Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-04-28
Serious Affair for a Democratic
Member.

Washington espondence OF the CT ncinnati Gazette
A recent fraud by which the Associated
Press was induced to represent to the world
that member Of the House made speech
during the Long expulsion debate which
every man then present knows he did
not make, is so deliberate and bare faced as
to deserve exposure.
In the course of his speech in defense Of
Mr.. Long Mr.. Samuel Cox Member of
Congress from the Columbus. Ohio, Dis
trict,) made this statement. quote from
the official report in the Congressional
Globe:
He (bongl did not speak for his Democratic col
leagus They met his morning IN caucus, for the rur-
oil disavowlng any such sentiments ~ those which
are attributed 10 him They have authorized me 20 10
declare to this House, in justice TO e aud 10 their
situencics '. Dr..
This statement was so extraordinary that
when Mr.. Colfax came to close the debate,
he referred to it, and asked substantially,
"If the speech was so bad that, merely for
the sake of the Party. the unprecedented
course of calling caucus in hot haste to
! disavow it were necessary. is it not much
more important that the House should be
equally marked in its disapprovaP"
! Mr.. Pendleton here interrupted, and sta.
! ted that he knew nothing of any such eau
Gus among his colleagues; that Mr.. Cox was
not authorized to speak fer him, and that
he knew several of his colleagues around
him who were in the same condition. And
then, after an Intellectual attempt by Mr..
Cox to get the floor, Mr.. Colfax proceeded
Tho impression left on the mind of every
one was tha Pendleton had given Cox the
lie direct. It was 20 talked about and com.
mented up>n throughout the Hall and in
the gallery. Judge OF the astonishmant Of
those who heard the debate at finding, the
next day, in the report of the Associated
Press, MIR. Pendleton's statement followed
by this, inserted through Mr.. Cox's procu'
rance:
MIR CoxI desire 10 say tina, to the csucu. Of Ohio
Democrats though was not presenL eleven OF my col
leagues concurred IN aud authorized the statement tina
they did no, agree that the sentiment attributed TO IN,
colleague tiongl WAS the sentiment OF the Democracy
In inducing the Associated Press to pub
lish this as part of the proceedings OF the
House, Mr.. Cox was simply guilty of de-
iiberate fraud on the public by leading the n
to believe that he had made speech which
everybody present knows he never did make
That is bad enough, but it is not all. Ii
this speech which was never made, the wri
ter of it tells Of caucus that was never held
The statement in the body of the speech il
as false as the speech itself is fraudulent. -
Mr.. Cox admits that he was not present a
) this meeting of eleven of his colleagues
which he calls caucus. Well, have tn,
testimony of Democratic member who tcd
present; and he says that it was purely in
formal, accidental meeting of .fpe members
all told, himself included! That member
] name is at the service of anybody haviuI
sufficient interest in Mr. Coxs character t
: have right to call for it!
During the famous Speakership contest
in the winter OF SO 80, which ended in tn
election of Mr. Pennington, this same Mr.
Q Cox had made some charges against tn
"South Americans" Mr.. Bouligny. tn
r gallant and lamcnted loyalst of Louisiana
; rose to reply, IF te gentil man mean to sa
: tn: have act from any such motive as h
5 have attribute, / tell him he say rat is ~
i; teriy and mtamousiytaise'"
$ MIR. Cox rose, with the dapper manne
j for which he is noted, and with the mos
n complaisant how, and winning smile, said
D Certainly, Mr.. Speaker, certainly, Iacccr
| the geatleman's explanation with the grca
est pleasure!" Whereat the poor French
man looked mysti6ed.
e Perhaps Mr.. Cox will be delighted to a
s cept my explanation! AGATE.