CONGRESS, CONFEDERATE. 



265 



across the Potomac, reported the following 

 substitute for said resolutions : 



That the thanks of Congress and of the 

 country are eminently due, and are nereby tendered 

 to Gen. Robert E. Lee" and the officers and men of his 

 command for their late brilliant victories, culminating 

 in the signal defeat of the combined forces of the en- 

 emv in the second great battle of Manassas. 



>:ed, That Congress has. heard with profound 

 satisfaction of the triumphant crossing of the Potomac 

 by our victorious army, and assured of the wisdom of 

 that masterly movement, reposes with entire confi- 

 dence on the distinguished still of our commanding 

 general, and the valor of his troops, to achieve, under 

 favor of the Great Ruler of nations, new triumphs, re- 

 lieve oppressed Maryland, and advance our standards 

 into the territory of the enemy. 



That the President be requested to com- 

 municate the foregoing resolutions to General Lee and 

 the officers and men under his command. 



Mr. Hilton advocated the immediate passage 

 of the resolutions. 



Mr. Lyons moved to amend the second res- 

 olution "by striking out all after the words 

 " distinguished skill of," and inserting in lieu 

 thereof, "the commanding general and the 

 valor of his troops to relieve oppressed Mary- 

 land, and, under favor of the Great Ruler of 

 nations, achieve new triumphs over the enemy." 

 He approved the movements of our armies 

 thus far, and thought a resolution of thanks 

 eminently proper; but if it were passed with 

 the words proposed to be stricken out, it would 

 be an invitation from Congress to advance 

 into the enemy's country, and that was a re- 

 sponsibility which he, for one, was not prepared 

 to assume. 



Mr. Miles, of South Carolina, was somewhat 

 surprised to hear a sentiment indicating hesita- 

 tion from the gentleman who had just taken 

 his seat. The press throughout the country had 

 clamored for an onward movement, and wher- 

 ever the people assembled we had always heard 

 the same sentiment expressed that we were 

 pursuing a mistaken policy in waiting for the 

 enemy to advance, and that our armies should 

 advance and pluck victory upon the enemy's 

 soil. After we had commenced this aggressive 

 policy, and our armies were across the borders, 

 we are told by the gentleman from Virginia 

 that we ought to hesitate. 



Mr. Lyons said that the gentleman had mis- 

 taken his position. He stated plainly that he 

 approved of Gen. Lee's crossing the Potomac 

 and threatening Maryland ; but at that point, 

 with his present information, he was constrain- 

 ed to stop he could not take the responsibility 

 of advising an advance into Pennsylvania. 



Mr. Miles still differed with the gentleman 

 from Virginia. What he meant by an aggres- 

 sive war was to carry the war into the enemy's 

 country, and this was what the resolutions 

 said. They had been carefully and deliberately 

 weighed in the committee, and they were ex- 

 pressive of the unanimous sentiment of the 

 gentlemen who composed it. What the peo- 

 ple wanted was an aggressive war. While the 

 enemy had overrun our territory and reduced 



our people to a condition of bondage without 

 parallel in the history of warfare, were we to hes- 

 itate to retaliate upon them ? He could not be- 

 lieve any such sentiment. The resolution, in his 

 opinion, could not be construed as an instruc- 

 tion to our generals ; but, when we have their 

 assurance that they will bear our standards 

 onward, and will relieve oppressed Maryland, 

 shall we hesitate because, forsooth, they may 

 not be able to carry out the plan ? The reso- 

 lutions were intended to encourage our Presi- 

 dent, onr generals, and our armies. He wished 

 every branch of government to understand that 

 this Congress does not think the war has been 

 hitherto waged upon a mode best calculated to 

 bring it to a speedy close. He was opposed to 

 Congress assuming the conduct of the war. but 

 he hoped the people would understand that we 

 do propose to wage an offensive warfare. 



Mr. Lyons asked if the gentleman believed 

 that our army, great and glorious as it is, could 

 safely go into the heart of the North. 



Mr. Miles replied that he did. He would en- 

 dorse the language of a well known gentleman 

 give Jackson half of our present army, and 

 he would drive the whole 600,000 of the North 

 before him. Mr. M. closed by enforcing the 

 opinion that the time to strike was while our 

 armies were flushed with success, and while 

 they were veteran troops, accustomed to the 

 roar of battle. 



Mr. Conrad, of Louisiana, was in favor of 

 the amendment. He viewed the resolutions as 

 an instruction to our armies, and thought our 

 President and generals better qualified than 

 Congress to conduct the war. It was not a 

 war of conquest, but a war for independence ; 

 everybody agreed in that, and hence there was 

 no difference in opinion as to the policy of the 

 war. The mode of conducting it ought to be 

 left alone to the Executive, without interference 

 from Congress or elsewhere. He believed that 

 the conduct of the war up to this moment had 

 been just what it ought to have been. 



Mr. Ayer. of South Carolina, was in favor 

 of the aggressive policy. He would say to the 

 Executive, we desire that the enemy's country 

 shall be invaded, and leave it to him to judge of 

 its expediency. He would have our armies. 



Go with banner, brand and bow, 

 As foeman meets his mortal foe. 



He would not assume to speak for all ; but so 

 far as his constituents were concerned he knew 

 this to be the prevailing sentiment. 



Mr. Foote moved the previous question, 

 which was sustained. 



Mr. Goode, of Virginia, demanded the yeas 

 and nays on the motion to strike out and insert. 



The "roll was then called, and Mr. Lyon's 

 amendment was defeated by the following vote : 



YEAS. Messrs. Arlington, Ashe, Atkins, Barksdale, 

 Bocock, Brideers, Conrad, Conrow, Curnn, Curry, 

 Davidson, Dupre, Farrow, Garland, Gentry, Hanly, 

 Johnson, Jones, Kenan, of Georgia, Lyons, Machen, 

 McDowell, McLean, Read, Roston, Smith, of Alabama 

 Smith, of North Carolina, Swan, Villere 29 



