Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-04-23
Treason to the Union and the Constr
tuition at the Capital of Ohio.

tuition at the Capital Of Ohio.
There was so called Union, or, properly
an anti. Union meeting, held 10 the City Hall,
Columbus, on Saturday evening, April IL, at
which ]. J. JANNEY was Chairman and E F.
JENNINGS was Secretary. The meeting was ad'
dressed by s. s. HENKLE, member of the Ohio
Senate, whose residenceis in Springfield, Clark
county An evening paper of this city, in its
issue Of April 90, contains report or synopsis
of Mr.. HENKLE's speech. In that report We
find the following paragraph;
NV Democratic friend says he wants the
Union az It was, by which he means the union
Sith slavery. Now, you need not trouble your
aeIf IN that score, for, from the moment the
rebel batteries fred upon Fort Sumter, slavery
became doomed-proclsmatio or no procla-
mation-"the handwriting is on the wall" and
the Union az |: pas can never be restored But
We can and will have new Union with no blot
upon our fair escutcheon'
Mr.. HEsKLE knew he Was misfepresent'ng
Democrats when he asserted they wanted the
Union az It was for the sake Of slavery. But
they demand, as he well understands, the res
toration of the Union with the right OF every
State to hold slaves, or to do any other consti-
tutional act, unimpsired. They demand Of
Mr. HEEKLE's party that II shall redeem, in
good faith and without quibbling or evasion,
the pledge, given to our citizens at home and
our soldiers In the field, when its Representa-
tiyes In Congress, with but two exceptions, de-
clared in July, 1861, that the sole object of the
war was ''to defend and maintain the suprema'
cy Of the Constitution, and to preserve the
Union, with all the dignity, equality and rights
Of the several States unimpaired." What does
this language mean but that the Union is to be
restored as il was, with ell the rights OF the
States, that Of holding slaves among the rest,
unimpsired2
This was the pledge-tNe solemn pledge
the Administration party, through its Repre-
sentatives In the last CongreaN, gave to the peo-
pie and to the soldiers who volunteered to fight
their countrys battles. But now that the peo-
pie are involved in the support of the war, aud
our sons and brothers made food for rebel can
non and food for worms 10 Southern swamps,
Mr. HrNKLE, on Ohio Senator, and other prom
inent leaders of his party, turn round, as If In
scorn and contempt of the people and the SOL
diers, and say !: "The handwriting lie on the
wall, and the Union as It tcas can NEVER BE
RESTORED"
"But," they say, 1--WE can and will have
NEW UNION" So cay JEFF. DAVIS and his
fellow w-traitors. Why did you not tell the peo-
pie at the beginning, when money and soldiers
were demanded, that this was your object 10 the
war--that the Union as IL was should never be
restored, and that you could and would have
new Union7 How many mep do you think
would have volunteered to face death in almost
every horrid shape conceivable, If you had pro-
claimed at the beginning Of the war what you
are proclaimiDg nOw' The people, and the SOL
diers who may survive, will one day have q
long and fearful reckoning to. make with these
reckless politicians, who have thus broken their
plighted faith and deceived and betrayed them.
We quote the concluding paragraph of the
report Of Mr.. HENKLE's speech. It is as fol-
lows:
/ am as much devoted to the Constitution as
any man, and would as zealously guard It from
infringement, and claim that in its spirit it
has been faithfully observed. But soy to you
that I love the principles of free government
more than even the Constitution. Why, what
is the Constitution7 Il 10 the framework OF
~ IL a. L.
bond OF union. Who made it2 "We, the
people" Il is but the breath of the people;
and II for want Of foresight our fathers mad
failed to proyide In that instrument for the
fearful emergency that is upon us, 90 that q
literal adherence to some one Of its provisions
be the means Of destroying the Gosernment, I
would blow It away, as child blows feather
intosthe air, for the life of the Republic is Of
incomparably greater value thar any provision
Of the Constitution, and the precedent could
only be claimed in similar emergency.
Mr.. HrNKLE claims to be as much devoted
70, the Constitution as any mani What an inn
pudsnt and preposterous claim, when in bis next
breath, he, declares he would, on the supposi-
tion which revolutionists, North and South, are
nov making and acting upon-that the fathsrr
failed 10 provide adequately for an emergency
like this" blow the Constitution away, as a
child blows feather into the airv' This ID
precisely the ground taken by JryE.l DAVIS aud
his confederate conspirators, and 40 they have
gone to work and made q new Consultation, BY
altering and amending, as they claim, some o.
the provisions Of the old one, which they sup
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