The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-06-29
FROM JUDGE BLISS
THE CINCINNATI ENoUIRER.-MR.
" LONGS SPEECH, &C.
rFrom the Ohio sta,esman.1


+'' LONGS SPEECH, &C.
From the Ohio Statesman.1
EDITORS OHIO STATEsMAN:-The ex-
traordinary course of the Cincinnati En-
quirer, in persistently assailing the Demo
cratic members of Congress from Ohio
who do not perceive the, wisdom or pro-
2riety of acknowledging, In the present
condition of.our public affairs, the nation
ality and Independence of the Confede-
rate States, according to a proposition
which, with the approval of that journal,
was recently made by Mr.. Long, in the
House of Representatives. of the United
States, renders it necessary that a more
complete aud. speci6ceeexplanatio than
has yet appeared, should be given Of their
motives, intentions and conduct in the
premises.
At the request of one of my colleagues,
placed my signature to q paper, drawn
up by him, as / then supposed, for the
signature of other gentlemen possessing
the same knowledge as myself, stating
generally the material facts involved in
the subject; but not with the degree of
specification which the criticisms of the
Enquirer upon it seem to render necessa-
rv now.
The following are the facts of the case
as they occurred within my knowledge:
On the 9Th day of April, Mr.. Long delA
cred his speech, after the Legislative bust
ness of the day had been finished, in
Committee of the Whole House on the
State of tie Union Not knowing that
he was going to speak on that occasion,
had retired from the Hall and did not
hear him. After the adjournment of the
House, l was informed, by some of my
colleagues, that Mr.. Long, IN his speech
declared himself in favor Of the recogni-
tion by the Government of the United
States, of the national independence of
the Confederate States. The speech had
not been printed, and no one could recol-
lect the precise words in which the sense
of the speaker was expressed; but all who
heard them agreed that they involved and
expressed the foregoing proposition-and
| upon this understanding, we agreed that
it did not express the sentiment of the
Democracy Of our State. nor of ourselves,
and to avoid misapprshension, and the
| implication from our silence that our con-
stituents or ourselves were willing to
abandon the cause of the Union and leave
it solely to tho arbitrament Of Northern
Abolitionists and Southern Secessionists,
we agreed that one of our number, In be-
| half of all who could not assent to the
proposal of unqualified recognition, should
improve the first favorable opportunity
/ to declare our true sentiment in the
House. This ould have been done, but
for the rash precipitancy with which the
! famous resolution of expulsion was intro
duced from the Republican. side os the
| Heuse. So suddenly aud unexpectedly
was it hurled that no time or opportunity
had interviewed for any consultation with
Mr. Cox, Mr.. Pendleton, OF Mr.. =. A.
White, and these gentlemen, at the time
of Introducing said resolution, were not
informed of what had passed between
their other colleagues, though Mr.. Cox
was informed of 1t Immediately after, and
made some allusions to it in his remarks
upon the resolution. This sudden change
of circumstances relieved us of all con-
siderations growing out of the matter,
except the dirty to defend and support
our colleague in his sindubitable right to
express, and endeavor, to maintain his
opinion, without respect to any ones con-
ourrence or non-concurrence in it..
! Notwithstanding the dissatisfaction of
the Enquirer with the way in which We,
as Democrats, felt, bound to regard and
treat the proposition of Mr.. Long, as we
understood it to have been stated, and as
substantially it was stated, I think that
our course was sanction ed by al1kbe
sound reason and policy which 81 ID
dictate the action eff the Democratic party
in these disastrous times. And speaking
for myself, and giving expression 10 my
individual thought, say that the De
/ mocracy ought not to consent to the dis
meudberment in law, as it has occurred in
i fact, of the Constitutional confederation,
to give predpminance and unlimited pow
:, er to a party whose hostility to the aprin+
j ciples we cherish brought all our calami-
.i ties upon us. It is essential to the ipreser-
vation. of the rights. and liberties of the
conservative masses in, the free States
that they should have political fraternity
: aud reciprocity still with the millions Of
+ 4fpeople who inhabit the Southern States.
a Our previous happy experiences testihes
:, concurrently with the bitter and bloody
j experience OF. the present time to make
/ 1.-THE demnnstration clear q &. oa
II II in idle to say. that it is impossible tt