Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-05-05
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

The HGule Let a. IL NJ frAyer Dy rev. Dr.. Dun
| car.
Mr.. ]. N. LEACH, OF North Carolina, rose to a
QUESTION of priv lege, and by the unanimous
cousen of the House proceeded say, that he was
not in the habit of abiding to- or commenting upon,
newspaper at acks or him, and should not nov, il all
honorable members upon this ho3r knew his poEti
cal antecedents as we'll those present with WHOM he
had served in the SO Congress of the United States
He continued The Richmond Elk aminer of to-day Las
made dsingeDuous hiGg OF North Carolina and the
majority Of her delegation bere, generally az my dis
trct particularly end u mrseh pets)nsllT although in
the article sllu6e to my mans has baen COMPOUNDED
with that OF my colleague OF the same name in some Cf
| the editors ausiUna. ,H.
He then read that portion Of the article which refer
red particularly to himself, and continued regret
that my position should DO represented by that or
aay otner paper, either upon Idle upon false
ges made by extreme and bitter parsans and par
tisan newspapers OF my Stately the came pap RS
aud men that denounced Governor Vance two years
ago. disloysl aud untrue to the Souh and as Union
mau, although they were tea reouked by the people
eectng Hr Vance, b. majority of 81 600 votes am
responsible primarily to the patriotic people of my
Dislric. aud to the psoCls Of my Slate for nv
public conducs aud political neutrality-suspicious. that
have held for years, ana nave receauy ayo6ed frank
Iy and fully, in every cOult3 OF my district, and in
virtue of which hold my sest t6s floor and lha
too by a mljori;y OF nearly 500 more votes than ia
noted in the papers OF this city. Blu; am not re-
sponsibe to the Editor Of the Exaoer in any wise for
my political principles have 10 right nor desire to
object to fair criticism, but do object, and viii not ell
low myself to be placed in false position before the
country
/ ask the indulgence Of the House while read an
extract from speech delivered early last fall and
also rom a circusr suei by duriog M recent can.
vlss to show briefly the opinion entertain on the sub.
ice OF peace-and here declare my firm Iu pose o
maintain them regardless Of or un-
just assaults from Euy quarter. then held the following
language .a
"The sacrifice of the lives of hundreds OF Thousands
of the brave sors OF the South will terminate tn 8
bloody war. Negotiation must precede peace. l am
| for pesce on the basis OF independence and
constitutional liberty, at the earliest poss lie day.
And believe that the wisdom ard states
| manship of the country should be brought 10
| the aid of the b!ave men who are fighting the
battles Of the Confederacy aud that every legitimate
aud well-dBeced effort should be made for peace and
kept before the Yankee Government and the world as
heroic foestheTs did in the War OF the Revolution
and also in the War Of 1912 Aud bslieYe thai when.
ever Commission shall be appointed by the two GOV
ernmens. as hops may be the case at an early DAY
that the last battle will have been fought end This
| terrible war will coon be ended"
The position, Mr.. Speak r. Of North Carolina has
BEEN grossly misrepres 10 her real principles 10
this struggle well in ar6 to her relation to her
sister Stress The corserv tive portion OF her people
have been charged with beirg disoya and that this
feeling is general and vide spread and sir and those
with whom act, constituting a majority OF not less
than 40 600 OF the voters OF he ats have been thus
dsnoun ed and mis- epresented either by bitter and e1
trene newspapers, by secessieniss and 'deslruc
tives who have lost al Ike their prestige and their in
fuence aud many of whom have been regulated at the
ballot boxsso that the cllumny upon the State was
originated mainly within her own borders and from he-
own unworthy sons. ~
Sir my District is alluded 10 in terms of reproGch By
the Examiner could tel him no knows little of tn
character end spirit well intelligence, OF the true
nj loyal people fthat stric-al ID believe utter
but the sentiments OF my colleagues ia declaring to this
Congress and the country that these and all simiIa- al
legations against the loyalty and fidelity Of our State is
gross libel upon her peope--s people as loyal and
as true to all their pledges as eyerlred
Sir, North Carolina is no lest State and has not
sought for occasions to herald the gloousteeds OF her
heroic soldiery as displayed en- many a bloody battle
hed OF this fearful struggl bu. the pen of the Hsto
ran viii have to record the fact Tia: willie her brave
troops fought with gallantry and courage unsur.
passed; that their fathers ard brothers al home did all
in their poser for the wsI,beDg and comfort of her
more than an hundred thousand in TIE tented field and
that at the same time while psssng through the try
ing and bloody ordea they exhibited and sought to
maintain that love OF Law and order and constitutional
liberty at home, that had always SO highly distinguished
her people.
that North Oaronl has placed in the field in actual
service larger number OF troops, in proportion to her
population, tban y o;hsr State IN the Oonfederscy
has fewer serters, and that of her folders
fill bloody graves t1an those Of any other Sate and
those who have thus sacrificed their lives for their
country never fatered but fell in the deadly strife With