Year: 1862

am happY that we are aSsalled In such
excellent company as that of the Prssi-


dent and Secretary of War. l care not


who they are, nor where they are; who
lever shows a zeal for putting down this


rebellion will fne that he is in the cat


egory to be assailed By this new organ


isation to reconstruct the Government


Now, let me ask who are these gentle


men that are to reconstruct the Demo


cratic party and the Government
| What kind of an alliance is to be formed,
land With whom, in this reconstruction2
am sorry do not see the Seaator from


California here, because I know, from


the position he holds toward those who
make these assaults, be would be ableto


give US light on the subject. accuse
| them of a deliberate purpose to assail,
! through the judicial tribunals, and
through the Senate and the House of
Representatives of the United States, and


everywhere else, and to oyerawe, intim-


idate and trample under foot, if they can,
the men who boldly stand forth in de-


fense of their country, now imperiled by
this gigantic rebellion. | have watched
it long. l have seen it in secret l


have seen its movements ever since that


party got together, with a colleague of


mine in the other house as chairman of
the committee on resolution man who


never had any sympathy with this Re-


public, but whose every breath is de-


voted to its destruction, just as far as


his heart dare permit him to go.


What have the committee, who have
been thus assailed, done, that should


call down upon them the anathemas of
the Senator from California, or should


compare them, as we'll as the President
and Secretary of War, to grand inquisi-


tors, sitting behind the backs of men to


get up accusations by which they are to


be tortured and destroyed at the stake?
Sir, l grant you we have zeal; yea, a
determination, so far as it lies in our


power, that this Government shall be


maintained, that treason shall be put


down at all hazards and by any means


that God Almighty has put in our hands.


[ Manifestations of applause in the gal


leries. No accusation of tyranny, no


comparing us with inquisitorial tribu-


nails, no mawkish sensibility in behalf of


traitors, will have the effect to deter us
from our resolute determination to put


treason under our feet and bring back
the Government to its old glorious bear


ipgs. Notwithstanding all the whining
in this body OF outside of it, in, your
courts or anywhere else, this will be
done.


Sir, we have heard all these arguments


before. We learned this tune year
ago from those who are now in the So
called Genfsderate States. They were
always crying cut about violations of
the Constitution, and ever ready to in
woke it in aid of treason. That was the
course Of remark from the lips of every
one who deserted his post and went out
an open enemy to your Constitution and
your laws. Sir, | remember we'll when


Mr.. Breckenridge stood on the other side
of the Chamber, day after day, making
the same kind Of speeches, accusing us
of being violators of the Constitution Of
the United States; and inasmnch as we
plainly had the right to coerco traitors,
to put down treason by force of arms,
he stood there to deprecate it, and to in
volve the Constitution as barrier
against loyal men. The argument We
have heard to day is but a repetition of
those we heard year ago. | could
bring the argument made then on this
floor by traitors who are now in open
rebellion; and they would make no dis
cord with the speech we have just heard.


But, I ask again what has this COM
mittee done to be complained of in the
matter of Gen. Stone, who lies at the
bottom of this resolution and of all the
Senator's remarks? Sir, early in this
session it pleased both Houses Of Con-
gress to raise committee empowered
and directed to inquire into the conduct
of this war. Isought no position upon
that committee had nothing to do
with getting it up; but when it was raised,
being placed at its head, [ cast about as
did the rest Of the committee, to ascer
tain how we could make ourselves most
useful to Government in the exercise of
the vast powers which it had been the
pleasure of Congress to bestow upon as.
We instituted pretty broad inquiry
into public affairs, and especially into
the manner in which this war had been
and among other things we
were specially directed by name to look
into that great, terrible blunder and ca
tastrophe, the affair of Balls Bluff. If,
in this investigation which you com
mauded US to make, it turned out that |
there was an appearance of disloyalty in
the commanderin- chief, was it not le |
gitimate for us to inquire into it? The !
Senator seems to think not. He consid I
ers that we were travelling greatly out of
oar wa; when we took evidence tending /
to criminate General Stone, at the head !
of a division of your army, on the very |
frontiers next to the enemy; that we had
no right to look into it, Your soldiers .
had been slaughtered by hundreds, like
cattle taken to the shamhles, apparently .
under circumstances deeply impeaching
somebody that had the command. | do
not rise with any purpose to argue that
matter, as [ told you before, not because +
[ could not make out my case as be- /
lieve, but because you are not the trlers, .
nor am | the Attorney General to pros
ecute the case before you; but it is my !
purpose to state enough of that proceed
ing, not to justify, but to make the ac-
ton of that committee triumphant be- !;
fore this nation. l repeat again what
l said the other day, that if there ever :
was committee that proceeded with dis
cretion, with moderation, with care and |
forbearance that no man should be in
jured, it is the committee of whom | am .
chairman, and of whose action L am /
rro,1 NEo ora u n ipCuiSi ! tion forsoothf ,