Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-01-23

II luItAI1Qbu
try and Its Institutions.
Sir, / adopt all this as nv own position snt
my defense; though, perhaps, In civil war,
might fairly 90 further In opposition. could
not, with my convictions, vote men and money
. for this war, and would not, as Representa-
tive, vote against them. mean that, without
opposition, the President might take all the
men and all the money be should demand, and
then to hold him to strict Accountability be-
fore the people for the results. Not believing
the soldiers responsible for the war, or its pur-
poses, or Its consequences, have never with
held my vote where their separate interests
were concerned. But have denounced from
the beginning the usurpstlons and the infrac-
tions, one and all, OF law and Constitution, by
the President and those under him; their re-
peated and persistent arbitrary arrests, the sus-
pension Of habeas corpus, the violation of free
dom of the MALE, of the private house, of the
press and of speech, and all the other multpi.
ed wrongs and outrages upon public liberty
and priyate right, which have made this coun-
try one of the worst despotisms OIL earth for the
past twenty-months; and will continue to re-
buke and denounoe them TO the end; and the
people, thank God, have at last heard and
needed, and rebuked them, too. To the re-.
cord and to time appeal again for my usliH-
cation.
And now, cir, Irecur TO the state of the Union
to-day. What is III Sir, twenty months have
elapsed, but the rebellion is not crushed out; its
military power has not been broken; the ipsur-
gents have not dispersed. The Union is not
restored; nor the Constitution maintained
nor the laws enforced. Twenty, sixtv.
ninety, three hundred, six hundred days have
passed; a thousand millions been expend.
ed; and three hundred thousand lives lost, of
| mi n. nd to- a., r.. r. r.. \
Tag is near the Potomac and the Ohio, and the
Confederate Government stronger, many times.
than at the beginning. Not State has been
restored, not any portion of any State has VOL
UNFAIRLY returned to the Union. And has any
thing been wanting that Congress, or the States.
or the people 10 their most generous enthusiasm.
their most impassioned patriotism, could be-
stow2 Was IL power? And did not the party
Of the Executive control the entire Federal
Government, every State Government, every
county, every city, town and village ir the
North and West2 Was 1t patronsgef All be-
loDged to Il. Was 1t inhuepce2 What more7
Did not the school, the college, the church, the
press, the secret orders, the municipality, the
corporation, railroads, telegraphs, express com
panies, the voluntary associations, eli, all Weld
It to the utmost2 Was II, unanimity2 Never
was an Administration so supported 10 England
or America. Five men and half o score OF
newspapers made up the opposition. Was Il
enthusiasm2 The enthusiasm was fanaticai.
There has been nothing like 1t since the Cru
sades., Wss 1t oonfidence2 Sir, the faith Of
the people exceeded that OF the patriarch. Thew
gave up Constitution, law, right, liberty, ali at
your demand for arbitrary power, that the rebel.
lion might, az you promised, be crushed orr in
three months and the Union restored. Waa
credit needed You took control of the coun-
try, young, vigorous, and inexhaustible In
wealth ard resources, and Of q Government al
most free from public debt, and whose good
faith had never been tarnished. Your great
national loan bubble failed miserably, as il de.
served to fail; but the bankers and mercbants
Of Philadelphia, New York and Boston lent Won
more than their entire banking capital. And
when that failed too, you forced credit BY de-
claring your paper promises-to-pay o legal ten.
der for all debts. Was money Wanted2 You
had all the revenues of the United States.
diminished indeed, but still in gold. The whole
wealth of the country, to che last dollar, Law at
your feet. Private individuals, municipal cor.
porations, the State governments, all In their
frenzy gave you money or means with reckless
prodigality. The great Eastern cities lent Won
$3.50, 900, 900. Congress voted, flrst, the sum Of
$3.50 ,0OO, ,OUO, aud next 0,000, 900 more In
leans; and then, first, $50 .000, 900, then $40.
100000, next $50 OOO,OOO,l and, in July !ss,.
$l5O, ,0OO,0 In Treasury notes; and the Secre.
tary has issued also paper postage 9 currency, %
10 Gums as low as five cents, limited in amount
only by his discretion. Nay, more; already
since the 4th of July, 1861, this House has ar.
propriated $2400, ,000. 900, almost every dollar
without debate, and without q recorded vote.
A thousand millions have been expended since
the 18th of April. 1861; and a public debt Or
liability of 81 500, 100000 already Incurred.
And TO support all this stupendous outlay and
indebtedness, system of taxation, direct and
indirect, has been inaugurated, the most oner.
ous and unjust ever imposed upon any but con.
quered people. ''' .,II
Money and credit. then, you have had in urod.
Iigal profusion. And we're men Wanted2 More
than million rushed to arms. Seventy. & ve
thousand first (and the country stood aghsst al
the multitude), then eighty-three thousand
more were demanded; and three hundred and
ten thousand responded to the call. The Presi.
dent next asked for four hundred thousand, and
Congress-, n'its generous confidence, gave him
hve hundred thousand; and, not to be- outdone,
Half of these melted away In their fifst cam.
paign; and the President demanded three hmm.
dred thousand more for the war aud then draft.
ed yet another three hundred thousand for nine
months. The tabled hosts of xerxes have been
outnumbered And yel victory strangely fol.
lows the standards OF the foe. From Grea,
Bethel to Vicksburg, the battle has not beer
to the strong. Yet every disaster, except the
last, has been followed by call for more troops
and every time 30 far they have been promptly
furnished. From the beginning the war has
been conducted like political campaign, and
1t has been the folly Of the party In power thai
they have assumed that numbers alone Would
win the field In contest not with ballots bui
with musket and sword. But numbers vor
have had almost without number-the lar ssss
best appointed, best armed, fed, and clad bos
of brave men, well organized ana well disci
pliued, ever marshsled. "A navy too. not IN
most formidable, perhaps, but the most ,irner
ous and gallant, and the costllest In the world
and against foe almost xithouta navy, st ali
} Twenty million people, and every element
: Of strength and force at command-poWer
patronage, influence, unanimity, enthusiasm
| confidence, credit, money, men, an army and (
navy, the largest and the noblest ever set in th,
/ field or sfoat upon the sea, with the support
: almost servile, Of every State. county, and mu
lnicipality In the North and West;l with Con
l gress swift TO do the bidding Of the Executive
7 without opposltion anywhere at home, and viii
D an arbitrary power which neither the Car. 81
!, Russia nor the Emperor Of Austria dare exercise
3 yet after naarly two years of more yizoreui
!. prosecution Of war than ever recorded ia hia
ttOfy: after more ekirmiehea comhat Ia aras ~, |,