Year: 1864




The following speech was deliver ed be
fore the Union League Of New York CITY
/ by Brig. Gen Cutler, of the Wisconsin
| Iron Brigade 1t is voice from the ar
my, and from man given to sound rea-
soning-a man who has served his coun-
try faithfully Cor nearly four years, par
ticipating in nearly all the battles of tn,
! Army Of the Potomac;


| .Hr President Accept my thanks fol
the very cordial reception have met here
this evening. 1t always gives me pleasure
to meet good, true and loyal men, and es
peclally now, and here, where my cars
have heard other sounds than the voice oi
patriotism and loyalty. Sir, | have heard
more complaining, more repining and
more disioyal talk in one day, since
came North-yes, IN one hour-than
have heard in the army in three years.
Why Is 1T ? 1t is because we have traitors
North as well as South, and they desire
to make their treachery felt in the coming
elections, to get possession Of the govern
ment again. 1t would lie impertinent in
me to tell you and these gentlemen what
they should do, or how they should con
duct the coming campaign


But, Mr.. President, the efforts to em-
barrass the operations Of the army and
the government to misrepresent the cause
OF the struggle, are so constant, persistent
and wicked, that | cannot forbear urging
upon you the necessity of constantly
keeping the true issues before the public
mind. y convention assembled at Chica-
go the other day, representing what
claims to be the democratic party That
convention, or at least the part of i that
sat at Chicago, was presided over by the
man whose election as governor Of New
I ork was cheered in the camps Of the
rebel army two years since. The other
part believe was run by George \. San
ders. This convention made nominations
and put forth platform. One part of
that platform | propose briefly to consd-
er. 1t IS the resolution demanding. not
an armlstice, for that would presuppose a
resumption Of hostilities ut given time,
but a cessation of hostilities. with view
to peaceful settlement Of these troubles.
No more fighting. and this it is proposed
TO nave done on the part Of the govern
ment which has been assailed This pro-
position means, and it can mean nothing
else, but submission to the rebels. They
have asked for no cessation of hostilities.
The party which does must ask for terms
OF peace. Did ever any man or set Of men
make more infamous, disrraceful and
cowardly proposition than that? Go to
Jeh Davis and ask terms Of peace! Sup
pose he says, ''Reco@nize our independ
ence Do they intend to do it Suppose
he says, "W9 viii come back as we were,
but You must send back TO elavnrv thn
two hundred thousand black men Won
have IN your army, and all the other slaves
who have escaped and become free" Is
it proposed to do that?


What DO they propose to do with the
rebel debt? Pay it? VIII Davis and
the other rebels Voluntarily agree to pay
their share OF our debt? No. Perhaps
it is understood with Davis to repudiate
the whole debt, population being one of
his virtues. One fact is evident, that this
peace plank is perfectly acceptable to the
Southern rebels; it is satisfactory to all
rebel sympathizers North. / have been
told by delegates to that convention, that
the Woods, Nallandigham and that ilB.
had no influence; that they were played
out / do not know that it concerns us
whether they had influence or not, but it
does concern US to know that the conven-
ton adopted their principles, put them in
the platform and made them a part of the
democratic creeds That sort Of playing
out IS no doubt very agreeable to them


am asked how these nominations and
the platform viii suit the army? 1t is
nquestionably true that Gen Mcclellan
had great personal popularity in the ar
my, but IN my Judgment no man is so
pure or so popular as to get the vote of the
soldiers with such a platform. The men
composing the army are intelligent; they
are brave; they are not traitors. They
went out there to fight for freedom in its
broadest sense-to crush out the rebellion
Do you think these men viii consent af-
ter three years fighting, to Law down their
aims and ask the pardon of JEFF Davis ?
VIII they forget tue ~roans of their fell
low comrades ? | do not believe it. VIII
they vote for the cowardlv policy Of any
temporary expedients which shall shift
the trouble from Us to an0thar generation?
1t is an insult to expect it. The army
want peace, but they want a peace which
shall be honOrable-as lasting as time
one which shall preclude the possibility
of another rebellion like this. They
know that there Is bat one way to have
such a peace, and that is by compelling
those in rebellion to lay down their arms
and ask for it. If you expect those who
have fought YOUR battles 1rHO kHllc 1UhQt
acar IS, to support platform which Is SO
satitactory to the rebels, which is cheered
in their camps, YOU have underestimated
their DatriotiSr0 and love of Iihorty-