Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-02-11
Ohio 9tatesnra,r
SPEECH OF
HON. EDSON B. OLDS.

HON. EDSON B. OLDS.
In the Ohio House of Representatiues, Monday
January 18Th, 1863, on Arbitrary Arrests.
Iooncluded.l
Mr.. Speaker, the gentleman from Musking
um (Mr. Reamy) has been pleased to be some.
this House the report by Bob Clarke of speech
of mine made on the 26th July last, in Berne
township, In Fairfield county, and published by
Clarke in the Lancaster Gazette, of which he ID
the editor. BY the courtesy of the House was
permitted, az soon as the gentleman had finished
reading, to say that that report was false;
intentionally false; maliciously and willfully
false. 80 pronounced II at the time, in q card
over nv own signature, published In the Ohio
Eaqlc, The editor of the Eagle, who was present
at the meeting in Berne township, and heard the
speech, in On editorial in his paper, of the same
date, pronounced the report basely and mali
ciously false. After my arrest, and during my
imprisonment, some fourteen OF the most re-
sponsible and reliable OF the citizens of Fair
field county, who wore present and heard the
speech from beginning to end, sent me afiida-
Wits, all in the same language as the one which
| will now read. will read the affidavit Of Tall
Slough, tho Prosecuting Attorney of Fairfield
| county:
State of Ohio, Fdirttld County. &C.:
Tall Slough Of lawful age being frst duly sworn, de.
poseth and saith that he i lawyer and resides In Ian
meeting in Berne township, Fairfield county on Satur.
day, July 90, 1862 addressed by Dr. Edison b. 0lds.
That he the an heard the whole Of the speech Of said
Dr. Ods upon that occasion and has read the pretended
repor thereof contained In the Lancaster Gazette
81 1862 copy Of which is herto attached That said
pretended report gross Misrepresentation and per-
version Of what Dr. 0ds did say In said Speech and gives
In full neither the language nor substance thereof That
by emitting material and qualifying portions and by al
terng the wording In many particulars the reporter has
managed 10 give an entirely dihelenttone and meaning
10 the expressions Of said DR.. 0ds. That DR., 0lds did
NOT in his said speech oppose the war; 20 long carried
on for the purpose ofsuppressng rebellion and restoring
the Union, and did not either directly or indirectly dis
to the execution of any law legally enforced one
single word either justiyng or sympaihizinE with the
South or this reboon but on the other hand denounced
and condemned both secessionsts and abolit0nists.
TALL SLOUGH.
What, now, let me ask, becomes of the gen
tleman's charges, that had discouraged en-
listments, or counseled resistance to the dTAft2
Mr.. Scott, of Warren-I should like to ask
the gentleman from Fairfield, If, after the pub
lication of Tall Slough's sffidavit, Mr.. Clarke,
over his own signature, did not publish in the
Lancaster Gazette q card, In which he said he
(Clarke) was willing to be qualified to the
truthfulneas of his report Of the speech; and II
he did not state in his card that Tall Slough
had admitted to him (Clarke). in the presence
of witnesses, that hls (Clarke's) report of the
speech was correct2
Mr.. Olds-I thank the gentleman from War
rem for asking me the question. 1t affords me
an opportunity of further vindicating my inno-
csnce, and Of still further demonstrating to this
House and the country, that this Bob Clarke 10
base, willful and malicious caluminator and
liar. | think there Ia no doubt but what Bob
Clarke would make an affidavit to the truthful
ness of bis report of my speech. would give
something handsome to know that he has al
ready made such an affidavit / ON trying to
obtain precisely that information. believe
he has made such an affidavit But what does
that weigh against the fourteen affidsvits which
have been voluntarily given me that his report
10 false2
Bot the gentleman from Warren aeks, "did
not Clarke, in his card, say that Tall Slough
admitted in the presence Of Witnesses, that his
(Clarke's) report was correct" | am happy
to inform the gentleman from Warren, that the
very persons referred to by Clarke, contradict
ed himpin every important particular. The on
ly person among them all, who in the least
sustains Bob Clarke, ia Joshua Clarke, the
father of Bob, ald here let me say that Joshua
Clarke is highly respectable man, who has the
confidence of our entire community. The only
thing that Can be said against him s, that he
is the father of Bob Clarke. Joshua Clarke
says that Tall Slough admitted that Bob's re-
port of the speech was as good as could be en-
pected from a political opponent. Why, sir,
will admit thot il Ia as good as usually re.
oeive from political opponents The Cincinnati
Commercial and the Ohio State Journal, are
misrepresentiDg me every day. The Republi-
can press of Ohio soem TO think that their
mission is to misrepreeent Democrats, especial
ly such Democrats as Vallsndigham and Olds.
down 10 report my speech for the express pur-
poae of making political capital for his party.
All the witnesses. besides tho father of Clarke,
expressly deny having heard any such oonver
sation between Clarke and Slough. Dr.. Barlow,
one of the persons referred to by name, by
Clarke, warm Republican too, voluntarily
forw arded Mr.. Slough letter, In which he moet
emphatically denies having heard any such con-
versation. Now, If the gentleman from War
rem will refer to his Gazette, he will see that
this DR.. Barlow ia the witness most relied upon
by Bob Clarke. 10 the gentleman from Warren
satisied7
Sir, If Governor Tod and Abraham Lincoln
had acted as good rulers should act-if they
had regarded their oaths of office-if they had
valued the liberties, the inalienable rights of
American citizens, they would have possessed
themselves of all this information, and have
saved themselves from standing disgraced be-
fore the whole world, for having committed an
outrage that would have been tolerated only by
Bomba or Callgula.
Mr.. Speaker, Governor Tod charges that the
arrest of these eleven citizens of Ohio, was in
consequence Of their discouraging enlistments
and resisting the order for the draft. That
may do the Governor no injustice, will read
from his message. He says: II allude partic.
ularly to the temporary and modified suspen--
sion of the writ of habeas corpus, and the order
for the arrest Of citizens guilty of interfering
with enlistments and with the order for the
execution of the draft, and their temporary
confinement before hearing or trial"
| Now, so far as the case Of John w Kees is
concerned, this is not only Misrepresentation
but it Ia utterly false. 'tJ3 e 4I
| Mr.. Kees, let it be remembered, was arrested
| 10 the month of June, At that lime there was
no outstanding call for enlistments. Nay more,
sir, Just before the arrest of Mr.. KEGS, the
President had issued proclamation stopping
enlistments. He had, Of that time, II we can
believe his own words, all the soldiers he wanted.
The charge, as have said, 10 then, 30 far as
Mr.. Kees Ia concerned, simply false. No, sir,
Mr.. Tod had another object In view when he
ordered the arrest Of Mr.. Kees. IL was this:
The Democracy were about to hold their 4lh of
July State Convention. The party was be.
coming Dissatisfied and outspoken, because the
Administration was turning the war into war
for the abolition OF slavery. The Governor
| e.. khok al