The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-02-06

cessiul prosecution OF the war. 60
further, and regard the Withholding sup
plies, ,Oith a vietS Of forcing the country
into dishonOrable peace, as not only TO
be what il has been called, moral treason,
but very little short ofactual treason
itself"
Upon this principle, sir, he acted after
wards In the Mexican war. Speaking
ofIhat war in Ie47, he said;
"Eyery Senator knows that was op-
posed 10 the war; but none knows but
myself the depth Of that opposition.
With my conception Of its character and
consequences, it was impossible for me
TO vote for it,"
And again, in ls4s:
"But, afterthe war was declared, by !
authority Of the Government, ac>
quiesced in what could not prevent,
and which it was Impossible for me to
arrest; and then felt it 10 be my duty
to limit my efforts to give such direction
to the war as would, as far as possible,
preventthe evils and dangers with which
it threatened the country and its insti.
tutions."
Sir, | adopt all this as my own PO.
sition and my defence; though, perhaps,
in civil war, might fairly go further
in opposition, could not, with my con.
victions, vote men and money for this
war, and l would not, as a Representa-
tive, vote against them. meant that,
without opposition, the President might
take all the men and all the money he
should demand, and then to hold him TO
a strict accountability before the people
for the results, Not believing the
soldiers responsible for the war, or its
purposes, or its consequences, | have
never withheld my vote where their
separate interests were concerned. But
have denounced from the beginning the
usurpalOns and the inlractions, one and
all, Of law and Constitution, by the
President, and those under him; their
repeated and persistent arbitrary arrests,
the suspension of habeas corpus, the
violation of freedom of the mails, Of the
private house, of the press and of speech,
and all the other multiplied wrongs and
outrages upon public liberty and private
right, which have made this country one
of the worst despotisms on earth for the
past twenty months; and Twill continue
to reblke and denounce them to the
end; and the people, thank God, have
at last heard and needed, and rebuked
them, too. To the record and to time |
appeal again for my justification.
And now, sir, recur to the state of
the Union to-day. What is it! Sir,
-, twenty months have elapsed, but the re-
! bellion' is not crushed out; its military
+ power has not been broken; the insurg-
ents have not dispersed. The Union is
= not restored; nor the Constitution main
=. tanned; nor the laws enforced. Twenty
= sixty, ninety, three hundred, six hum
!. dred days have passed; a thousand mil
= lions been expended; and three hundred
u thousand lives lost or bodies mangled!
and to-day the Confederate flag is still
y near the Potomac ard the Ohio, and tht
Confederate Government stronger, many
4 times, than at the beginning. Not ;
= State has been restored, not any part O.
any State has voluntarily returned Il
= the Union. And has anything beer
:, :, wanting that Congress, o. the States, o
:, " the people in their most generous enthu
. siasm, their most impassioned patriotism
u could bestow! Was it power! Ant
=, did not the party OF the executive contro
" " the entire Federal Government, ever,
~ " State government, every county, every
:" city, town and village in the North an
West! Was patronage! All belonge
: to il. Was it influence? What more
;" Did not the school, the college, tn
d d church, the press, the secret orders, th
Il municipality, the corporation, railroad:
. telegraphs, express companies, tn
', voluntary association, all, all yield to tn
!" utmost? Was it unanimity? Nevt
- was an Administration so supported
u England or America. Five men an
half score of newspapers made up III
. opposition. Was it enthusiasm! III
" "le' enthusiasm was fanatical. There hi
'e' been nothing like it since the Crusade
io Was il confidence! Sir, the faith of II
"a people exceeded that of the patriarch
oI ui They gave up Constitution, law, righ
Iu S liberty, all at your demand for arbitral
w w power that the rebellion might, as yc
No promised, be crushed out in three mont
W and the Union restored. Was cred
w W needed! You took control ofa countr
W young, vigorous, and inexhaustible
u wealth and resources, and of Gov ri
nu l ment almost free from public debt, al
40 whose good faith had never been Ia
'us ~, nished. Yourgreat rational loan bubb
'ur failed miserably, as it deserved 10 ia
o but the bankers and merchants
'!u 'u the Gar of Russia nor the Emperor
io' Austria dare exercise; yet after near
'.S .S two years Of more vigorous prosecute
'" Of war than ever recorded in history
'o after more skirmishes, combats and bi
w :" lies than Alexander, Cesar, or the iii
- Napoleon ever fought in any five yea
vi nd of their military career, you have utter
nv. "u signally, disastrously-l will not 8
I gnominiously-failed 10 subdue t
~, m million "rebels," whom you had taug
20! the people of the North and West q
only to hate but to despiSe. Rebels d
az | sayl Yes, your fathers were rebs
OF or your grandfathers. He who now
ire fore me on canvas looks down so sad
an upon US, the false, degenerate, a
m imbecile guardians of the great Repu
Ve' lie which he founded, was rebel. A
en- yet we, cradled ourselves in rebelliC