South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-31

profits then as now. copperheads were working ther
now.
The Chicago Herald. reviewing the recent congress
sona action. has made investigation the working
Of that committee under-or over-Lncoln. and the in
formation is interesting
Lincoln was afraid of the committee although h
criticism Of appear his published letters
messages authorized interviews. Once. in relations
to its work he politely told the go take
jump. His secretary of for time refused tC
present records TO the committee. Gen Mcclellan de-
clned appear before it. Cen Scott took the
same decided stand
Later the committee got Mcclellan removed com
mander-in- chief of the It supplied Gen. Grant
list Of incompeent. suspected and insubordinat'
generals. 1t approved the order of Gen. Fremont
freeing all slaves of enemies after Lincoln had dis
approved Of doubted ability OF Gen. Meade
as commander Of the army Of the Potomac and after
ward censured him. 1t condemned the expedition uT
Red river. II condemned the Balls Bluff campaign
did many other things went out of existence
in May, 1865.
Prest Wilson says that such committee would
render my task of conducting the practically i'm
possible and adds that the 1861 committee was the
cause distressing harassment and rem
dered Mr.. Lincolns task all but impossible.
Biographers of zacharah Chandler. senator from
Michigan. who originated the resolution creating the
1861 committee assert this committee was of tn
greatest winning the confed
eracy but of the Michigan newspapers at the tim
thought should better stock in the senate
and the Chicago Times. which later encountered trou
with government, commented: las to Chand
Ter it would be an Improvement if stock of asses
could be bred. he from a very bad stock"
Two days following the presentation Of the Chandler
resolution the New York Times said: THE thing
needful above y others is unity and harmony in
public counses We can get along without everything
else, except that. on the day the New York
World said: The people have right TIC dictate tC
their military leaders,
The view Of Asst. Adjt. Richard r. Irwin, oil
the authors Century's Battles and Leaders of the
civil war is exactly that expressed above. dis
cussing Bluff fight the by the com
of the provost guard and his Imprisonment in
Fort Lafayette, he says:
The committee on the conduct of the war
proceeded investigate Balls Bluff by meth
DDS common TO nearly all similar bodies. Wit
nesses were summoned and examined without
order. There cross examination. The
accused was not confronted with the witnesses
nor told their names, the charges upon
which he had already been tried, condemned
and sentenced before he was allowed
appear. No one was responsible
"Of the many important details there was
no record The secrets of a committee may
be divulged the authority from
which its existence is derived. on behalf OF
the committee the responsibility has been
sought to be avoided 1t cannot avail
Gen McClellan's statement is explicit that
Mr. stanton. secretary of war. informed him.
when ordering the arrest that he did so. at
the solicitation Of the committee. Gen.
Clellan was of the most truthful of
Mr. stanton. unfriendly he then had be
come, did not deny it; but he explicitly denied
the authorship of the
ION the part of the committee such ex-
pIict denial was ever made. As matter of
fact some at least of it's members hailed the
arrest with demonstrations of delight.
April in the senate. the committee vehemently
opposed resolution calling upon the presi-
dent for evidence taken before the committee
and Pres't Lincoln refused TO comply holding
it incompatible with public interest"
BY the supporters of this committee it claimed thai
worked in harmony with the president after it
was appointed and the fears Of the president al
layed Some Ct the acts indicate the reverse The
committees chase after Gen. Mcclellan will nlustrat,
the point
The committee started with inquiry of the defeat
at Bull Run. Before the committee decided what il
thought Mcclellan made commander-in- chief. The
committee wanted Mcclellan to go after the enemy at
once When he did so, they did not like what he did
The committee urged the secretary Of war TO get
Clelan out of the way They went TO the secretary
home the second request. Then they o the
president That was Feb. %, 1862. The president
didn't act. Chandler made speech in the senate or
July 16 denouncng Mcclellan. The general was re-
neveG of his Nov. T. S62 and his military
career came to abrupt end.
If there was harmony why the speech in the senate
to force Lincoln take the view OF the committee OF
the o the war?
There would be about the same sort of harmony now
that there then only perhaps less for the reason
that the purpose of doubt is in part create
much disturbance possible The proposal comes
from statesmen Of the pro German school. The wal