Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-10-24
Che Og4o !, >,.>.,atsya,,.a.,..s Z 4 4.
The Quarrel in the Republican Party

Bitter Attack Upon Salunon r.
Chase. Secretary of the Treas
ury, by General Franois p.
Blair. Repu blioai1 Mem
OF CongrssS from
.r. st. Louis
HIS sRxPOsURE OF CKAsf's DIsoRIMIHA.
TON AGAINST THE WESTERN TRADE.
General Blair's Reply to Representative
',' "l Blow.
er. CoRISTH, Mrs., Dot. 10, 1868.
To the Editor Of the 81. Louie Daily Union:
| - "n -
Mr.. Bow thinks that have cspped tho
climax of audscity BY the manner In which
have spoken Of Mr.. Chase, the Secretary of the
Treasury. am unconscious of any unusual
boldness or suduclty in speaking my opinion of
him. Mr.. Blow neoms to be Inspired with
kind Of awe "a he approaches that august figure
enthronei upon Rreenbacks. Men who possess
as much patronage as Mr.. Chase seldom find
themselves without followers, ready to shower
upon thor heads as much eulogy ao Mr.. Blow
has been able to scrape together. Mr.. Chsse
has purchased a printing press and made Gs
many greenbaoks as were authorized by Con-
greaa, and the soldiers and the people have re-
cslved thcm because they have faith In the re-
establishment Of the Union and the solyenoy of
the Government, o faith founded upon the yalor
of our troops, the inexhaustlble rssourcea of our
country, and the unconquerable energies Of the
American people, and not at oil On Mr. Chase's
printing. g.press.
know Mr. Chaae tolerably we'll. With very
great ability, and oil the good looks, polished
manners and gentlemanly bearing that Mr..
Blow claims for him, no Ia "a thoroughly selfish
and narrow as any public man in the country.
He was candidate for the Presidency before
the last Chicago Convention. The Ohio dele
CATION Wag divided between him and old Ben.
Wade. Wede's friends supported Chase until
Gil hope Of his being nominated vanished. 10
was then believed that If Chasetw would permit
hls friends from Ohio to vote for Wade, 90 as to
give him the entire State, no could get votes
enough to secure his nomination. It was re-
fused on the ground that Wade was from Ohio,
and that If he was nominated hs successor
could not well bo taken from the same State,
and as Mr.. Chaae was from Ohio, this would
DC an obstacle In his way. This one act IL
Illustrates tho character of the Secretary of the
Treasury -.
When the rebslliOn broke out, Mr.. Chase
held this lsnguage: "7Hs South is not north
fshtins for" Several gentlemen of high posi-
tion In the country heard him utter this senti--
ment, substantially. He was at that time Sec.
retary OF the Treasury JEFF. Davis exclaimed,
90 he LETT the Senate, "All the South wantn is
70 be letalone;" and Mr.. Secretary Chsse was,
In effect. debating, tsThe South is not worth
lighting for" jeff Davia said. "Let us alone:"
Chase said "Let them alone" Tho difference
IhntUqan In ia nt ali th tho;,
are wide apart, was the difference between
tweedledum and dWeedledec, One wanted O
southernand the other Northern Confederaey,
each believing bis own chances best 10 that sort
e of division. rr. .....
The scheme for annihiatfng the Southern
States, and reducing them to territories, had Its
origin With Mr.. Chase, and grew out of the SEN
timent He was determined that, II the North
would not submit to have the territories OF tho
republic ourtailed, the Mississippi river cut in
tWo,and two hostile nations established to make
lperpetual war upon each otheF--at any rate,
the Southern Statea should bs deprived of their
electoral yo,es, which he was satisfied would
not be cast for him. Hence this scheme EtI
punishng the States for the treason aommitted
by their Inhabitants was devised. This plan
was gravely submitted to CcpgrcaS by gentle.
man known to hold confidential relations With
lelf.y It was known shat the plan was In Oppo
sti0n TO the views Of the President, bus bic
Cabinet tffoer was found to retain his Office
while concooting schemes TO overthrow, the
policy Of the Administration under which he
held Cttice, How are such transactions or6ina-
lTily regarded2 This 10 only in keeping with
atr. Chase's persistent effort to make use OF the
alavery question In such way as to make O
division nrnong the Union men Of the country,
and create a dlstrust Of the President among
the extreme radical anti-slavery men, bscauae
he, for the very safety Of ths Government it
eelf, was and is compelled to recognize and
cpRhde in all Union men alike, regardlesa oi
tseir opinions of slavory. Tointrigue sgainat
the President under whom he held position, has
been the constant employmeut Of Secretary
o. Chase. The President, unlike Mr.. Chase, pre-
fera thOt ho should intrigue against him person
ally rather than en1haraas the Government
This iS 1ny explanation.
II Ia il q supposabe case ihat suoh a nnn ac
the Secretary of the Treasury would omit sr
opportunity of enlerging hs eleoioneeElng tas
chinery by the appointments of a awhole army o.
agents, deputies, aids and boards OF trade or
the banks Of the Mississippi, especially If By
any possibility he could throw the odium g
such a step upon General Grant, and profit bJ
the power and patronage of such q measure
Q ovtIthe bualness of the whole NorthWest7
knewatha the instant he was assailed for keep,
ing up the blockade of the Mississippi river, he
would cover himself behind the military au.
thorities, and Blow's speech iustiHes my antiol.
patiOns, whilst IL clearly ialses the Secre,ary'r
pretexs. The letter of General Grant, quoted
lby Mr. Blow, does not Justify siugls step taker
b lby Mr. Chase. On the contrary, Mr.. Chase'l
"a Imesaures are st complete variance with and il
z ! jdefauee Of the advice given by General Grant
h General Grant ia for Tree trade or no trade a
q ell Mr.. Chase is for restricted trade--tradt
ithat will be entisely In the hands OF hisagenss
land will enable him to employ O amall army o.
his atfikefs, with ''restrictons" which, co Gen
D. Grant says, "if lived up TO, mako trade unprof
, litsble, and henoo none but dishonest men woult
i lgo into It." l"
4oI :. l quote General Grants letter entire, will
,. some passages italioised, to which l ask spe
1 clal attention: .i sU I'd E
:, I.5JrHRApouARTIRs DEPARTMENT OF TIE TRNHEsHE,
llul8 .-"r "VIcKsbuRo. Miss, July 81, 1868.
n "Hon, 9. P. Chase, Secretary Of the Treasury:
f7ID.tSiR: Your letter of the 4.h instant to me
.,li insosing copy Of lstter Of same date to Nj
- Mellen, Special Agent Of the Treasury, 10 jui
.Tt received /, My Assistant Adutant- cneral, b
y. whom shall send this letter, is sbsut startln
10 ITO Washington, hence ahsll be very short 4
md tmy reply 10 tie q rps-'-a
my experience in West Tennessee has ool