The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1863-02-20
Late Speech of the Hon. G. Z. val
... landigham

in the Yankee Congress, by Hon. Y. y. y ~ M I
landigham, If Ohio. We have. not the space
to admit all this mastery effort Of the able
and gallant representative from Ohio, but Wlil |
give enough of it to show that the speaker ex- |
pressed himself with fearlessness, cogency
and perspicuity, such as has never been sur
passed on the floor Of Congress. After NE
viewing, at some length, the question as to
how the war was inaugurated, Mr.. Y con-
tinues:
And now, sir, recur t. the state Of the
Union to-day. What is it? Sir, twenty
months have elapsed, but the rebellion is not
crushed out; its military power has not beer,
btoken; the insurgents have not dispersed.
The Union is not restored, nor the Constit,i-
ton maintained, nor the laws enforced
Twenty, sixty, ninety, three hundred, SIX
hundred days have passed; a thousand mil-'
liofts have been expended, and three hundred
thousand lives lost or bodies mangled; and to-
day the Confederate flag is still iearer the
Potomac and The Ohio, and the Confederate
Government stronger, many times, than at the
beginning. Not d State has been restored,
nor any part Of any State has voluntarily re-
turned to the Union. And has anything been
wanting that Congress, or the States, or the
people, in their most geneous enthusiasm,
their MOST impassioned patriotism, could be-
stow? Was it power? And did not the par
ty Of the Executive control the entire Fede-
raj Government, every State government, eve
ry county, every. city, town and village in
tho North and West? Was it patronage
AlIbeonged to it. Was it influence? What
more Did not the school, the college, the
church, the press, the secret orders, the mur
n;cipality, the corporation, railroads. tele-
graphs, express com anies, the voluntary as
sociations, all, all yield to the utmost Was
{ it unanimity? Never was an Administration
SO supported in England or America. Five
men and 4 half score Of newspapers pade
UP the opposition Was it enthusiasm2 The
enthusiasm was fanatical. There has been
nothing like it since the Crusades. Was It
confidence Sir, the faith of the people ex-s
ceeded that Of the patriarch. They gave mp
the Constitution. law, right, liberty, all ut
your demand for arbitrary power that the Re.
bellion might, as you promised, be crushed
out in three months and the Union restored.
Was credit needed You took control Of q
country, young, vigorous and inexhaustnble.
in wealth and resources, and Of government
almost free from public debt, and whose good
faith had never been tarnished.s Your great
national loan bubble failed mserably, as it.
deserved to fail; but the BANKERS and mer.
chants Of Philadelphia, New York and Bos-
| ton lent YOU more than their: entire banking;
capital. And when that failed too; You fore,
ed credit by declaring yourpaper promises to
| pay a legal tender for all debts Was money
! wanted? You had all the revenues of the
] United States diminished indeed, but still in
gold. The whole wealth Of the country to
the last dollar, lay at your feet. Private in
| dividuals, municipal corporations, the State
Governments, all 10 their frenzy gave you
money or means with reckless prodigality.-
The great eastern cities lent you one hundred
and fifty millions of dollars. Congress voted
| first the sum Of two hundred and fifty mil
lions. Of dollars, and next, five hundred mill
! lions more in loans; and then, first, City mil
4 lions, then ten millions, extninety millions,
4 and, to July last one hundred and fifty mil
lions in Treasury notes; and the Secretary
| has also sspaper postage currency, ]" in suihs
as low as Eve cents limited in amount only
4 by. his discretion Nay. more; already since
the 4th of July. 1861; this House has appro-
priated two billion Of dollars, almost every
dbllar without debate, and without a record
i ed vote. a Thousand millions have been ex-
4 pended since the 18th Of April, 1861; andsa
i public debt or liability of one billion Eve
/ hundred million Of dollars already incurred.
i Aud to support all this etupendous outlay and
indebtedness, system of taxation, direct or
indirect, has been inaugurated, the most
onerous and unjust ever imposed upon any
Il bat conquered people.
\ Money and credit, then, you have had in
4 prodigals profnsion. And were men wanted
More than million rushed to arms Seven
ty-ive Thousand first. land the country stood
aghast at the multitude, y then eighty three
I thousand more were demanded; and three
s hundred and ten thousand responded to the
4. call. The President next asked for four hun
bred thousand. and Congress, in its generous
confidence, gave him FIVE hundred Thousand
4 and not to be ontdone, he took six hundred
and thirty-seven thousand. Half Of these
4 melted away ins their first campaign; and the
President demanded three hfndred thousand
i more for the war, and then drafted yet atoth
II en- three hundred thousand for nine months
II The fabled hosts Of Xerxes have bseh out
numbered. And yet victory strangely fol
q lows the standard Of the foe.s From Great
Bethel to Vieksburg- the battle has not beer
b to the strong. Yet every disaster, except Chi
! last, has been followed by a call for more
!, troops and every time 80 far they have beer
!, promptly furnished. From the beginning til
! war has been conducted like aspolitical cam
paign; and it has been the folly of the part.
. Ii power that they have assumed that mum
hars alone. would win the field IN q comics
not with ballots but with musket and sword
But numbers You have had almost withou
number the largest, best appointed bes
. armed. best fed and clad host Of brave mon
well organized and we'll disciplined, ever maj