Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-08-29
James M, Ashley a DlaunlonIIt.

A correspondent of the Toledo Blade writes
as follows TO that paper:
1t is reported that about Que and-a half years
ago James NJ. Ashley. the Wish-to Reconsider
ed candidate of the Union party for Represen-
tatIve, did privately advocate and proposed
publicly advocating, the disuRiOn Of the United
States and a separation OF them on Mason &
Dlxon's line and the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
Can you give the public any information as 10
the correctness or falsity Of this feport2
To this the editor of the Blade, who is q Re-
publican, thus replies:
In reply to our correspondents question, we
will state that We have reason 20 believe 1t to
be O fact that Mr.. Ashley avoWed the policy of
recognizing the Southern Confederaoy as an In
dependent government, with The lines etated
above, aud that he had speech prepared in
support OF that object, which he laid before
some of his political friends In Congress, who
demonstrated against 1t go strongly that he was
induced to abandon bis purpose.
This position of Mr.. Ashley was not "pe-
onliar" to him. Il was the one occupied by
the New York Tribune and other Radicals ct
that time. The following extracts will chow
the mode of argument by which that paper ar
rived ct its position:
From the Tribune, Nov &c, 1901
If the Cotton States unitedy and earnestly
desire to toithdYato peacefully from tbs Union, iDe
think they should and pOuld be GIIOsoed TO do so.
AAy attempt to comp! them by force TO remain
trOuid be contrary 10 the principles enuncidted ia
The Immortal Declaration Of Independence, con.
trdry 10 he fundamental ideas on whish human
liberty biSsd.
[FIom the TrItune Dec, II, 1861
II 1t (the Declaration OF IDdepeudence) Jus.
tilted the secession from the British empire Of
three millions of colonlsts in l776 zoe do not
l0ky iOOuLd not justify ihs stcsssion Of fps mil
lions Of SOuthyOAs from The Union in le6l.
Again, the same paper Gays:
If the Cotton States shall become Satisfied
that they can do bsittT out of The Union than in It,
t0s ihsist on letting them go in peace. The ,iokt
10 Seeede may be revolutionary one, but IL exists,
nevertheless. We must ever deny
the right of any State to remain in the Union
aud pulliiy or defy the laws thereof. To H;h-
drOt0 from The Union Is quite another matter, and
whenever considerable seolion Of our Union
shall deliberately resolve to 60 out, zoe shall re-
stst al eo0eipe measures designed 10 keep Il in
We hope ReVeT TO hps in Republic phtTtof one
section 10 piaHsd to another BY bGyOHtts.
Hnebner Mf' hsniey6 mOue OF reasoning
was the same es the ISibH8s's We cannot state, |
but the end was the sawe-the, dissolution ofI
ihs Union, and the establishments of an inde. |
pendent and by no means friendly power in iR-
mediate proximity to US, with nothing but an
imaginary line between the two in one geo
ton, and the two most important navigable
rivers in the country the balance Of the die
tance!
The people may we'll be startled by a state
m ent like this, concerning one who is now fg-
uriDg 80 prominently as the leader Of the only
Irregular" unconditional Union
ntn" Of the District; and yet we think Mr.. Ash
ley will not undertake TO dispute its correctness
IL comes to us through sources SO reliable and
direct that we cannot doubt it.
Mr.. ASHLEY is now Republican member of
Congress, and candidate for reelection. He
stands just where BlNaHAN, CUTLER, GURLEY,
RIDDLE, and all the other radical Congressman,
stand. tits hoped that ASHLEY and the rest of
bis class will be put beyond the reach Of politi-
cal resurrection for all time to come.