Year: 1862

man in the dark can tell the Sena


tor the course Of that committee towar,


Gen. Stone-not that I mean to be pro


voked under any considerations, into


discussion Of tho merits or dement's o


that gentleman here This f5 not TIL


tribunal before whom he can be nrraign


ed and tried. However. as many allu


sions have been thrown out in the Sen


ate against the committee Of which |


without any seeking Of my own, wa


made the chairman, (for had nothing


to do with the raising of the committee,


l perhaps owe it to the committee anc


to myself to state the course of proceed


ing we have adopted. We have assaieC


no man. We have gone forth in the


spirit Of the resolution that created us {


committee to inquire into the manner


IN which this war has been conducted


to ascertain by the best evidence and


the best lights VIC could, wherein there


was anything in which we could aid the


the Administration in the prosecution oI


this war, and wherever there was de.


llnquency, that we might ferret it out


apprise the administration of it, and de.


mand a remedy. | suppose it was for
Tor that purpose that the committee was
created with the immense powers that
were dovolved upon it. I do not say
whether 1t was wise or unwise to create
such a committee. The Senator from
New York Mr.. Harris yesterday said
he thought it was exceedingly unwise,
because the committee, as he supposed,
were conducting the war that is, plac-
ing the armies in the field and debating
the policy of the war. We did not con
strue our powers in that way. We knew
that in the vast business that pertained
to the executive branch Of the Govern
ment, it was impossible for them to look
into everything connected with the con-
duct of the war which they would like
to know, and which it was most essen.
tial to the country that they should
know. Therefore, having leisure to in.
quire into many alleged abuses that they
had no power or no time to investigate.
we took it upon ourselves to investigate
them, and, [ say here, with a discretion
and with soicitude to iniure no man,
that has never been exceeded in any in.
vestigation of any committee on Gods
earth.


Sir, we have not published what we
have ascertained to any mortal man, ex-
cept to those who were armed with the
power Of administering the remedy. No
idle curiosity has prompted any member
Of that committee to proclaim to the
world, as idle gossip, the testimony that
was before it. challenge the Senate,
and every man of it, to tell me which
of the committee, or where,
have we made known to the public what
was going on before us. [ admit that
rs we ascertained facts, the existence of
short. comings, and things
Inconsistent with the proper and benef.
cial conduct of the war, we have sought
interviews with the President of the
United States, we have sought them
with the Secretary of War, and on some
occasions with the whole Cabinet, and
there in secret have disclosed the testi
mOny that has come to US, and we have
endeavored to work out a redress and
in innumerable instances | know we
have done it, where had it not been for
that so much malignod committee. the
would have been en tire.
Iy ignorant of what was going on. Pa.
trlotic as they are, vigilant as thew are
anxious as they are to ascertain the
truth on all subjects, they are not in.
vested with omniscience and with six
hundred thousand men in the field, and
officers, it may sometimes
happen that there may be an unworthy
one in that number without their being
aware of it. We have endeavored on ali
occasions to enlighten them, but not to
stab any man in the dark, as [ under.
stood the gentleman to insinuate, but
which he backs out of now, and saws he
did not intend any such thing, or did
not say any such thing,


Now, with regard to General Stone,
we are not the tribunal that ought to
try him. | do not believe we should be
put in possession of that kind of testi
mony that tends to implicato him. do
not believe that it would be my duty
either to the public or to General Stone,
here in the Senate to proclaim to the
world all the testimony that came before
the Committee on the Conduct of the
War. But this much in exculpation of
the Executive [ will say in general
terms, in order to repel the insinuations
Of the Senator from California l will
say here in my place that there was.
aud is, probable cause for the arrest of
General Stone. am not going to de.
tail tho evidence. | regret that it be .
comes necessary that should say any
thing in public ON the subject. l had
rather trust it with those whom the Con.
stitution and the law charge with the
execution Of this matter but his indis
Greet friend will drag it out here and
| say, then, in behalf Of that abused
Executive, that there is probable cause
for his arrest.


We are tyrannical tho nation is ty.
rannical, says the gentleman; and he
quotes authorities from nations at war
with each other, where there is no sus.
picion of treason-where all is loyalty
on both sides--where nations have ma.
tional feelings sufficient to repress
everything favoring tha adversary, and
to bring forward their nation. He cites
three precedents to enlighten US in the
midst of civil revolution, where trai.
tors are in our midst, where you can
not walk the streets without meeting
men whose hearts are opposed to the
prosecution of the war. No, sirj you