The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-04

In the House of representatives on the
18th ult, Gen. Garfield made brief
speech, which is reported as follows in
the Washington Chronicle:
Mr.. Garfield, of Ohio, could not agree
with the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Stevens, that the rebelliOus States
are out Of the Union, nor with the gen.
tleman on the other side, Mr.. f. Wood, ]
who claimed that they have all the rights
pertaining TO the citizens Of the Union.
The Supreme Court Of the United States
had laid down as q rule, clearly and well
defined, that when 3 great rebellion is In
operation, the President and Congress
msy declare we are in q state Of war,
and that we sheuld follow the law of war
All the obligations of the Union hang
over them, but by the act Of rebellion
they have placed themselves beyond the
privileges of the Constitution. The only
question was, could the Government, in
the exercise of the law of war, punish
the rebels by the forfeiture of their per-
sonal and real estate? At the origin of
this nation, all the States, excepting New
/ Hampshire, passed the most sweeping
laws, confscsting the estates of Tories,
and not permitting them to remain upon
our soil. The British Commissioners
endeavored to influence our own, who
signed the treaty of peace to make res
titution, but this the latter sternly re-
fused to do, and the fifteenth article of
the treaty merely says they would re-
commend Congress to be meFciful.
If we want lasting peace, we must
put down the guilty eause-slsvery, and
take away the platform on which slavery
stands, namely: the landed estates of the
rebels Of the South. The negro has been
our true friend on every occasion. There
was scarcely a surprise or battle where
the negro had not come TO US and told
the truth. He had found that while re-
bells were fighting, black men were Gull
tivating their lands, the products of
which were placed in the rebel commits
sary department And it was not until
we took away the main support of the
rebels that we could conquer. If this was
an abolition war, 1t was because We have
an abolition army. Aud he would tell
gentlemen on the other side that slavery
is dead forever, unless the body snatch
ers should resurrect and bring it into
life. He said: q announce, gentlemen,
your friend is departed. Hang your en-
blems of mourning on the bier, and fol-
low the hearse, and shed tears over the
grave, butt have no time to waste to hear
euIogies on the deceased" 1t was not
by Commissioners. such IS the gentleman
from New York Mr.. Wood had sugges-
ted; it was not by smiles that peace was
to be secured, but by the thunders of war
the rebellion must be met Our armies
must be filed, and we must go forward
with the majesty of the great people
rising in their strength to break down
the last hope of the South.
In the course of his remarks, General
Garfield spoke of the great anxiety
manifested by the rebels pending the
Ohio State election last autumn. When
the telegraph flashed to the army the
news of the Union victory and defeat of
Vallandigham, he (Mr. Garfield sent q
general order through the camp, when,
from every little tent there burst shouts
which fairly rent the air, and sent terror
and despair to those men, the rebels, who
watched over the border. In conclusion
be repeated that slavery must be swept
away in order to secure q permanent
peace.