Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-04-05
q q Causes Of the War.
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A SPEECH DELIVERED BY
HON. GEORGE BLISS,
s5.5 'lSa.a q. OF OHIO, 9f XII
u In the House of Representatives, March 18th,
.,.. .f.Is 1864. f.,t far

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In the House of Representatives, March l2tla,
~ Mr.. BLISS commenced by proposing, ac-
corling to the custom of the House in com
mittee of the whole on the state of the
Union, to submit some remarks upon the
message and proclamation OF the President,
which were communicated to Congress at
1.-THE commencement of the present session.
After a few Introductory observations upon
: the constitutional duty required of the Pres
ident in his communications to Congress
Mr.. BLISS proceeds to consider the causes
which have brought the country into it:
. present unfortunate condition, and attrib-
utes it to the temporary success in the coun-
ellis of the nalion of principles and policy
which are in irreconcilable antagonism to
. the Government. "Upon that antagonisln
the present Administration came into pow
er, and thus it may be seen that force has
begottenla purpose to change the principles
3 of the Government, in conformity to the
notions and advantages of q successful par
ty.n .11 .,r, XXX r gaa1 I
Referring to the Presidential campaign OF
1860, and the means used by the supporters
of LINCOLN to carry the election, Mr.. BLISS
says: iat-h II ,tb>A
= The effective element ia the campaign
was anti-slayery-unmitigated and un-
adulterated abOlitionislr-loo to no
consequences, except to defy them, embar-
cad hxy nf fha nrC; -
State policy or political economy. Reason
and argument were to be conquered by con-
centrated fanaticism.
The result was that LINCOLN was elected
President by a minority vote of the people
of the United States. .Tbathis election was
a triumph Of Northern sectional principles
Is none tho less true, as Mr.. Bliss afflrms,
because it might have been prevented by
the cordial coaction of the Southern with
the Northern Democrats. 'sThatl coaction
was prevented by the supposed permanent
predominance of fabolitionism in the North"
Coming to the period when President
LINCOLN assumed the duties of his office,
Mr.. BLISS remarks:
He promised and assured the people over
and over, and declared to the world through
his Minister Of State that the war should
be prosecuted for that purpose [the enforce
,ment of constitutional authorityl and no
other. The President seemed to be sincere
in these pledges; to keep them was only
his sworn duty. The people who loved the
Union, and were willing to incur every
necessary sacrifice for its preservation, ten
dered to the avowed Union policy of the
President their united support.
Such was, as Mr.. Bliss shows, the spirit
of the war at the outset-such the spirit of
the Presidents proclamations then. "Alas," {"
he exclaims, ito what unknown quarter has
that spirit fled? Where is the fulfillment
Of the pledge? Where Is the motive to vim
,dicate the Constitution and the laws?--
Where the purpose to restore the Unionp"
speaking Of the Presidents last Message,
Mr.. BLISS then says: \ esf.;.3,i.
j. In that portion of the Message which is
given under the name of proclamation, as
well as In the Message proper, the Presi-
dent assumes an entirely new position upon
the important political considerations that
have grown out Of the war. He takes upon
himself the arbitrament of all the civil
rights of the people of the States which
have been or may be conquered by the arms
of the Federal Government claiming for
himself the power to dictate the form and
character of the governments the creation
of which, by what Is called the process of
reconstruction, will be permitted to the Ex-
ecutivc, and also the terms and conditions
upon which they may be formed and be-
come States Of the Union. They are to be
governments, not, In the language of the
Declaration of Independence, Sderiving
their just powers from the consent of the
governed, "but governments enforced upon
the people by the omnipotence of the Pres
ident. 1lstefa 9N4VF'
Referring to the Presidents strange pur-
pose Of sustaining and enforcing his new
State Governments whenever small mi-
nority -one-tenth Of the voters Of a seeded
State-shall comply with his terms, Mr..
BLISS says. sfa r9i53a
Such q scheme is subversive of all our
ideas of popular republican government,
the sovereignty Of State being committed
not to the people, to be exercised by the
voice Of a majority, but to the inconsidera-
BILE fraction Of one tenth of the people. IL
would OF course require a large army In
every State to- preserve such II fIagicious
government and its continuance, If It were
possible, which itclearly,is not, would be at
the sacrifice OF every principle of the Con-
stitution and of human liberty. lstIrg6
Mr.. BLISS proves, by citations from the
Constitution, that the President has no
power lander that instrument for his pro-
posed reconstruction OF States in his So
called amnesty proclamation, and no au-
thority or justification for his other uncon-
stitutional and arbitrary acts. Speaking Of
the pretense that slavery in the Stateswas
and is the culpable cause Of the war, and
must therefore, be abolished at all hazards,
as condition of peace, Mr.. BLISS says:
saIt Is convenient apology forreyolution-
lists. It Is incuicated In their press, in their
sermons and speeches; It Is heard in this
body and In the Senate. But the falsehood
of the assertion Is sapparentt to any man who
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