Year: 1863

the Union. / think that those who


treated it so, treated it SO most unwlsc
ly We had the House Of Representa-


tives; we had tho Senate; We had th,


Supreme Court of the United States


and Mr.. Lincoln if he had desired


and | doubt if he did des:recoul,


have done no injury 10 tho Soutl


provided they had sat still il


their places; but they refused so to do
They retiredfrom Congress and claimed


right to secede from the Union. Now
! i think, when they did that, they sup


posed no force would be used to keel


them in the Union Whatever opinisons


you or | may entertain as To what


" Would be wise in convention Of the
different States, there is no longer q
doubt as to what is the duty Of the ex


isting government under the present
constitution. The instant this people
set up under our present constitution a
separate government, they were rebel.
and traitors, and tho government bad
no authority except to treat them In
that light.


The war came on: it came on inevita.
bly,. 1t was the duty Of the President
TO exert the authority of the law over
the whole Union and in every portion
of the Confederacy. He attempted to
DO so in a bungling, insufficient manner.
But he attempted 20 DO so, and war is
the consequence. Now, this war has
ragged from the 4th of March, or even
before that, until tonight; and do not
think any just and fair man would say
but that to night it is drawn game be-
tween tho slaveholdine and the non
slavcholding States, and that from some
cause or other we have not only not
succeeded in crashing the rebellion but
the Southern people are as defiant now,
in my humble judgment, as they have
been at any time during the first pro-
gress of the war, except, perhaps, with
in the first few days after it commenced.
Such is the condition of things. L re
gret that the President did not employ
a greater force at tho outset. L have
taken occasion to read the letter of Gen.
Scott to Mr.. Lincoln, the day before he
was sworn in, notifying him what force
it would be necessary 60 raise II he de-
sired to crush the rebellion. lie pre-
fcrred not To accept any of the alterna.
tives suggested To him by General
Scott The letter was presented to
to Mr. Lincoln; it was laid before him
by Governor Seward, as il was his duty
to do; but, either in the press ot appoint
6 10 ttIt m.
gagements that necessarily devolve up
on President on his first entering upon
duty, it was so far overlooked that he
was upon an insufficient basis, without
suiiici Mt men, or money, or apprecl-
alton of the extent of the struggle; and
the result has been that II has gone on
from that time 10 this with various Tor.
tune and with doubtful results, until 1t
Is now as formidable and demands now
the intelligent attention of the Amerl-
can people Just as much as the Lay 1t
broke out.


And now, gentlemen, let us consult
together, so far AS we are able to do,
what is the best thing that is to be done
in the present condition of tho country.
| took occasion TO suggest, during the
progress Of the campaign, that the war
ought to be vigorously prosecuted. -
General Mcclellan was at that time at
the head. | certainly never dreamed
that he was to be removed from the
command of the army; aud when | spoke
of the proecution of the war--knowlng
nothing--conceding always that | knew
nothing of military matters-l spoke
of the prosecution of the war under
him ms the General in Chief The
President for reasons which have not yet
been explained, chose to remove Nc
Clellan, and put GeDer burnside IN
his place. He had just done so three
months ago to night, when we assem-
bled here, or those of you who were
then present and myself. ] then said
that i thought Gen. Burnside was un-
wise to accept that command, and |
said that he had declined it twice and
accepted it the third time; and l under.
took 20 remind hun that Caesar had
twice refused tho crown and accepted
it tho third time, and that if he had ac'
cepted it either of the first two times
that it was offered TO him he might
have accomplished great good. But
when he accepted it the third time 1t
resulted in his assassination in the Sen
ate House. Gen. Burnside undoubtcd
ly is able now To see the force OF these
remarks, when he finds that his efforts
as commander of your army to prose
cute the war have not only not been
crowned with success, but that he has
been embarrassed at every step 10y per
sons in the Senate, and 10y commanders
under him running to Washington, I'M
Ill he has been forced to resign the com
mand aud have it turned over to ano
ther officer. The army is now in com.
mand of General Hooker, about whom
| am very glad to hear good things
from persons IA the army and from per
sons in whose opinion | have consider
able condolences ! said that when he
could get at Richmond and take posses
sion of that, the capital city, | consid-
cred that we bad substantially conquer
cd those who were arrayed against u;
that that had been the case when the
capitals of other countries had been
s.iz,d and | instanced the cat,ture of