Year: 1862




1862.


tCONCLUDED1


The Secretary read as follows:


"Januarv 20. 1892, the committee
informed the Secretary of War that
they had boen informed by Gen. Nc.
Clellan that Gen, Stone was in this city,
and that he CGen. McClellnn) was of
opinion that Gen, Stone should appear
before the Committee in regard to the
matters laid to his charge, and the com
mittee informed the Secretary Of War
that they were willing to hear General
Stone at any time.


"On January 81, 1862, Gen. Stone
nppcard before the committee the second
time, was informed of the evidence bear
ing against him, and was allowed to pro-
coed and make his own explanation in
his own way.


"The committee then appointed n
subcommittee to wait upon the Secre-
tary of War. and inform him that there
was a conflict Of testimony in relation
In Gen. Stone, and to communicate to
him what that testimony was"


Mn. WADE.-That, sir, is the inqnis-
itorial course we have taken with Gen.
Stone. As he was likelv to be implica-
ted in the Balls Bluff affair, no was ono
Of the early witnesses that we called in l..
We were not inquiring into the conduct
of any individual. That was not what
we were placed there, as we believed, to
do. It was not our construction Of pow
ers that we're granted to us. We we're
to inquire into the facts connected with
the conduct of the war, and if there
we're short comings or delinquencias
that might light upon anybody's head,
we were not to direct it; we sought no
evidence to impeach any man, and if the
evidence seemed to impinge on the
credibility, the loyalty, or the character
Of any man, we sought that man, and
laid before him the course of the evil
dence, and the matters wherein he was
inculpated. We did the same to Gen.
Stone. We summoned him before us to
give an account of that affair at Balls
! Bluff. to give us all the Information he
could on the subject, and, after that, as
you see from our records, the much alb :
plauded chief of your army, whom the
Senator believes to be immaculate and
above the suspicion of any body, was
the very man that knocked at our doors
to inform us that, in his judgment, it
was our duty to summon Gen. Stone
again before us, and we accommodated
him. We did not want any more testi-
imony than we had got, but if Gen. Stone
had any new light to throw on the sub
ject, We, as an impartial committee, were
not only willing. but anxious that he
should appear before us. He did appear
before us. I will not say that in his
amended testimony he made the case
| infinitely worse than it was before. [
will not 90 into into that, for | do not
want to inculpate him unless he is guilty.
Sir, we have done Gen. Stone no harm;
none at all. IF he is an innocent man,
his own testimony stands forth as his
| justification If we have informed the
the President, the Secretary O. War, and
the Cabinet of the testimony that seam
cd to impeach him, we also showed his
own exculpation at the same time, and
then, at the instance of this immaculate
commander of ours, we received Gen.
Stone again, and went through the whole
thing.


Where is the accuser. of that commit
tee? We hope he has not skedaddled
after making his speech. We are an
inquisition, are we? We are to be i'm
peached by the Senator from California.
Why? If in the course of our investi-
cations, we ascertained that there was a
traitor in the camp, and were not to
| make it known, in Gods name what bu-
sihess had we in the Senate; what busi-
ness had we in the UnitedlStates; even as
private citizens? The gentleman said
on Wednesday last, that it was the deep
est, the most disgraceful thing he ever
had heard of. He seemed to regret that
| it had been his fortune to get ia a place
where had to associate with men so de-
PRAYED; for that is a fair construction
Of what he said. Sir, imagine he work
ed hard to got here; and do not thin k
he is polluted by the contact at all. I
consider it to be a part Of my senatori-
al duty hero, if l happen to know that
man holding high office is disloyal,
where his disloyslty might prejudice
I the public, to make it known without
being on any committee especially de-
tailed for that purpose. And yet the
Senator thinks it is deeply disgraceful
to do sol That is his idea of toleration
toward traitors whom he never asssails,
or speaks word in disparagement Of


Now, sir as | said before, | have lis
tened to this kind Of defense of traitors
long enough. What has tho Admins.
tration done that this gentleman should
rise here in the Senate and brand them
as tyrants aud despots and inquisitors
and tell us he is going to run parallel
between the President and the Secrota
ry of War and the old inquisltiou?-
Why, sir, only think Of the perfect bur
lesque! The Preident of the United
States, who neither by word or by deco
or thought would harm a hair of an
mans head, who, of all men know, i
the most reluctant to offend anybody, bu
who, as patriot, is anxious to vindicat,
the Constitution Of the United State
aud the Government he has sworn b
support-and he does it without tolera
ton and mildness toward these trait
ors that has maL with the cansura q