Banquet to the Hon. Simon Cameron
- -ov^ « '^ •j>^ \^^ "^ "-NB^**" -e.^^'^^ -.^^W* '^^ .* • .-^IK', ■%/ .^.. ■ u^^^^ " ,. .'5 ^. .^^ ^•r /^V/k*' '^^^ .& * 5,v ~-^ - • • *• » ■S.J, ' » • • * <0 ^ 'o « » 'bv ^.* '^^ -^^^ • >, 'O. J>^ o'.l'*/'^^ " .0^ ..^'-•* '^O 'bV «^0 .0' .' ^oV ^> . * • - ^ 0^ ^- ' y .^y o^ -: O *-V«' .O' BANQUET !P0 TBS / HON. SIMON CAMERON m.kt St i\i Mum' $sm, M^ 2i* i»<'2, BY van PEOPLE OF HARRISBURG. HARRlSBURe^ : PRIMTBD AT " TKliEORAPB " JfOB OFflC*. \^' 1862* SPEECHES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE OA.MERON Bi^NQUET. HAEEISBtJRS, MAT 2, 1862 SeTorftl weeks since a number of our leading citizens, personal friends of Hon. Simon Catn- eroQ, desiring to testify their appreciation of his namerous services and tbeir esteem and regard for him as a man, citiaen and neighbor, hon- ored him with the tender of a public supper, previous to his leaving the country on the im- portant mission to Kossia. Owing, however, to Dumeroas business engagements, his acceptance of this kind offer on the part of his friends was not indicated until the early part of last week, when the committee having charge of the mat- ter at once commenced making arrangements, and the banquet came off at the Jones' House, in this city, on Friday evening, May 2nd. THB raVITATIOS AND HS ACOEPTANOB. Harrisbueg, Pa., April 7, 1862, Hon. Simon Cameron, Dear Sir: — The un- dersigaed, your personal friends and acquaint- ances, act willing that you should leave the country on your important mission as Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia, without having re- ceived some manifestation of the high esteem with which they regard your integrity as a man, and the entire coufidence they have in yoar great ability as a statesman, desire that you indicate some future occasion wtien it will be convenient for you to join your friends in par- taking of a banquet. In thus tendering to you the honor of such an entertainment, we feel that we are obeying the expressed desire of a large portion of your fellow citiaens who are not aware of this teader, bat who will gladly assemble around any board at which you may b9 the distinguished and honored gueefc. You will please "iadicite the time most con- venient for you to partake of each a banqiiet, in your early reply to this note. Your friends, WILLIAM BUEHLEB, , A. J. JONES, JNO. A. FISHER, WM. DOCK, GEO. BERGNER, ROBERT A. LAMBERTON, E M. POLLOCK, DAVID McCORMIOK, ROBERT L. MUENOH, P. K. BOAS, CaARLKSF. MUENCH, WM. COLDER. OS}?. Cameron's bkflt. LooHiEL, Map 1, 1&62. GenhiEMem: — Your note of the 7 th of April, inviting me to partake of a banquet, aa a manifestation of the high esteem of my friends and fellow citissens, was duly received, but I have been unduly delayed in answering, owing to the preparations incident to my departure for Russia, the embarrasmei^t of a prosecn- ution growing out of the arrest of traitora while I was Secretary of War, and the neces- „ sity of my absence from home, in attendance on the President, to receive final instructions for the government of my embissy. These having been disposed of, I am now at leisure to acknowledge your veiy flattering note, and also to accept your very friendly invitation. It will afford me much pleasure to meet nay CAMBROW BiflfQOirr. friends and fellow citizens to-morrow (Friday) evening, if tliat time will meet the prepara- tions of your committee. With a high regard for the naembers of th« committee, indiTidnally, I am, gentlemen, Yours, truly, SIMON CAMEEON. To John A. Fisher, William Dock, William Buehler, George Bergner, E. M. Pollock, A. J. Jones, Wm. Colder, David McCormick, Robert A. Lamberton, F. K. Boas, Charles F. Mueneh, and other membere of the com- mittee. *HE OOMFANT IN WAITING. "Bho cibizens interested ia the banqoet com- menced assemblyiog in the large parlors of the Jones' House at an early hour on Friday even- ing. As the company arrived, they were usher- ed into those spacious rooms, where they were introduced to Gen. Cameron. During the inter vals of the arrivals and the banquet it must have been gratifying to the distinguished guest of this occasion to receive the many warm expressions of personal regard then ofler- ed by those who had known him from boyhood through years of stern struggle, to the hour when he had fairly won some of the brightest hoaors and largest confidence of his country- men Whatever tribute may hare been here- tofore offered to Gen. Cameron *in circles be- yond this locality, where the compliments of men are generally controlled by their own hopes of iaterest or gain, those which he has ever secured in the circles of his own home and among the citizens of this city, have been of a character which prove that he has a hold on ou people which no outside attacks can affect or destroy. THB BAKQtTEX HAH. While the company, with its distinguisbed guest, were thus awaiting the hour for the ban- quet, we availed ourselves of the courtesies and privileges usually tendered to the reportotial corps, to visit the banquet hall. This, of course, was in the usual dining saloon of the hotel, which was handsomely decorated and ar- ranged for the occasion, present) og a scene of the most beautiful description. The chandel- liers peudant from the ceiling and brackets pro- jecting from the walls flooied the large hall with intense lustre, amid which the bilver, china and glass ware of the tables, flashed with a bril- liancy almost overpowering to the eye. The tables, of which there were two running the entire length of the hall, fairly groaned beneath the weight of choice edibles, prepared in a manner that spoke volumes for the good taste and proficiency of Mr. David Hntchinson, to whom Col. Ck)verly entrusted this important part of the programme. THE BANQCEI'. About 8 J o'clock the doors of the banqueting hall were thrown open, and the company, numbering about one hundred and fifty, with their distinguished guest, proceeded to occupy seats aroimd the sumptously furnished table. His Honor, Wm. H. Kepner, Mayor of the city, occupied the h ad of the principal table, flanked on the left by his honor Judge Pear- son, and on the right by the distinguished guest of the evening. Gen. Cameron. Am^ng the company, we noticed Hon. Thomas B. Cochran, Auditor General of the State, Wno. M. Kerr, Esq., Judge Murray, Wm. Colder, Maj. John Brady, Gen. E. C. Wilson, George Trullinger, W. O. Hickok, Dr. Geo. Bailey, Dr. A. Patterson, J. B. Rutherford, Wm. Euehler, Es(i , Thomas C. Nicholson, of the Treasury De- partment, John A. Weir, Esq., Charles F, Mueneh, Samuel A, Power, of the Commisary General's Department, Cyrus J. Reese, Davicl Fleming, Esq., County Treasurer J. L. Speel, A. J. Herr, Esq., E. M. Pollock, David Mum- ma, Daniel Shell enberger, and a number of other leading men of the city, who vied with each other in their spoken and silent manifesta- tions of regard for the honored guest ol the occasion. The supper was discussed with a hearty 2iest, showing that the company fully appreciated ite merits. The bill of fare embraced all the choice delicacies of the season, divided off into several courses, intermingled with excfclient wines, and terminating with a desert of incom- parable richness. THE TOAST Off TH8 EVBNINO AND THE BI'KKOaKS. After the cloth was removed, his honor May- or Kepner announced the following toast : Simon Cameron— A Pennsylvanian who bftS nevtr forf?otten his native State— an American who has always been faithful to his conntrj and his cuuntrymen. His fellow citizens de- light to honor him. The enthusiastic applause with which this sentiment was greeted having somewhat smb- sided,. General CAMiBONsaid: Mr Mayor and I'el- low Citizens: I take it for granted that I am expected to say something in retorn for tke compliment you have been so kind as to confer upon me, yet I cannot speak to you, my fellow citizens, in any cold or formal language. Sinoe OA.MEROM BANQBTET. T I bave c©me into tbia room. all the thoughts of businees and of duty which crowded upon my I mind during thedvy hav6 fled, leaving only the (remembrance of tbe associatioos and friend- ships that I have experienced during the long fears of my residence in this, my home- I remember that this day foriy five years ago I came to Harrisburg — a poor, delicate, sickly boy— without any reliance but on the overruling control ot Providence and the reward which I had been taught to believe would always follow proper actions. The only countenance of those around me which I remember to have seen at that day, was that of my friend who sits beside me on the right, (Mr. 0. F. Muench,) who was then a boy younger than myself, and whom I met the day after entering the town. Ho was an apprentice in a printing office iiere, to which I went to obtain employment, and which I left with a feeling such as can be experienced only by those who are willing to work, are without money in their purse, and are destitute of friends upon whom to rely, when told "we cannot employ you." I can now re- member the name of only one living housekeeper in the town at that time. I rater to Judge Hummel. I made the acquaintance of the honored gentleman at the same time that I be- came the recipient of his generous hospitality. The first place at which I stopped to rest my weary limbs after reaching the town, was beneath the shade of an old willow tree in front of his house. He came oat and spoke kindly to me, inviting me into his home and we have been friends ever since. Sir, how the world has changed since then ! —how has every- thing about me changed ! A day or two after I saw my friend Muench I obtained employ- ment. I immediately went to work with such a heart and will as never fail to win fiuccess. During the daytime I worked for my employer and at night I cultivated my mind. A few years of assiduous toil made me the poEsessor of a printing office. When other men slept I tjontinued to toil, and felt certain that sooner or later I would feel equal, not alone in this world's goods but in the scale of merit and ca- pacity with other men around me. Why, sir, it was no uncommon thing for me to retire at midnight and rise at four in the morning to pursue my daily avocation. I have lived to see what was then a hamlet become tbe third city of the State. In my po- aitioQ as a newspaper journalist I necessarily came in contact with the political theories and important questions of the dav and never fail- ed to advocate what I conceived to bf) a wise and beueficial State policy in regard to a sys- tem of internal improvements. Siocethatday to the present time I may say that I have ac least hid something to do witu every work of improvement connected with tbe progress of chia city ,^nd State. The first efforts of my pen were directed in furtherance of the great poli- cy of internal improvements which brought forth our canal system. I next labored for years to seoure the erectioti of a reUrokd from Harrisburg to Lancaster, though laughsd at as a visionary boy who talked about carrying cars, wagons and freight on rails by steam. I am reminded here of aa expression made at one of the meetinga which we held in. favor of that railroad project — (for at that time I was in the habit of persuading my friends to go around the country and convene meetings, by which means I might be enabled to talk to the people on my favorite theme of the desirability of railroad communication and its importance)— one of the auditors upon this oc- casion (the meeting being held at Elizabeth- town) was one known as Abraham Harnly, a very intelligent man, and one of the most active in that neighborhood. During the cjurse of my remarks I bad happened to say, " I have no doubt, gentleman, there are many of yoa pre- sent who will live to sea tbe day when a man can eat his breakfast at Harrisburg, go to Phil- adelphia, (one hundred miles,) fcaka his dinner, transact his business there, and return nome to Hariisburg in time to go to bed, as osuat, in the evening." There was a simultaneous roar of laughter from the audience, which had hardly ceased when this old man very confidentially whispered in my ear, " Simon, I am glad you told them about going to Philadelphia and back again to Harrisburg in one day, because that will make them take the sheers, (shares ) but you and I know all about that !" [Liughter] I leave you to judge, gentlemen, whether my predic- tion was verified. After having proved success- ful in my endeavors in behalf of the railroad from Harrisburg to Lancaster, I became engaged in a project to construct a road from here to Ghambersburg ; then again to Baltimore ; then again to Sunbury, the place of my bo>hood, and also to Reading; ; all of which, I am glad to state, are now prosperous and in most suoce«8- ful operation. I mention this gentlemen, not boastfully, but to show what may be accom- plished by a determined will and a right purpose. In responding to the sentimentof our worthy Mayor my intention, gentlemen, was simply to speak to you familiarly as friends and neigh- bors, without referring to my control of tba War Department, over which I had the honor to preside, but in view of a charge recently made against me because of my exercise of the dele- gated power with which I was entrusted, itniay be proper for me to say to you a £357 words ia relation thereto. I took a seat last year ia Mr. Lincoln's Cabinet against my owa jidg- ment; without consulting my taste for the position, and, I may say, against my own determination. I resigned that post, v;hefl. I thought my mission was ended in organ- izing, equipping, and supplying, under the most adverse circumstances, a larger army than had ever been raistd ia the Bamo spaoa of time of human histcry. When I did accept the place it was with the perfect uaderstanding b{^ tweenMr. Lincoln and myself that whenever I thought proper to resign should I be privileged to do so; and when a vacancy occurred in the ap- pointment to Russia, h^ o£(erdd ma the posl^ CAMBKON BANQUET. and I was glad to accept it. Why, gentlemen. I toiled in tkat Department as no man evCT toiled before; I haye told you thatin my younger years I worked for twenty bonrs out of the twenty -four for euccessive months; but that labor was nothing in comparison with the OTerpoweriDg toil which I underwent at Washington. To say nothing of the extra- ordinary necessities of the Department, arising from an unforseen and threatening na tional emergency. The doors of my pri-vate dwelling were besieged from daylight to the latest boms of the ni^ht ; the department was surrounded on all hands, and at all bours. — Certain members cf Congress, who figure in the vote of censure, were ever besieging my doors, and often patiently waiting for hours to catch a part of the drippings frcm the War Department. Meanwhile I managed the deli- cate and trying affairs of my situation as wisely as I knew how. Of course I committed some errors ; but I did not commit the wrong with which I am charged in the resolution of Congress. I solemnly assert that neither in motive nor deed can I he justly chargeable with the commission of any wrong in the ad- ministration of those affairs , and I am proud to say here in reviewicg my ofiBcial conduct, that I see no act which I would not repeat under the same circumstances Uion my appoint- ment to the position, I fcnnd the depart- ment destitute of all the means of defence ; without guns, end with little prospect of purchasing the materiel of war ; I found the nation without an army, and I found scarcely a man throughout the whole War Department in whom I could put my trust. The Adjutant Geneial deserted. The Quartermaster General ran oft'. The CommisFary Gpnersl was upon his death bed. More than half the clerks were dis- loyal. I remember that upon cce occasion General Scott came to me apparently in great mental tribulation. It should be remembered, also, that in those days of peril and alarm, an outcry went up from all portions of the loyal States, urging the GovorEment to procure arms, equipments, and supplies, by any means, and at any cost ; to disregard the usual routine of contracts ; to cut through "red tape," and at the hazard of encountering speculators and peculators, to prepare itself to meet the immediate dangers. Great as were the exertions then made, they fell far short ol the demanda of the people. The Administration was at that time censured for its caution in guarding it- »elf against imposition, because such caution was an evidence of delay. But to proceed. You all remember, gentle- men, the day of the President's proclamation calling upon the people of Pennsylvania (be- cause the demand was made upon you here in common with other States) for tioopsto defend the national capital. My (on happening to be in Washington, I si nl him thiiher with the ut- most despatch and a^ked him to appeal to eve- ry man he met in this town and through the country to send dt wn every soldier who would come. . Within three daj s after the issuing of the proclamation foor hundred and eighty troops from Pennsylvania arrived in Washing- ton. They were the first to inspire the gov- ernment with hopsj and courage to contend with the awful crisis then impending. They came there without arms and were lurnished /rom the arsenal at that place. Directly after this — wiihin two or three days — three or four regiments were assembled at Cockeysville, Maryland, by my order. At the sirrae time a number of bridges on the Philad- elphia and Baltimore railroad, via Wilming- ton, were burned or destroyed. It was at this time that the mob in Baltimore, murdered our unarmed soldiers in her streets on their way to the defence of the capital, and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad refused to carry our troops. At that time wbtn the loyalty of nesrly all thp inhabitants was doubted, Mr. Seward, the Secretary of State, in company with the Secre- tary ot the Treasury, called tTpon me and said "we must have somebody in New York to assist the public officers therein collecting and for- warding troops," asking me to name any in- dtvidual whom I considered, competent for that purpose. I was acquainted with but a few people in New York, yet after a moment's reflection I recollected Mr. Cummings, with whom I had an intimacy when he was a cinzen of this State. The two gentlemen theninformtdme that they had appointed Mr. Cieto, of ihe sub-treasury General Dix, now in the army, Mr. Opdyke, the present Ma\orof the ciiy of New York, and Mr. Blatchf(.rd,ft citizen of New York, and as I have stated, k quested me to name kome other gentlemen. I gave the name of" Mr. Cummings and associated with it that of Gov. Morgan of the Sia'e of New York. To show how guarded I was in these appointments, I will read the order that I gave upon that occasion: Depaetiiekt of War, Jpril 23, 1861. "In consideration of the extraordinary emer- gencies which demand itBmtdiate and decisive measures for the pnseivation of ihe national capital and the defense of the National Gov- ernment, Ibertby autboiize Edwin D. Morgan, Governor of the State of New York, and Alex- ander Cummif gp, now in the city of New York, tomsike hll necessary arrangements for the transportaiioti ot troops and munitions of war in aid and assistance of the officers of the army of the United Siate.^, until communica- tion by mail and teb graph is com pletely re- established between the cities of Wai^ington and New York. Either of them, in case of ClUKRON BAKQrST. iQability to consult with the other, may exei- ciaa the authority hereby given. SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War. It will be seen that I did not iatrurt those gentlemen with the expenditure of any money I was careful to give them no authority to act independent of the military officers of the gov- ernment. Sometime afterwards, I received a telegram signed by Messrs. Morgan and Cum- mings, asking for authority to draw money, which I referred in the ubuaI manner to the Treasury Department. That is all I had to do with the matter, and at the ead of fourteen days, oommuQloation having been restored, 1 revoked their authority, as will be seen by the following note: .War Dbtartmbni', Kay 7, 1861. Qentlgiceh: — The extraordinary emergency which demanded immediate and decisive mea- Buree for the preservation of the national capi- tal, and the defense of the National Govern- ment, rendered it necessary for this Depart- ment to adopt extraordinory means for that purpose, and having fall confidence in your iatelligence,. experience and integrity, you were authorized to make all necessary arrange- ments for the transportation of troops, &c., in aid and assistance of the officers of the army of the United States, until the re-establishment. of communication, by mails and telegraph, between the cities of New York and Washing- ton. Uninterrupted communication between the two cities being now again established, and it being desirable that the duties heretofore at- tended to by you should be hereafter perform- ed by the officers of the army, to whom- they properly belong, I beg to tender you the thanks of this Depirtment for the very prompt and efficient tnanner in which you have discharged the duties assigned you, and to request you to ceaee making purchases, procure transports, or attending to other duties under authority given, which could be justified only by the emergency now happily, no longer existing. Respectfully, yours, SIMON CAMERON. Gov. E, D. Morgan and Alexander Gammings, Esqrs., New York city. Now, gentlemen, in regard to the Congres- sional cooamittee of investigation of which the country has heard so much, I have reason to believe that the origin »1 iateation of its ^ appointment was to control the War Da- partment and place money in the pockets of its members. The second or third day after the aunoaucdment of the committee, its chair- man called upon me and desired that I should authoriae him to famish a certain regimient with arms, munitions, clothing, etc. I refused his application, because I thought from my knowledge of his character that he was un- worthy of a trust. After a further colloquy with the chairman, I orderel him out of the War Department; and of course I was attacked by that coratulttee. The committee of investigation have made the additional charge upon me in my official connection with the government, of having bought a greater number of guns than were needed. I did order a large number of arms ; but I will take this occasion to answer that charge. It must be borne in mind that I was supplying an army of more than 700,000 men, and that the lose of arms in a single cam- paign has been estimated by military men to reach as high as fifty pur cent. In a glance at the statistics I tind that in round numbers I ordered nearly a million of muskets, almost one hun- dred thousand carbines and perhaps as many swords. When I took possession of the War Department I found that there were but few muskets in the arsenals, no swords of any ac- count, and scarcely any munitions of war. — Within a short time after the proclamation, it became apparent that there was no diffionlty in getting troops, but there was great difficulty in procuring arms. I found the ordnance de- partment without a head ; the person having charge there being an old man, who was con- ceded by those in whom I had confidence, In- cluding Gen. Scott, to be incompetent for the duties of the position. I superceded him, and put in his place one who was believed to be fully competent, but who soon proved in the opinion of my associates to ^ unequal to the crisis. I felt, personally, reluctant to enter into any contract myself, as I had no time for such details, and therefore dkected Mr. Thomas A. Scott, my assistant, to aot in conjunction with Col. Ripley, and tkat he stiould 630 that every contrswt was 80 guarded that, in case of failure at the end of thirty days, the contracj should be revoked, leaving to Col. Ripley to determine the qual- ity and price of the arms to be contracted for. At this time Governors of States, officers want- ing arms, cabinet ministers, and members of Congress were constantly making application for arms, charging the Ordinance Dapartmeat with inefficiency, stating that if consent were given they could be procured, and I therefore directed Mr. Scott to act in conjunction with Colonel Ripley and to contract with every man who was willing to make a musket or furnish a sword, and from whom the other necessary munitions of war could be obtained, at the same time instructing him to see that the chief of the ordnance department uhould fix the price and datermine the chaiacter of the arms. The allygiition has been repeat- edly iterated that I made these contracts with an eye to personal preference. But I hava already proven, gentlemen, that the furthest limit of even my official action in the matter was simply to order the making of such contracts as were necessary, leaving all that regarded price or quality in the hands of the ordnance department, and to this a'»7. J scarcely know any of ttie indiriduals with whom contracts were male. ,,. * The special contract escitmg public at- tention was m.ftde with a party by the name ot CAkEROJy SAN^eBT. Boker. On the fifth of September, uader cover from the President, I received a note, which I now read : Washington, Sept. 4, 1861. Hou, SmoN Cameeon, Secretary of War: ia.Sia:— Our resident partner in Europe ad- vises us by last steamer of a lot of upwards of one hundred thousand stand of arms — rifidd, percussion muskets — new and in good eondi- tiou— having been placed in iiis control by making advances thereon. We desire to oQer them to your Department, and should it appear to you of sufficient impor- tance to secure the immediate deliveiy there of 60 large a quantity of good arms, we would invito your attention thereto. ' 4^We offer the arms at a price not exceeding (^hkm dollars each, subject to the inspection and approval of an armorer whom you shall select to accompany our authorized agent. If the article is not satisfactory, the Government will iccur no expense, and if approved, you ^1 secure an article much needed. ' We also control by advances thereon over 18,000 cavalry sabres, which we offer as above, at a price not to exceed $7 60 a piece. Yery respectfully, Tour obedient servants, (Signed) HERMAN BOKER & CO., ^ 50 Cliff street. New York. Also of Liege, Solinger, Remscherd, Birming- ham, Bown. This was at the time when the Queen s pro- clamatioB had prohibited, among other things, the exportation of arms to the United States. You lemomber, gentlemen, we sent an agent (Mr. Schuyler, of " New York,) out to Belgium to procure arms for our government. He suc- ceeded in purchasing one hundred thousand guns ther«, but being unable to ship them all directly, he sent a portion to England, where (the proclamation to which I have just referred being soon after issued) he was prevented from trasspoTting or using the arms in any manner. In this extremity of the large army of sol- diers in and about Washington, not two hun- dred thousand of them were armed. Upon the lotter I have just read was the endorsement of One President in his own hand writing in these words: _ • " I approve the carrying this through mrefuUy, cmiiauihu ofid expdiliously. Avoid conflicls and in- Urferance. A. LINCOLN." —the literal meaning of the endorsement was that the world should not know of our military deficiency and weakness until the evil had been remedied and that care and caution were to be used as heretofore in keeping inviolate the se- cret of our defect. Fully coinciding with the Pretident, and in obedience to his order, I promptly directed this contract to be closed ; and I assure you gentlemen, without the arms it produced, we should not have been able to achieve the lata glorious victories in<the west. I may add, in proof of the great anxiety of ail to obtain arme, that but a very few days be- fore I left the War Department, the 0Abki9t agreed to adopt a conditional contract mado by Mr. Schuyler for 100,000 guns in Belgium, which I successfully opposed on the ground that we had guns enough contracted for, and with the encouragement which had been af- forded to our own manufacturers, the supply , would probably be sufficient for our future wants. By this means $1,800,000 have beea retained in the country to be expended in those localities from which our soldiers have volun- teered, and this occurred after all those con- tracts had been completed, of which so much complaint is now made. The investigating committee of Congress have said that the muskets made at the Sprinfield ar- mory cost only $12 apiece. That assertion like many others that have been made in connec- tion with supplies for the army, is not the fact. Without taking into consideration the expense of superintendence, the cost ef buildings, ma- chinery or capital invested, the mere net cost of the gun for labor and material when there is no competition in time of peace, has amounted •to $12 60. But had those guns purchased oo. my order proved to be twice more expensive than they actually were, then, in view of the fact that the army was practically use- less without them, I would have done ex- actly as I did with the beef contract, to which other gentlemen have seen fit to refer. When we expected large arrivals of soldiers from Pennsylvania and other States, and there waa nothing to feed them with, the Acting Com- missary General came to me and said, ' 'I can now buy two thousand beeves if I pay two or three cents a pound more than they should be worth." "Well, I replied," "pay it," (applaose) — ' 'pay a dollar per pound rather than a soldier should suffer, but be guarded that your contract ceases when a supply can be had at the custom- ary price" — which was done. He made a con- tract for two thousand beeves, and the whole world rung with the announcement that the Se- cret«7 of War had cheated the government in order to enrich some favorite, and yet the con- tract was made with my personal enemies. So, again, I was censured at the time of the battle of Boll's Run for not having sufficient cavalry in the field. Yet I could not speak in my own defence, for the safety of the government com- pelled me to silence. Plenty of horsemen offered their services ; but I had no pis- tols, swords or carbines to give them ; and I did not want the world to know that such was our condition. My function was to raise an army of the largest kind in the shortest possi- ble time, and to supply them with whatever needful material I could first lay hands upon. As soon as I could obtain pistols, carbineff, swords and holsters, I had cavalry enough. But then the cry was "he has got too many." Gf course, then again I was chealing the povem- msnt, by giving my friends all the horse con- tracts. [Laughter.] Well, Mr. Mayor, the horses have been in the serviceand the coantry hafl been saved. Those who then cried "no CAMBBOK BANiQUB*. more horses," to-day can «ee advertisementB for the purchase of ao increased number ; and to-day I saw aJsu a published advertisement asking for proposals to furnish more muskets. Had the material resources of the government Tbeen, in any manner, commensurate with the emergency, the war would have been termi- aated 'ere this. So far as concern; myself, I would rather have had a million of guns too many than that, a single soldier in any of our battles should have been sacrificed for the want of a weapon. I suppose that had I been the willing tool of every man who wanted to rob the gpvernment, and if in place of attending to my duties, I had been content to receive men at my house and treat them to the hospitalities of my social and political posi- tion, Of allowed them to control me in the discharge of my duties, those men who now at- tempt to slander me would still be most profuse in compliment afld profession. More than this, had I remained in the War Department until this vote came off, I should doubtless have re- ceived the compliment paid to my late aud es- teemed colleague. Mr. Welles. [Laughter] He was charged withhaving improperly etoployed a man to purchase ships ; yet the House of Rep- resentatives voted down a resolution to censure him by about the same vote that they cen- sured me for having secured the services of an employee. Mr. Welles obtained the assistance referred to long after the excitement and con- fusion attending the commencement of the rebellion had ceased, I did so at a time when the country was almost totaliy bereft of a government, and when we didnot know whom to trust. • Wow, gentlemen, I could narrate to you in this way many incidents of official connection with the War Department. Were it necessary I would give you some particulars connected with the history of this man Dawes, who appears to be most active in the persecution against me. I understand he is a little prosecuting attorney living some where in Massachusetts. l am well aware of the real cause of his enmity, and I will briefly state it. Some people of Massachusetts, especially about the good city of Boston, own nearly all the stock in the Wil- mington and Baltimore railroad. Notwith- atandiogthat road has accumulated more money on account of this war, by the transportation of troops and war material for the government, than it ever did before ia double the length of time ; (which fact was chiefly owing to the con- fid nee I entertained in its President,) yet the management of the road were displeased be- cause they woold not have an entire monpo- ly of the Government business. When tbe bridges on the Wilmington find Baltimore [ road were burned, it became absolutely ne- cessary to construct a new line of travel to Washington. By my direction, the Presi- dent of the Pennsj Ivania railroad, Mr. Thomp- son, in connection with the Wilmington road, made arrangements to run a line of ; boats from Poriyville to Annapolis, and sue- ( ceeded in getting the project into successful ope ration. This new route was used until the Bal timore and Ohio road was taken possession of by me for the government, and until the bridges of the Wilmington road were rebuilt. In the meantime, an arrangement was made with the Hirrisburg, Reading and New Jersey roads, to reduce the fare from six to four dol iars from New York to Baltimore, per soldier. Bug my action in this matter tooli monoy out of tf^^ purses of gentlemea in Bostjn, and Mr, Dawes, who ap- peared to represant the interests affcjcted, be- cime my enemy. This is the only reason for his opposition of which I am aware. I do not know him further thaxi that he was frequently hanging about the War Departtnent in common wifli otuer applicants for special favors. Hay- ing my whole timt occupied iu preparing an army out of raw and undisciplinucl soldiers, of course I may have run counter to the "esires of such gentlemen, and conseqaently, they now return the disfavor This theme is by no means a pleasant one for me; but after llie recent wrong which has beea done me I felt that, when talking to my old friends and neighbors I would do my.salf the simple justice to speak plainly. Perhaps I have said enough— it may be too much. I desire to stats to you, however, that my relations with the President have been and still are of the most cordial character. I ente.tain as gre*t a respect for him as for any one with whom I hive ever been associated. He is an honest, h}2;h-minded gentleman, as well as a fditbfol public officer, (A-pplause.) This rebellion will be ended after a while, and with it we will end the cause of this and all fa* ture internal strife, as I hope. (Great applause.) I have never he:m an abolitionist. • I am not ©ne now. But if I had the power, I would call into the field every man able to shoulder a musket, whether he be white or black, that this war might be brought to a speedy and certain close. And I believe we will come to that. I do i xt believe that, after a while, when tha hot Southern climate is killing our soldiers who are fighting for the government, our people will be content to eee their sons and brotherB die, when men acclimated to the South are able to defend the country, and of thtir own etrenglh and will, to drive all the rebels oat of 10 CAMERON BANQUET. thd land. [Applause.] There cannot be a doubt aboat how tbia slavery qnestion is to be settled in the end. But, so far as I am con- cerned, I am willing to leave its disposal to the Great Euler above. I wovdd not punish the deluded rank and file after they have laid down their arms ; I would not harm one hair on the head of a single individual who was enticed or seduced upon misrepresentaiioD to join the rebel army ; but had I the leaders, I would do with them as I said I .vould do witb the Mayor of Baltimore when he asked the President to send back the national troops from Cockeysville, and not allow them to pass through Baltimore. I saia "let me alone, and I will hang him and his whole posse upon the trees aronnd the War Department." Had I been allowed to do so, our troops would never have been impeded in their march through that city, and by such a course the rebellion would now have been crushed. Such are my opinions on that qnestion, which, per- haps, I sometimes express unwisely for my own good ; and this is another reason for the passage of the resolution to which I alluded. Every border State Representative who thinks his brother or son or kindred in the rebel ranks ' does cot deserve hanging for his treason, voted in favor of that resolution. [After a short pause Gen. Cameron concluded as follows:] Gentlemen, this is a contest in which we all have a direct interest. Pennsylvania has a moral power which no other State in this Union possesses ; and therefore every citizen of Penn- sylvania can do a great deal towards bringing this war to an end. I have no right to give advice, but I shall be glad, in leavingthe coun- try, to believe there is to be no party here but the party of the country — the party for the war and in favor of supporting the Administration in conducting the war ; because whether men were.opposed to Mr. Lincoln or otherwise, by his administration alcne is the war to be conducted. 