Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-12-16
question. He does not know what war is, or,

| question. He does not know what war is, or,
if he does, then is he ten times the more
guilty. ! knew man once who was extreme
ly anxious to get into one Of these little fights.
The war had been progressing about year
and half, and he had been assigned to fancy
| duty At some distant post and complained that
| he never saw a fight. We started an expe-
| dition, and gave this gallant Colonel the conf
mand Of it. He came suddenly upon the
enemy, and the Confederates opened terrible
| fire upon him. In three minutes time he
came out of it, and came out handsomely, but
left about eighty men behind him. l asked
him that same evening how he liked it.
"Well," said he 81 am satisfied; but when
was in the fight minute or two, and saw men
falling down all around me, thought to my
self, can't this COMPOUNDED thing be COM
promised in some way" Laughter. / wish
to add an emphatic commentator of the
President and Secretary of State for the calm
self.respect, good sense, and, l may venture
to say, Christian temper and Christian states
manship, unpopular as that expression has
become, which they have exhibited in this
matter. 1t would have been easy to have
plunged the country headlong into war, un-
reIared as we were, but, even If we had had
the grandest navy in the world, should have
demanded of the Administration the same
reticence and self-respect which it has shown.
The time has passed when this American
nation can go round the globe with chip on
its shoulder, trying to get up fight with
every rowdy it meets. We can be patient,
temperate, and dignifed with all the world.
Nothing that Gen. Grant ever did, from the
time he left Galena until he passed through
the Wilderness and came into the White
House, does him more honor than the patient
frmness with which he has faced The Spanish
difficulty, and settled it to the satisfaction of
all.
Mr. Myers, of Pennsylvania, supported
the bill. Mr.. Crooke. of New York, said, in
reply to Mr.. Cox's remarks, that the harbor
of New York was ot detenseless. That gem
tleman (Mr. Cox had been speaking of what
he knew nothing about, while he Mr..
Crooke) was talking of that whereof he knew.
Thanks to the Secretary of the Navy, and
thanks to the Administration, the harbor Of
New York to-day was impregnable to all the
naval force of the world. If the whole Spanish
Navy, strong as it was, should attempt to
force the harbor fNew York to-day, it would
be sent to a warmer climate than New York
| was in.
Mr.. Garfield said he would yield few min
utes to Mr.. Cox hoping that his friend would
| lberate the House from the charge Of pusil-
| lanimity, and the harbor of New York from
the charge of being defenseless.
Mr.. Cox-When made the remark about
| the pusillanimity of the House, had in my
mind the way it showed off, the other day,
my resolution of belligerency. l did not ex-
| pect, when l made speech just now sus-
tanning this bill, that lot Of these Captain
Bobadlls fresh from the war. who want to re-
| count their own great deeds, should come
here and make anti-war speeches. | have
made no speech for war.
| IL I ,,,b
ter.
Mr.. Cox (not noticing Mr.. Garfelds inter-
ruption)-But never fnew in my life sim
| gle member of Congress from Connecticut
| from the Hartford Convention down-who did
| not begin to have sort Of war spirit as against
| his own country on some sectional matters,
and who had not always covered when it
came to fighting for the flag abroad
Mr.. Hawley (misapprehending Mr.. Cox's
last remark)-I want to know who is the cow
| ard?
Mr.. Cox-I am making no personal fight
upon you. l said covered" not coward"
| Pickwickian sense.
Mr.. Garfield to Mr.. Cox (-Do you spell it
| with an "H?"
Mr.. Cox-No! l spell it ''ered." l said
covered" l say to the gentleman from
| Connecticut, who is as irascible as most SOL
diers are, that when he puts in my mouth q
| speech for war he makes q slight mistake. l
said nothing of the kind. l said the House
| did not come up to the spirit of the people.
| Congress has not yet indicated the flag, has
not shown the old devotion to the flag which
belongdto other days of the Republic. As to
the harbor of New York, do not consult on
such subject with politicians. get my infor-
nation from engineers. believe to-day that
unless our navy be in some way strengthened,
we are at the mercy of other powers that have
those great iron cads and this new system of
aggre ssive warfare which has grown up with.
in the last five years.
Mr.. Schumacher, of New York; will say
to my colleague that no hostile fleet could get
into the harbor Of New York and get out of
it again.
Mr.. Archer of Maryland, speaking of the
relative force of the Spanish and American
navies, said that Spain had 8l8 guns ahoat
and could concentrate by the last OF this month
545 guns in the Cuban waters. The pending
bill, however, ought to pass Immediately, and
he only hoped that the committee on Appro-
priations would, at an early day, ask for still
larger appropriations for the same purpose
MIR. Holman, of Indiana, objected to a
technical provision in the BILL and, in the
course of his remarks, spoke Of the bold
ruftianism of Cuba, and of the atrocious out
RACES which had dishonored humanity in that
island.
Mr.. Beck, of Kentucky, spoke in regard to
the same clause, and took occasion to eulogiZe
the Administration for its course in reference
to Cuban affairs. He said that if there was
anything which the President had managed
well it was the negotiations with Spain. The
President might have plunged the country
into difficulties and perhaps have aggrandized
himself at the expense of the country but the
course which he had pursued had been ex-
tremely moderate and wise.
The discussion was carried on for some
time longer, and then the committee rose and
reported to the House, and it was thereupon
passed.
GENERAL NEWS.
l. L II.