. Having known his
opinions at that time, [ could easily
appreciate his feeling Of Injustice at
the construction afterward given to
certain scattered expressions, used,
possibly, in reference to the predomi-
nant sentiments Of others rather than
to bis own. pat
His subseqnent career Is too recent
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