Year: 1862

first time learns the situation Of Harper's Ferry
and without delay. rs is shown by the commits
sion itself, orders Summers and Franklin's corps
to its relief give but brief statement of the
facts, it is sufficient On the same day Harper's
,tFerry was placed under the command of Nc
CelIan, Brigadier General White arrived at
Harper's Ferry. he waived rank to Colonel
Miles, thereby confessng his inability to assume
command in conformity TO his rank, yet the com
mission say he did noble and gallant service
find nothing to censure in him. and suppose il
due time he will be promoted for his gallant for
Dearance The commission censures General
Wool for continuing Miles in command at
Hsrper's Ferry. but applaud White for waving
rank that Miles might surrender what Wool CON-
manced him to hold


Wool put quetus upon them by showing
that the War Department had directed Miles
to report directly to that Office from day to
day, and he conId have shown the following tele-
gram from this city to Col. Miles


"The Department have perfect confidence in
your ability and in yoor competency and direct
that you hold your position to the last extrem
ity"


Stanton. Halleck and Lincoln have confidence
in Miles; they continue him i'm command of
an important position; White valves rank for
him-but Mcclellan must be censured and this
is one oil the points on which they seek to assail
him.


But Halleck says he disobeyed orders in not
crossing the Potomac and giving battle to Lee
OF necessity, McCellan's army was shattered by
the battles in Maryland. His army was, Of ne
cessity, much scattered, and Haleck had himself,
under his own command, seen the evil result Of
throwing in the face of a masked foe an inferior
force. Such folly at Pittsburg Landing clothed
in mourning the North west. The East had felt
its effect in Pope's campaign. under the eye of
Halleck There has been quite enough of this.
When werecolect HalIecks rapid and ezDedfious
march from Pittsburg Landing to Corinth then
we can comprehend why he is so anxious for the
rapid marches Of Mcclellan.


Neither in Halleck's complaints nor In the
finding of the Commission, do we find anything
to warrant the removal of Mcclellan from his
command; and hence my mind is brought TO the
irresistible conclusion that IL was his failure to
indorse the proclamatio that was the real cause
of his removal. These remarks are not made
for the purpose of bringing forward General
Mcclellan, or any other person, in connection
with the Presidency of 1864 At the appropriate
time, | shall be prepared to take my position on
that subject, and will endeavor to select the
wsest, and irmest, and trueSt, and most patriotic
of our statesmen-one who is for the preserva-
ton of the Constitution and the restoration of
the Union-for that important position.


On the l1th of March last, my colleague,
Mr. Lovejoy,l having heard that two negroes
had been arrested, introduced resolution in
"a
which resolution passed this House by majority
OF two to one. On the first day of this session |
introduced a resolution directing an inquiry into
the causes why white citizens of Illinois, without
charges being made against them, were detained
in the various forts and bastiles in the country,
and that resolution was laid on the table, on mo
ticn of Mr.. Lovejoy, by similar vote The
army is being used for the benefit of the negro.
This House is being used for his benefit. Every
department of the Government is being run for
his benefit


Now, Mr. Chairman, have single word 20
those who are temporarily exercising the func-
tions of the Executive department Of the Govern
ment | fear they have not studied the history
of the people of this country, or the characters
tics OF the.race from whom they have descended
NAT history, ee.recrly nndersseod, shows that in
contests with power they have ever wrenched,
even from unwilling hands, fresh guarantees for
their liberty. am led TO make these remarks in
view of the arrests OF thousands of men in loyal
States, without due process of law, by the orders
of the Executive officers of this Government, at
the times and places where, in all cases, courts of
justice entirely open, and the execution Of
the laws wholly unobstructed. The most re
markabe page in the history of our is the
fact that while these Outrages have been commit
ted upon the rights of our people, no resistance
has been offered, no violence done, and no life
has been taken as the penalty of the wrong. The
desire of the people to preserve the peace in their
own midst has Eestrained them thus far from the
commission of violence


Attempts have been made to intimidate our
people at the polls Provost Marshals have been
sent everywhere, and yet our people have not
been provoked to violate order. But they are in
earnest. They mean to preserve their liberties
aud their rights. The results of the last cleo
tions were of no temporary character. Such a
triumph has never before been witnessed in this
country. There is not a man who voted the
Democratic ticket last fall, throughout the coun-
try, who is not prepared, when the proper time
comes to lay down his life rather than sacrifice
his liberty. We may as well understand this
Let us talk plainly about It, Let US not try de-
ceive ourselves or Others. We are no assassins
We are no law breakers. Our people have en-
dured great deal. They have submitted to
bitrary arrests and imprisonments. But let me
say to you. in Gods name, pause, stop; you can
not go any further" Our people are resolved
that you shall not. They are determined Do
not misunderstood them. We are for union We
are for Observation-Disclosures liberty Our an
cestors in all times past have vindicated it; and
their descendants. after long suffering, will, if
need be, vindicate it before God and the world.


| repeat, Mr. Chairman, our people are in earn
est They mean all that they have said. They
love the flag, because it represents constitution,
order law They do not wish % be slaves, and
do not mean TO be made slaves. We have had a
bill passed here to- day, under whip and spur,
without debate, without inquiry, extending am
nesty to those who have thus wronged our peo-
pie. think you had better also pass bill ex-
tending amnesty TO those of you whom the peo-
pie have condemned for your course here so that
you can have n political resurrection hereafter.
That is the only way you can ever have it done.
1t is the only way in which YOU can ever have
forgiveness If you expect that when the courts
came to look at the monstrcus bill which you
have passed to day. wiping out all the rights of
those who have been immured in prison, they
will hold it as constitutional. you are greatly mis-
taken. No court of justice will hold that that
gives indemnity for the wanton, reckless, tyran
ncal exercise of power 1t is not justice on earth.
1t is otjustice before God in Heaven. My opin-
ion about it is that you had better have left the
courts open to our people, and let those men who
had ruthlessly and reckessly violated every pre-
cept law and constitution, take the legal conse-
quences of their acts


But Mr.. Chairman, there is no excuse or palia
ton for the arrests that have been made. / care
not whether you take the case Of the old man
like Mahony. tottering to the grave; the little
boy in New England who sells newspapers for a
living; or men of high and spotless character and
devoted fidelity to the laws like Judge Duff, oil
Illinois. or the unfortunate boy who was con
fined in Camp Chase, who coald not pay his
washerwoman's bill, and was, therefore, accused
of dsloyal practices; or take the man of great in
telligence like Edison B. Olds, of Ohio, or tht
unlearned squirrel hunter from my friends Mr.
Robinson's1 district, who did not know but tha
JEFF. Davis and Lincoln we're on the same side
or the intermediate between these extremes
there is not one of them that could not have beer
tried in the place where the offensewas said e
II