Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-08-01
SPEECH OF wM. s. HOLMAN OF
INDIANA

He Goes into the Rationale OF the
War--Rcmarks that Will Repay
Reading.
DELIVERED IL THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIvEs, JULY l6, 1861.
The House being in the Committee of
| the Whole on the bill to increase the ctfi-
ciency of the volunteer forces-Mr. Burnett
of Kentucky having spoken
Mr.. Holman said:
Mr.. CHAlRNAN-In times of great public
danger, he who summons the agents OF the
government to the bar of public judgment
to answer to alleged usurpations of pow
er, would act with extreme injustice if he
| did not consider the Imminence of the dam
| ger, and the general mastery of opinion in
controlling public affairs.
| am not here, sir, to defend the Admin
istration or to assail it. The time will
come when its measures of policy will be
dispassionately considered, and scrutinized
as people jealous of their freedom will
ever scrutinize the acts of their public SER
wants. But, while an enemy almost
threatens your capitol, and the ear that
listens to your deliberations can almost
hear the thunder of his artillery, and the
eye, rs it glances westward from the very
portals of this hall, can almost see the
| light flash from his bayonets, and liberty
itself is in danger, the public safety may
well demand the undivided wisdom and
/ energy of Congress, while patriotism si-
lences the clamor Of party strife.
When the patriotic masses-who know
better than philosophers or statesmen have
ever known, that every interest that clus-
| ters around the firesides of freemen is IN
volved in this effort TO maintain the Union
are rallyiug in countless numbers to the
flag of the Republic, the type and symbol
of Union and Liberty, and ready to pour
out their blood in currents in its defence,
they may well demuu6 that their Repre-
seutatives shall not, by dividing the pub
| lie councils, sharpen the 6ayonet that
would strike them down. have said, sir,
/ that am not here TO defend the Admins
tration; AM no champion of its cause;
had no part or lot in its triumph; resist
| ed, as an American citizen might resist,
its elevation to power; ] DO not endorse
one principle of its original policy. But,
/ sir, so help me God, will not desert my
country or give encouragement to its ene-
mics, because the Judgment of the people
has been pronounced against the priuci-
| plies have cherished. l will not desert
the old ship because do not approve of
the helmsman. And, sir, when, for any
cause or from any provocation, bitter and
unjust it may be, shall fail or forget to
defend the flag of my country against its
enemies at home or abroad, in the language
of the old Hebrew king, "AIay my right
hand forget its cunning"
But, sir, in defence of the public policy,
| will say, that if the President had aban-
doned Fort Sumter on the insolent demand
of the public enemy, except as the result
of an absolute physical necessity; bad he
surrendered the forts on the coast of Flohe
| ida, erected by the whole nation for tr-
protection of the national commerce, to
the men who, in the insolcnce aud mad
ness of ambition, had forgotten gratitude
aud public faith, had forgotten the hand
that wrested them from the despotism of
! Spain, tell you, sir, the fiery wrHth of the
people, whose trust he would have be-
trayed, would have driven him with ire
sistible fury from your capital.
Sir, the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr..
Burnett, and especially the gentleman
from Ohio, [Mr. Vallandigham,] who ad-
dressed the House with so much ability n
few days since, misapprehend the spirit
which pervaded the country prior to the
| 18th of April. The people acqdiesce in
the breaking to pieces of the Union The
eye of the gentleman from Ohio did not
pierce beyond the surface. He miscon-
ceived the spirit of the popular forhe"r-
ance. The people consent TO disuniOnl
! Mr.. Vallandigham-The gentleman mis-
apprehended me altogether. am looking
to the restoration OF the Union through
peace, while the gentleman is looking to it
through war. That is the only difference
between us.
Mr.. Holman-When South Carolina and
other States seeded from the Union with
the solemn declaration that they would
never return under the stars and stripes,
the gentleman was for acquiescencc, while
! protested against it.
In the hurry of events the people of the
loyal States, as thcgentlemau has asserted,
were silent; but silent, sir. with grief and
Indignation and astonishment. The pub
lie property was seized upon-fortS, arse
nails, ships, and public treasures-by acts
of treachery so damning that history in its
black record furnishes no parallel; and
seized, too, from IL Government that had
never stretched forth its hand to its people
except in acts of maternal kindness
Government, too, that had fnstered and
cherished that very greatness which was
welded for its destruction. Still the ma
ton furehore with, if it were possible, the
l4oThearance of God. The flag of the Re-
public floating over work erected for our
| national defence is stricken down, tram
Piled upon, and dragged in the dust by
people whose rights and whose honor it
had protected at home and abroad, for
more than three generations, and its hand
\ full of brave defenders are crushed by over
whelmiug numbers. Forhearance is no
I longer possibIel The smoldering volcano
mnst hurst forth in its fury. One senti-
ment is uttered by millions, "this treason
against human hope must be crushed;n
"a the Union must be preserved"
| The gentleman misunderstood the spirit