Doc.
174.-War meeting at Washington, D C. Held August 6, 1862.
fellow-citizens: I believe there is no precedent for my appearing before you on this occasion, [applause,] but it is also true that there is no precedent for your being here yourselves, [applause and laughter,] and I offer, in justification of myself and of you, that, upon examination, I have found nothing in the
Constitution against.
[Renewed applause.] I, however, have an impression that there are younger gentlemen who will entertain you better, [voices---“No, no!
None can do better than yourself.
Go on!” ] and better address your understanding than I will or could, and therefore I propose but to detain you a moment longer.
[Cries--“Go on!
Tar and feather the rebels I” ]
I am very little inclined on any occasion to say any thing unless I hope to produce some good by it. [A voice--“You do that; go on.” ] The only thing I think of just now not likely to be better said by some one else is a matter in which we have heard some other persons blamed for what I did myself.
[Voices--“What is it?” ] There has been a very wide-spread attempt to have a quarrel between
Gen. McClellan and the
Secretary of War.
Now, I occupy a position that enables me to observe, at least these two gentlemen are not nearly so deep in the quarrel as some pretending to be their friends.
[Cries of “Good.” ]
Gen. McClellan's attitude is such that, in the very selfishness of his nature, he cannot but wish to be successful, and I hope he will — and the
Secretary of War is in precisely the same situation.
If the
military commanders in the field cannot be successful, not only the
Secretary of War, but myself, for the time being the master of them both, cannot be but failures.
[Laughter and applause.] I know
Gen. McClellan wishes to be successful, and I know he does not wish it any more than the
Secretary of War for him, and both of them together no more than I wish it. [Applause and cries of “Good.” ] Sometimes we have a dispute about how many men
General McClellan has had, and those who would disparage him say that he has had a very large number, and those who would disparage the
Secretary of War insist that
General McClellan has had a very small number.
The basis for this is, there is always a wide difference, and on this occasion, perhaps a wider one between the grand total on
McClellan's rolls and the men actually fit for duty; and those who would disparage him talk of the grand total on paper, and those who would disparage the
Secretary of War talk of those at present fit for duty.
Gen. McClellan has some-times asked for things that the
Secretary of War did not give him.
General McClellan is not <*> blame for asking what he wanted and needed, and the
Secretary of War is not to blame for not giving when he had none to give.
[Applause, laughter, and cries of “Good, good.” ] And I say here,
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as far as I know, the
Secretary of War has withheld no one thing at any time in my power to give him. [Wild applause, and a voice--“Give him enough now!” ] I have no accusation against him. I believe he is a brave and able man, [applause,] and I stand here, as justice requires me to do, to take upon myself what has been charged on the
Secretary of War, as withholding from him.
I have talked longer than I expected to do, [cries of “No, no — go on,” ] and now I avail myself of my privilege of saying no more.
