The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-07-29
THE EVIDENCE OF vALLAND1GHAM'S
d sL0YALTY.
How he Spoke and How he Voted
-er for War and DisuniOn.

Extract fron his speech in the House Of
Representatives, of the 7th of February, I8-
81 lie said:
Born sir, upon the soil of tho United States );
attached to my country from earliest boyhood;
loving and revering her, with some part at
least, with the spirit of Greek and dtoman pats
sriotism, betwcen these t&e| alternatives, with
all my heart, with all my strength of body,
and of soul, living or dying, at home or in ex-
| lie, am for the Union which made it what
! it IS and therefore am for such terms of
peace and adjustment will maintain that
| Union now aud forever. This, then, is. the
question WHICH to-day propose to discuss
How shall the Union of these States be re-
stored ard preserved
/ Devoted as am to the Union, have yet
no eulogics to produce. upon it to-day. 1t
needs none. It's highest eulogy is the history
of this country for the last seventy years
The triumphs ofwar and the arts of peace,
science, civilization, wealth, population, COM
merce, trade, manufactures, literature, educa
.tion, justice, tranquility, security to life, to
person, to property, material happiness, COM
mon defense, national renown-al that is inn
piled in the blessings of ibcrty-these, and
more, have been its fruits from he beginning
| to this hour. These have enshrined it in the
| hearts of the people-aud, before God, l be-
lieve they will restore and preserve it. And
to-day they demand of US, their ambassadors
and represent tiyes, 10 tell them how this great
work is to be accomplished.
| shall vote also for the Crittenden propo
sitions-as an experiment, and only as an ex-s
periment-beeause they proceed upon the
same general idea which marks the Adams
amendment and whereas, for the sake of
peace and the Union, the latter would give
new security to slavery in the States, the for
mer, for the self same great and paramount
objects of Union and peace, proposes to give
new security also to slavery in the Terrific
ries south of the latitude 39o30' If the Union
is worth tho price which the gentleman from
Massachusetts volunteers to pay to maintain
it, is it not richly worth the small additional
price which the Senator from Kentucky de-
mands the possible condition of preserving
it? Sir, it is the old parable of the Roman,
sybil and tomorrow she will return with few.
er volumes, and it may be at higher price,
/ shall vote to try the Crittenden PROPOSE
tioDs, because, also, / believe that they are
perhaps the least which even the more moder- /
ate of the slave States would under any cir--I
cumstances be willing to accept, and because
North, South and West the people seem to
have taken hold of them and to demand them
OF US, as an experiment at least. / am ready |
to try, also, if need be, the propositions of the
Border States Committee, or of the Peace |
Congress, or any other fair, honorable and rea-
sonable terms Of adjustment which may SO
much as promise, even, to heal our present |
troubles, and to restore the Union of these
States Sir, am ready aud willing and anx-
ious to try all things and to do all things
(which may become man." to secure that |
great object which is nearest to my heart
The question, therefore, is not merely what
will keep Virginia in the Union, but also what |
will bring Georgia back. And here let me
say that do not Doubt that there il large !
and powerful Union sentiment still surviving
in all the States VIII ch have seeded, South /
Carolina alone perhaps excepted, and that if |
the people of those States can be assured that |
they shall have the power to protect them
selves by their own action within the Union,
they will gladly return to it, very greatly pre-
feIring protection within, to security outside |
of it. J Just now, Indeed, the fear of danger, |
and your persistent and obstinate refusal to en-
able them to guard against it, have delivered |
the people of those States over into the hands |
3 nd under the control of the real Secessionists I
and disunionists among them; but give them |
security and the means of enforcing it, above |
all, dry up this pestilent fountain of slavery |
agitation as political element in both Sec
tions, and, my word for it, the ties of common
ancestry, a cormon, kindred, and common Ian
guage, the bonds of common language, the |
bonds of common interest, common danger,
and common safety, the recolleetions of the |
pasr and of association not yet dissolved, and
the bright hopes of future to all of us,
more glorious and respondent than any other
country you ever saw ay, sir, and visions, too,
of the old flag of the Union, and d of the music |
of the Union, and precious memories of the
statesmen and the heroes of the dark days of
the revolution will fill their souls yet again
with yearnings and desires Intense for the glo-
ries, the honors, and the material benefits, too,
of that Union which their fathers and our
fathers made and they will return to it, not
as the prodigal, but with songs and rejoicing
as the Hebrews returned from the captivity to
the ancient city of their kings.
TO the SoIdiersi