Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-03-17
SPEECH OF
HON. WILLIAM LANG

- - AVA ~ "A Az "
In the Ohio Senate, March I'd, 1863, on the subje
Of the RssOlrtions offered By Mr. Welsh, pr
posing Msrene'0ai Of an unconditional pledge
/ &sAdministyation in all Ito "laudablen .,
.deauors to suppress tho Rebellion.
ar [oontnued.I
will now proceed, Mr. President, to not;c
lew remarks OF the Senator from Favette j
! his defense OF the Administration. NV r.
publican friends here, In their speeches on thi
question: appear happy In their trades uno
the Democratic party and in their great denim
Citations OF Mr.. Vallandighsm, and einoe tha
have referred to him and his speeohss 40 oftan
l would suggest that inasmuch az permissio,
was given by this Senate to our President mn
Stanton) to explain bis speech In Congress- or
the 29th day of February, 1861, In Which h,
said, "that under certain circumstances he. fo
one, was In favor Of aokno aledging the Snutb.
ern Confederacy," that Mr.. Vallandie ebam h,
also permitted to use this floor in his seIf.de
iense. l nave no doubt he could give Senators
here general satisfaction. Why are theae al
tacks made on Mr.. Vallandeham, and whs,
has he to do with the question before ma? Won,
course proves to me this: that for want III
honest facts you fail to defend your partv. and
seek to make up by abuse what Won lack In
reason' MIR. Vallandieham Is responsible for
his own conduct, and able to take good care Of
himself And | would SAY to Senatora bere
that knowing Mr.. Valaudigham as I do I
would prefer him and trust bis Loyalty a tbonz.
and times before would any man who iusti6ea
the course OF this Administration. couaydl,
deQuesesnee in violations Of lao is the ,oorst aei
Of disloyata, because IL proues both tyrant and
sldce.
The Senator makes three principal POINTS In
his defense of Mr.. Lincoln and his marty, and
will notice them In their order.
First, he charges thatif the war policy of the
President fails, 1t will be because the Democrats
40 not furnish necessary aid. Secondly, that
the Pfesidenta as Commander in Chief has great
or power, and power above the Constitution and
can DO anything he pleUses; and thirdly, thatif
the emancipation proclamation was not exactly
In conformity with she Constitution and sound
pohcy, the worst thing you can make Of it is
simply to regard IL as b,under.
On the first proposition the Senator bas an
tifeiy iaiied 10 furnish us any proof, and am
at loss TO see where the Democratic party has
failed to furnish the necessary aid. Have No
not, to man, been obedent to the law? Have
we not voted for more men and more money
than the President requested2 Have we moi
filled the ranks of the army with volunt teers2-
Have we not furnished supplies-- and do we not
pay our taxes and bear the burdens of the Gov
ernment without resistsnce2 Or docs the Sem
ator take IL as refusing aid, when Democrats
care criticise the acis OF men in power and In.
slst upon the recognition of the rights of the
peoplei There Ia the trouble in the mind of
the Senator. When he spoke of the arrests and
the imprisonment of Democrats, he could scarce.
ly find language bitter enough to Gil the meas
ure Of his wrath, but said these imprisonments of
Democrats were all right and iustifiable. He
was only sorry that they we're not more numer-
ous, and that instead of these prisoners being
discharged they were not hung, ETC.; that these
prisoners, instead Of complaining, ought to
thank their God that they were not hung. The
ancient proverb--" Those whom the gods seek
to destroy they fret make mad "-never APPLIED
more forcibly than it does to the party in DO er
Mr.. President, it is high time for the people
to awake to their interests and their dearest
rights as American citizens, when violations Of
the freedom of speech and the press, of person
and property, of life and character, are daily
perpetrated by men in authority, and when such
violations find advocates in the halls of Com
gresa and on the floor of the Senate of this
commonwealth. Congress passes on act, shield
ing and justifying the President in his acts of
tyranny, while Ohio Senators give him aid and
comfort by their defense of bic wrongs. By
Jour violations of the peoples rights, you have
inaugurated spirit of mobocracy Throughout
the land, that is becoming daily more fearful
aud terrible. The rights of private citzens
are extremely unsafe, and Government furnish.
es no protection against O mad mob. Let m en-
in authority and those who find justification
for this apirit, remember, that you are digging
your own graves. The spirit of outlawry that
imprisons Democrat to-day and destroys bis
property, may overtake you tomorrow, and
where reyou2 Has not this relentless per-
secution OF Dem :crats, since Mr.. Lilcoln's in
auguratioD, done more than anything else to
discourage the people2 Does it not tend to di.
vide them and drive them to despair7 Do Sem
ators suppose for moment tnat the spirit of '76
has died out, and that the people have lost their
love for ffeedom2 If you are blind With this
deluaion, let me admonlsh you to stop! Stop
before II Is toe late The human mind is like
a bowl-it will hold Just 80 much and no more.
Pour in more and ii will run over. When pa
thence ceases to be virtue, its place is supplied
by resentment, IF had the power to mako
you hear, would cry "for Gods sake stop "
DonL drive the people to madness! They are
not set of slaves nor towards. They are
noble rsce--noble sons of noble sires. Their
forbearance ID not cowardice, but a conscious
reverence to law and order We will abide by
the law, right or wrong, and submit while it is
q law; but when youinvade QUE rights without
law; when you threaten with bastiles, and the
rope, and the torch; when you attempt to inter-
fere with freedom Of speech and the press, and
propose to drive us away from the polls by the
point Of the bayonet--let me humbly advise you
to do three things: First, make your will;
secondly, your peace with God, and thirdly,
come on. And may God have mercy on your
souls
Sir, while we obey the law ourselves, we
cay you must obey the same. While we con-
cede the right to you to write and speak and
print and vtte as you please, We claim the same
to ourselves and cay TO you, that by the eternal
you shall not interfere. These rights We will
never surrender. Never; never.
My friend, the Senator from Montgomery, is
not warranted In his assertion that there ID an
organization in Ohio to encourage dessrtions
from the army II there Ia, they are not Dem.
ocrats. despise any and every secret political
organization. ] never belonged to any; never
shall. j have no creed nor policy that will
withhold from my neighbor. Oar Democratic
doctrines we preach from the house tops, and
at every cross road ami from every Atump.-I
There is no secret In them. They are sacred
legacy, and We mean to enjoy them. But there
Ia an organization about Warrington to rob the
treasury. Why don't the Senator tell US
about that? No, they are his party friends.
Good, true, loyal Union men Corrupt as hell,
they are nevertheless the friends Of the Ad-
.ls.sa Ntax. ,,nk - Ia