The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-05-11

l
TATIVES, APRIL IL, 1864.
| The Hause having under consideration the reso
luton to expel Mi. Long, of Ohio
Mr.. PENDLETON said
! Nh. SPEAKER: have purposely refraineC
till this moment from taking part in this dis
cussion. l desired to wais until gentlemen
upon this side and upon the other side of the
Chamber should have said ali they though
proper to say by way of criticism on the
sneeeh-es- d-and- colleague, Mr.
/ LoNe.] desired that gentlemen upon the
other sido of the Chamber, the gentleman
from Maryland, Mr.. DAVIS. my two col
leagues from Ohio, Mr.. SCHENCK and Mr.
SPALDING,l and the gentlemen from Indiana
| I Mr.. ORTIZ and Mr.. DUMoNT,1 |, should have
| poured out the vials of their wrath upon the
| Democratic party. | desired that the vocab-
ulary of invectivc and vituperation should be
entirely exhausted. I knew it was inevitable
[ desired that the gentleman from Kentucky
! I Mr.. SMITH should have made his speech, in
which, though it was an hour long, he did not
once alude to the question which is pending.
1 desired that all the false issues should have
| been made, that every attempt to draw off at
tention from the only question before US
should have been fnliy tried, and then l in
| tended to ask the House ta come back to the
consideration of this resolution.
I, sir, shall not follow those gentlemen.
shall>rep1y TO none of their partiZan crimina-
tions They do not touch the marrow of this
question. They are unworthy of the digaity
| of this debate l shall rot express my opiu-
| ion as TO the soundness and unsoundness Of
the views of my colleague. l will be led into
no false issues; l will be diverted in no re-
spect from the question before as Its solu-
toa depends in no degree upon the opinion
of any gentleman as to the soundness OF the
views of nv colleague, or as to the wisdom or
prorriety or their utterance at this time.
This question rises to higher dignity. 1t
! is important to my colleague personally; 1t Is
important to every member of this House in
his personal relations but it is far more i'm.
pOrtant inasmuch as it touches the organiza-
ton of this House, the organize ton Of the
government itself I shall therefore neither
participate in partizan discussion nor retort
the pnrtizar, illusions which have been made.
[ shall coDfine myself, as nearly as can, to
the question involved in the resolution OF the
Speaker. I shall endeavcr to rise to the
height OF this great subject, and if L shall
not be able to do justice to the argument, L
will at least do justice to myself and to my
own appreciation OF the spirit IN which it
ought to be discussed. And as [ shall not
discuss the soundness of the views of my col
league, so I desire to say that person who
has spoken had authority to do so for me. l
shall not in this debate assent to nor dissent
from those views. I have attended caucus
called either to indorse or repudiatc them. l
do not know that any such has been held;
certainly none has been held with ny concur
rc..ce.
Where arc we? In delibcrative assembly
whose chief function is discussion. Why were
we brought here? Primarily that might
represent the views of our constituents; ard
next, that by comparison of opinions, by argu-
ment, by persuasion, by addressing tke rea-
son ard consciences of each other, We might
be brought into accord and devise q system of
legislation which would contribute to the vel
fare of the people. and, by consequence, to the
perpetuation and the glcry of the GoverBment.
What questions are brought before US? What
questions are now pending upon your table?
description, confscation, taxation, recruiting,
the reconstruction of State governments, and
amendments of the Constitution, and under
meath them all lies the greater question Of the
farther prosecution of this war. The Presi-
dent of the Uuitcd States, in his message at
the beginning of this session, told US that he
had issued proclamation of emancipation
and that so long as he remained in his present
position he would neither recall nor modify it.
And yet we all know that proclaim. alton is as
worthless as the gentl-man from Maryland
Mr. DAvIsl declared it to be-as the paper
the power Of our armies. The President told
us that he had issued proclamation of am
ncsty, tkat those who will take the oath of al
legiance and swear obedience to his proclama-
tions shall have authority to reorganize the
State governments even though they be but
one-tenth part of the population, and that he
will maintain those State governments by all
the power of our arms.
Following Immediately upon that message
came a call for three hundred thousand N en-,
and afterwards call for two hundred thou
and more. As direct consequences, inevit
ably, we have had conscription bills, a def
cheney bill of than hundred million
dollars, and regular appropriation bills for the
Army for $500 000O,0 900, for the Navy $780,
100000, and for miscellaneous purposes $780,
600 600 more. Taxation is necessary to raise
this money, and we have tax Bills. Loans are
necessary and we have loan bills. Greed of
gain must be satisfied, and We lave confsca-
ton bills. Those bills arc pending. They
are before the House. My colleague must
consider them; he must vote upon them. His
duty and his oath require it. The solution of
all these questions, the propriety and necessi-
ty of passing these bills, depend upon the SIN
gle question whether or not this war shall be
further prosecuted, and if so, in what manner
and for what purpose? This lies at their very
foundation. It is the base of the pyramid of
legislation which is sought TO be built up
DIR. colleague Mr. LoNG] at the time ap-
propriated for debate at the only time when
by the rules he could do SO, rose il this place
ard decorously, deeently violating none of
the proprieties of debate-with calmness and
moderation and dignity, with sincerity
which has not been questioned, appealing to
God for the purity of his motives, and respon-
sibie to his constituents for the wisdom of his
views-proceeded to discuss that question
without the consideration of which none of
the measures now pending before you can be
honestly developed Or fairly decided.
He said that he believes this war to have