Mr. DEMING. Mr. Speaker, the bill, as amended upon recommendation of the ComMilAffr, is so plain in its provisions and in its purpose that it hardly requires a formal explanation, and I certain y siould not enter into one on this occasion except for certain objections made to me in private conversation which indicate that members misaprehend not only the limitations of this amended bill but also the previous legislation of Congress upon the rade of general. The bill, as amended, creates the grade of general as a permanent part of the military establishment of this country. It provides also for his allowances, his stall, and his pay. The allowances in this bill to a general and the staff are precisely those which are provided in the bill creating the rude of lieutenant general. The pay proper, t art is to say, the money pay, of the general is increased by this bill over that of a lieutenant general from $270 permonth, which is now the pay of a lieutenant general, to $400 permonth; thereby increasing the pay of a general over that of a lieutenant genera $130 permonth, or $1, 660 peryear. The monthly receipts of the Lieutenant General now, from all sources under the act creating the office, are $1, 340. The monthly receipts of the General from all sources under this bill will be $1, 470 mnking the increased pay of the General over that of the LieutenantGeneral, as I have already stated, $130 permonth. The yearly receipts of the Lieutenant General from all sources, including allowances, commutations, rations, forage, and every thing, are $16, 080 perannum. The yearly receipts of the General from all sources, under this bill, will be $17, 640, an increase of $1,560 perannum in favor of the General overthe Lieutenant General and this is the sole increase of pay or emoluments or allowances or rations or anything clse proposed by the bill which I am instructed to report. In the 2ndsession of the 5th Congress the 1st under John Adams in consequence of our dissensions with the 1rench republic a provisional army was authorized, and the grade of lieutenant general was for the 1st time in our history created for its commander and conferred upon General Washington. It was accepted by him upon the express stipulation that he should not be called into service until the exigency for which the office was made, an invasion of the U.S. by France, should actuall occur. During the recess which followed the adjournment it was understood that General Washington was not entirely pleased with his new rank, because in his opinion it was inferior to that which he had eld in the revolutionary war as General and Commander in Chief. In deference to these scruples, when the same cons held its 3rd session it authorized the resident to a oint and commission an officer who should Ibe styled “ General of the armies of the U.S. ” I have not been able to discover that the appointment under this power was ever made, and a presumption is raised that it was not by a return from the War Deptin 1800, where General Washington is still registered as Lieutenant General, with the mournful affix “ dead, ” a mere formal entry, but vividly suggesting, in connection with a name so illustrious, that “The paths of glory lead but to the grave." I had rested on this conviction until this morning, when happening to take up the Au nals of Congress for 1801, I found in the resolves passed by Congress on the death of Washington, which occurred on the 10th of December, subsequent to the last act to which I have alluded, he is hailed by the resolutions as “General of the armies of the U.S., ” the precise language of the statute creating the grade of general., Whether this title was ever conferred upon him or not, it is unquestionably true that unless the aprehension of a war with France had subsided or his own death had intervened, he would doubtless have been General of the armies of the U.S. The theory of the organization of the higher grades of our Army evidently demands a General to complete and round elf symmetrically the ase ending scale of rank and authority. The appropriate command of a brigadier general is a brigade, of a major general a division, of a lieutenant general an Army cors, while to complete the system an officer of higher rank and of more comprehensive power and ability is required, who, unchallenged, may direct and supervise and impart unit and concert of plan and purpose to the operations of all the armies in the field and this theory is confirmed, without an exception, by the practice of the master nations of Europe, who, in the severe school of gigan tic and protracted war, have learned military wisdom. It may be safely said that there is not a prominent nation in the world whose army organization does not culminate either in a general or a marshal. Prussia, with a peace establishment in 1863 of 210, 075 men, ad, in the same year, 63 major generals, 61 lieutenant generals, 84 generals, and 2 field marshals. Austria, wrth a peace establishment in 1863 of 203, 825 men, had 303 major generals, 209 lieutenant generals, 42 generals, and 3 field marshals. England, with a total active regular force in 1863 of 102, 583 men, had in 1864 186 major generals, 100 lieutenant generals, 68 generals, and 5 field marshals, the last grade being conferred only on royal personages, or general officers most distinguis ied for services in the field. France, with an army in 1862 of 467, 357 men, had in 1861 202 generals of brigade, 175 generals of division, and 11 marshals of France. But, Mr. Speaker, while this bill creating the grade of general commends itself to your favor able consideration by the symmetr and completeness it will impart to the gra uated scale of rank in our Army and while, too, it is ving dicated by the example of those nations most distinguished for military ability and success, I cannot claim that in our present circumstances when the Army has just triumphantly emerged from the most terrible contest which can ever assail the integrity of our flag without a General to command, and when we are now engaged in reducing it to the peace establishment, that either the symmetry of grade or the practice and example of other nations constitute an adequate argument for the passe e of this bill. I must admit that the chief cfaim which it presents for your approval is as a recognition and reward of the extraordinary services of the Republics most successful and most illustrious defender; and I am therefore constrained in placing the bill upon its merits to refreshen your remembrance of the obligations of the country to him in many despon in hours of its recent extremity and peril. I trust the House will do me the justice to believe that while I should have never volunteered to rehearse to it his exploits I am still less disposed to shrink from such a rehearsal when imposed upon me as a duty, and when it is essential to afull and just appreciation of a measure I am instructed to rewort. I should greatly have preferred that this duty should have been committed to some gentleman more capable of “gilding refined gold” or of cele brating that merit which is universally acknowl edged than myself. if GenlGrants claims upon his country were either doubted or imugned I should reoice to appear in his defense; but unless I greatly mistake the temperof this House upon the question of, his exalted de serts, no discordant opinions or conflicting sentiments are to be harmonized here. Perhaps, however, before entering into a review of his claims upon the nation, it may be properand pertinent to briefl advert to the rewards which other times another nations have bestowed upon transe endent Military service and ability. Far far back, at the very dawn of history, indeed upon the very 1st page of mans tempestuous annals, writ in faded hieroglyphs on crumbling columns, we read that long anterior to these most ancient records war had absorbed nearly all the attention an activities of the race, and that the victorious warrior, from the necessities of a constantly threatened and embroiled society, became of course the king and founder of dy nasties. Sesostris, Ramases, Pharaoh, and the great military chieftains who gave to Babylon and Assyria their imperial ase endancy, are the names of the Grants, the Shermans, and the Sheridans of that early day, promoted for mar tial service to an absolute sovereignty, transmissible by dese ent, over great empires. The war which for two lustruins raged round mighty Ilium was, you will remember, a war of kings who had no uired their scepters by previous prowess in the field and to dese end to later classic times, themames of Miltiades, Themis tocles, Aristides, Epamine ndas, will instantly occur to all as those of successful generals who were rewarded for military service by the chief civil position in their respective States; while the honors bestowed by Rome and Carthage on Caesarand Hannibal illustrate the unbounded gratitude of those great martial nations to their efenders and delivercrs. Charlemagne won the iron crown with his sword. In the old regime of France the Lux embourgs, the Turennes, and the Condes, who reared and upheld the throne of the Bourbons, were invested with palaces, subsidies, and grants surpassing in splendor and magnificence the tales of enchantment or the dream of ava rice. Even under the Empire dukedoms and royal titles and pomp were lavished by that large and warm imperial hand upon the successful general who pierced the enemys center or bore the eagles triumphantly to the bristling crest of wavering battle, and gifts and estates were wrung from the nations they over ran to maintain with more than oriental mag nificence the dignity of the rank. England has nlyvays been prodigal of largesse s to those who have vindicated her martial renown and extended her dominion. For the single victory of Blenheim, which dissolved the last coalition and broke, the colossal power of Louis XIV, Marlborough was createdia Prince of the Holy Roman empire with the principality Middle sheim attac ed, and upon his grand entrance into London was received with an ovation which reminded a classical spectator of those resplendent triumphs which swept over the Appian Way in the almiest days of the mistress of the world. IThe extensive manor of Woodstock, once a royal alace the scene of the loves of Henry H an the Fair Rosamond was instantly conveyed to him in fee, and the royal comptroller was directed by the grateful Queen to rear for him the stately pile of Blenheim, which remains until tony a splendid monument of the genius of the archi tect and the gratitude of a nation. For his subsequent victories an annuity of 5,000 a year c arged upon the 0st Office was settled upon him, and his duke om, which was orin ally limited to his heirs male, was extende to his heirs female, “in order, ” as it was finely expressed, “that England might never be without a title which might recall the remem brance of so much glory." It has been estimated that the sum total of these grants exceeded 500,000 pounds. Some of us can remember the Peninsular campaign; how with every packet we learned that the guns of the Tower were heralding, rsome new triumphs of the English arms in Spain; how London was all ablaze with bonfires; how the Prince Regent at the opening of every Parliament announces some crowning victory of Wellington, and that he will raise him another step in the peerage, and solicits from his faithful Commons another 100,00opounds to sustain the style and dignity of the increased rank. Some of us remember that on the night when the news from Waterloo 1st reached Parliament 100,000 were instantly voted, and that the gratitude of the nation dese ended upon the Iron Duke in munificent grants and golden showers. Places, palaces, offices, and sinecures are fairly thrOWn at his feet. The ag regate of sums given to him, exclusive of 82581165, exceeds 900,000, to say nothing of a snug little annuity of 2,000. Our institutions it is said are popular, and that these regal benefactions are hostile to their genius and spirit, and yet the American people have not in the past been insensible to the claims of great military service to solid and substantial rewards, and have constantly solicited expressions of gratitude in harmony with the simplicity and frugality of our system. They rewarded General Washington for his military services in the Revolution by twice electing him to the Presidency. They rewarded General Jackson for his military service in the war of 1812 by twice electing him to the Presidency. It was his services in the same war which contributed vastly to the elevation of General Harrison to the same office, and but for his Mexican victories General Tavlor never would have been POTUS The heroism of General Scott in 2 wars directed the attention of a great party to him as their candidate for the Presidency and all parties united in conferring upon him the rank of lieutenant general as the only reward they could bestow upon his life 10ng devotion to the defense an renown of our flag. Now, I could safely challenge each one of this long line ofheroes to come forth and presentaclaiin u poll national gratitude which cannot be met an overmatclied by the claims upon us of that modest and reticent soldier who scattered the armies and destroyed the military power of a rebellion whose triumph would have liuried the rent republic of the world beyond the hope O resurrection. Tried by the crite rion of success, who of them can present a brighter, fairer, more unsullied record? Tried by the interests at stake, upon w?ch of their swords didinterests so momentous nng? lried by the valor of the adversary, who of them ever encountered a foe so worthy of his steel? If in the sad and disheartening summer of 1863 it had been asked you, what rank will you confer upon the general who silences the batteries at Vicksburg, that the Mississippi, oughthe bisected rebellion, might course unobstructed from the prairies to the Gulf; if it had been asked us at the close of the last session, what will you do for him who breaks the lines at Richmond and receives the sword of Lee, what soul in this House could have placed any limit or qualification upon its obligations? Dind a single martial enterprise in the whole history of mankind more serious in the obsta cles to be overcome, more lumine us as an example of heroism and endurance, more fatal to an enemy, more magnificent in its results, than the single enterprise of opening the Mississippi river; search the tide of time fora nation which was ever delivered from such depths and exalted to such a pinnacle of exultation by one single blow, as by that struck at Richmond in April last, which at the some time broke the head and paralyzed the extremities of the rebellion. War has been defined to be contention by force for the purpose of crippling or overwhelming an enemy; and in glancing at the history of our war it seems to me that we had made but little progress even in crippling our enemy until the inflexible will and martial energies of General Grunt entered as an animating and directing soul into the armies of the Republic. Prior to his conspicuous appearance upon the grand arena we had met with many reverses and a few successes, but the reverses were most de ressing to the national spiritand the successes had hardly penetrated the hide of the defiant monster which was confronting us. War had surged and resurged with alternate triumph and defeat over the devoted plains of Missouri. We had gained a lodgment on the coast of SCarolina; we held the sand spits of Hatteras, and we had dearly purchased a strategical position on Roanoke Island. But in neither of these affairs had we succeeded in actually do" bilitating the enemy, and from pfither of these points had we been able to penetrate the enemys country much beyond the range of our cannon. The 1st decided success which let in aglimpse of sunlight and lifted the cloud of despondency and exhilarated the national heart were the brilliant operations upon the Tennessee and the Cumberland. When, following hard upon the capture of Fort Henry, the country learned that hortDonelson, strongly fortified by nature and art, had surrendered with its garrison of 16,000 prisoners, and that large sections of Kentucky and Tennessee were redeemed from rebel thralldom, we asked, with all the vehemence of kindling gratitude, to whom are we indebted for a vigor of operations and an earnestness of purpose which prove that military enterprise and heroism are not obsolete, and that there is still some hope for our drooing flag, and we were told that he who couiii say to a rebel general, “ No other terms than an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted; I propose to move immediately upon your works, was one of those worthy beneficiaries whom the nation had educated at its great military school; that he had won his era in the earliest battles of the Mexican war; Kat he had participated in that series of hard fonght engagements whichcarried triumphantly the flag of the Republic from the shores of the Gulf to the lake encircled citadel of the ancient Aztecs; that he had won his full grade of 1st lieutenant in those bloody hours when Moline del Rey succumbed to the impetuosity of our soldiery, and his brevet of captain on that day, ever memorable in our annals, when the steep and frowning heights of ChapuRepec were car ried, and the trembling city below implored the mercy of our artillery. We were told that when the war was over, disgusted with the ennui which haunts a soldier on the peace establishment, he had resigned I his commission as captain, but that on the rebellion struck the 1st tocsin be rushed to the defense of the tlagunder which he was trained and nurtured, and olfered his services to Governor Yates, of Illinois; that he had or nized the Illinois quota under the 1st call or troops; that, as colonel of the 21st regiment of that State, he had quelled the guerrillas in north Missouri; that he had risen rapidly to the grade of brigadier general; that he had destroyed a rebel magazine at Peducah; that he had wiped out Jetf. Thompson at Fredricton; that he had severely chastised a superior force of the enemy at Belmont; that he was a general who seemed to understand what war meant and what it did not mean; that in his judgment it did not mean lying in camp and garrison, drilling and organizing forever and over, but seekin the enemy, moving on his works, pushing an ounding until he gave way; and that when he did that you were not to wait. for weeks and months for horses, shoes, transportation, but that you were to push on with such resources as you had; hang on his flanks like grim death, and if one expedient failed, try another and another until he was utterly routed and dissolved. positive man, of pluck and purpose and self reliance, who did not believe, as some did, that RobtELee was endowed by the supernal powers with supernatural resources and strategy and ubiquity, or who did not fear, as some did, that he, with the entire army of Northern Virginia, could suddenly throw a sommersault over intervening mountains and forests into our lines, but that, by butting and hammering away with mere human caution and skill and perseverance. the mightiest Paladin of treason could be outfianked or whipped. Much criticism was expended at the time upon the battle of Shiloh; and that part of it which applies to the gaps and disconnections in our sjointed line of battle may be just. It was a vast melee between separate regiments, brigades, and divisions, each fighting on its own hook and for its own position, with but little concert of action and with but slight mutual support. So far as the criticism applies to the violation of true principles of war by fighting that battle with his back to the Tennessee river, GenlGrant has broken his austere silence and condese ended in characteristic strain to speak for himself. After the battle of Pittsburg and ing General Buell began criticising in a friendly way the impolicy of his having fought the battle with the Tennessee behind his men. “ Where, if beaten, could you have retreated, General?” asked Buell. “ I did not mean to be beaten, ” was Grants sententious reply. “ But suppose you had been defeated in spite of your excrtions?”, “Well, there were all the transports to carry the remains of the arm across the river.” “ But, General, ” urged ucll, “your whole transports could not contain even 10,000 men, and it would have been impossible for them to make more than one trip in the face of the enemy.” “Well, ifI had been beaten, ” said GenlGrant, quietly lighting a cigar as he spoke, “transportation for 10,000 men would have been abundant, for that pauld have been more than would have been e and yet in one important respect it contrib uted more to the eventual success of our arms than any action in the war. It was the experimentum crucis which 1st tested the respective stamina and manliness of the 2 belligerents. It was the 1st hurling together of the 2 people upon a large scale ina hand to hand fight, and when the enem retreated from that bro ken and gory field, e retreated with his arro gance tamed and his dream of invincibility dispelled forever. No southern soldier from that terrible day presumed to despise again the courage, the persistence, or the marksmansh of the adversary, for there was weeping an lamentation in every southern home. I have already adverted to the vast importance to the national cause of the capture of Vicksburg. In those protracted operations, a war by itself, which culminated in the overthrow of that almost imprognable stronghold, it is difficult to discover what element or quality of a consummate commander GenlGrant failed to exhibit. Strategy 1 Why the conceptiop of the new enterprise, after every conIn short, we were told that he was a l ceivable plan had been tried and failed, was either an inspiration of strategies genius or the result 01 the most laborious strategical study. Labor, and perseverance? Why, the recounoissunces of the different bayous, creeks, passes, and rivers which he made in that am phibious region, the dredging which he executed, the canals which he dug to open a safe water passage below the cit, are without par allel in resistance to nuturai obstacles, unless the parallel is found in the memorable expedition of Xerxes into the Peloponnesus, which channeled Mount Athos and bridged the Hel lespont. Forethought? Why, every step of a seemingly desperate adventure was prearranged in his mind, and ever contingency which could be anticipated provided for in advance. presence of mind? Contingencies that could not e foreseen wereu on the spur of the occasion as fully met as if the y had originally been embraced within his plans. Courage? Did he not push his transports through an iron hail compared with which the full blast of Gibral tar or Cherbourg would be comparatively harm less? Persistence? Did he not again drive the same transports, riddled by their1stordeal, through the ortifications which spouted de struetion from the bluffs of Grand Gulf; and did he not, after 20 consecutive days of fighting and 5 pitched battles, huddle the army of the Southwest into its lines and hold it there until it dropped into his arms as prey? Let me here pause in this rapid sketch of GenlGrants military career and permit him to recite the results of his operations at Chattanooga in the congratulatory order which he issued to his troops. I ask the Clerk to read the order.