St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-09
whether the presidents orders had been COM

whether the presidents orders had been COM
piled with. Second, whether the force to de-
fend the city of Washington was sufficient.
They reported in the negative on both points.
These reports were submitted to the president,
who also consulted Gen. Totten, Gen. Taylor,
Gen. Meigs and Gen. Ripley. They agreed in
the opinion that the capital was not safe.
The president then by written order directed
me to retain one OF the army corps for the
defense of Washington, either Summers or
McDowelPs. AS u part OF Summers corps
had already embarked, I directed Mcdowell
to remain with his command and the reason
was approved by the president. Down to this
period there had never been shadow of diff
ference between Gen. Mcclellan and myself.
1t is true that 1 thought his plan of operation
objectionable as the most expensive, the
most hazardous and the most unprotected
that could have been chosen, but was not
military man, and while he was in command
would not interfere with his plan and
GAVE HIM EVERY AID
TO execute 1t. But when the case had as
sumed the form it had done by his disregard
of the presidents orders, and by leaving the
capital exposed to seizure by the enemy, [ was
bound to act, even if l had not been required
to do so by the specific orders of the president.
Will any man question that such was my
duty? When this order was communicated to
Gen. Mcclellan it of course provoked his
wrath, and the wrath Of his friends was
directed upon me because was the agent of
its execution. If the force had gone forward
as he had designed, believe that Washington
would this day be in the hands Of the rebels.
Down TO this point, moreover, there had
never been the slightest difference between
the president and myself. But the entreaties
OF Mcclellan induced the president to modify
his orders to the extent that Franklins
division (being part of McClellan's corps that
had been retained) was detached and sent
forward by boat to Mcclellan. This was
against my Judgment, because l thought the
whole force Of Mcdowell should be kept to-
gether and sent forward by land on the short
est route to Richmond, thus aiding Mcclellan
and at the same time covering and protecting
Washington by keeping between it and the
enemy. In this opinion Maj. Gen. Hitch
cock, Gen. Meigs and Adjt. Gen.
Thomas agreed. But the president
was SO anxious that Gen. Mcclellan should
the force to be sent by water, although that
! route was then threatened by the Merrimac.
yielded my opinion to the presidents orders,
but between him and me there has never
been the slightest shadow since 1 entered the
cabinet and except the retention of the force
under Gen. Mcdowell by the presidents or
ders for the reason mentioned, Gen. Mcclellan
has never made request or expressed q wish
that has not been promptly complied with if
in the power of the government To me per-
hdence and his thanks in the dispatches sent
me. I hold my present post at the request of
the president who knew me personally, but
to whom had not spoken from the 4th of
March, 1861, until the day no handed me my
commission. knew that everything I cher
lshed and held dear would be sacrificed by ac-
cepting the office, but l thought might help
to save the country, and for that was will
ing to perish. If I wanted to be politician
or candidate for Office would I stand be-
tween the treasury and the robbers who are
swarming around me, would I provoke and
stand against the whole newspaper gang in
the country of every party, who to sell news
would imperil a battle? I was never taken for
a fool, but there could be
NO GREATER MANLINEsS
than for man to encounter what do for
anything else than motives that overleap
time and look forward to eternity. believe
that God Almighty founded the government
and for my acts in the effort to maintain it
expect to stand before Him in Judgment
You WILL of course, regard this explanation
as being in the strictest confidence, designed
only for your information upon matters
where you nave expressed concern for me.
Truly yours, EDWIN NJ. STANTON.
The conclusion of the letter was received
with loud applause on the Republican side.
| Did that letter, written under such circum-
| stances, need confederation, continued Mr.
Kelley, against these midnight sanderers?
IL.
and it should have it from one of the men to
whom garbled quotations or false phrases
were attributed in the course of this villain
| Gus diatribe He then read q short extract
from letter of Gen. Grant to show the high
| opinion in which that officer held Stanton's
character, and he expressed his surprise that
| the rafting OF the bones of q. S. Grant had
| not disturbed the conspirators, who had
| claimed to have the power to give unanimous
consent to the setting aside of the special
order last Friday night. He asked
| the house to vindicate its orders to
protect them against this conscious, deiber-
ate, persistent invasion. 1t must be morti-
| fcation to every honorable man who knew
Stanton that there should be possibility Of
| posterity believing that as a member of con-
gress he sat quietly by and listened to the
| member OF the Eighth district of Alabama
make his speech on Edwin NJ Stanton. ZAP
plause on the Republican side.l
MIR. WHEELER
rose to question of privilege. He had been
| charged with having perverted the orders of
\ the house and with having slandered man
who was dead. The caption to the speech
| had not been put on by him or by the official
reporters. 1t had been put on by the public
| printer without his authority or sanction. He
regretted to see that the caption Edwin M.
Stanton was placed upon the speech
| Mr.. Reagan (TeXas) raised point of order
against the resolution. The speech had been
| in"uo NY unohiiouo couSeHt VI lle mousse,
| and therefore could not be an offense against
| the house. The speaker replied that it was
not within the province of the chair to decide
whetheri it was an abuse or not. 1t was al
legged to be an abuse by the gentleman from
Pennsylvania, and the question was
| to be decided by the house. Mr..
Anderson of Kansas denied that there had
been anything of a conspiracy about the
transaction. The gentleman from Alabama
has been accorded the floor in execution of
an agreement made in good faith among gen.
| tlemen on both sides, and for any gentleman
| to attempt to place on members who were
| present at the Friday night session the brand
of ''conspirators' was something which
| struck him as being quite reprehensible and
quite uncalled for. Applause on the Demo-
cratic side. Mr.. Morrison of Illinois then
cut short further discussion by moving to
| refer Mr.. Kelley's resolution to the committee
| on rules. Agreed to-76 to 81.