Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-04-09
Bursting Of a 800 Pound Par.
FOtt Gun.
MORE ABOUT FORESTS
RAID.
Some Of His Officers Crossed into
Indiana and Illinois.
FROM WASHINGTON.
Especial to the Cleveland Leader.l
WASHINGTON, April, s.


WASHINGTON, April, 8.
EXCITING SPEECH.
The most excitement produced by any
political speech this session, was aroused
this afternoon by an extremely radical
democratic speech by Alexander Long, Of
Cincinnati. The House had gone into a
Committee Of the Whole for speech making
and as usual, members we're rapidly leav-
ing, but after he bad once began he secur-
ed the closest attention, and held it to the
close.
A large number Of the Administration
men went over to the Democratic side and
gathered about his desk to hear more dis
tinctly. 1t was at once the most honest
and boldest uttersnce that has come from
the democratic ranks this session, and was
attentiyely regarded accordingly. Its i'm
pOrtance is such that 1 telegraph a full
synopsis of its leading points, as follows:
He referred to the change that three
years had produced, snd said that the war
was wrong, and ought to cease Immediate
ly, and denied the right of the Govern
ment under the Constitution to cosrce SOW
ereign States. He quoted from Benton,
Adams, Jackson, Seward, Everett and 9TH
ers, in support Of his position. The Con-
federste States are out OF the Union, and
are an Independent power de fscto. He
agreed with Mr.. Stephens, Of PennsylTa-
Ris, in that he denounced the Amnesty
Proclamation as infamous, and said man
who took the oath under it would violate
it as did Gslileo when he abjured his belief
in the earth's motion. BE charged the
Government with Inconsistency in attempt
ing to coerce the South. We had symps-
thizers with Greece, the South American
States, Poland, Hungary, Italy and Ire
land in their struggles for independence /;
and he referred to the speeches Of Clay
and Webster in behalf Of Greece, in 1924.
He agreed with the New York Tribune in
1861, that if it was right for three mill
ions Ofcolonists to separate from Great Bri-
tain in 1776,ws it not right for 100000
of SoutherneTs to separate from US in 1861.
We had better loosenine-tenthso Of the ter
ritory than our Republican form of Gov
ernment. Land was nothing compared
with Liberty. Russia and even China
could vie with US in that but who would
not rather live in one Of the Cantons Of
Switzerland than in those countries. In
parting with our Jurisdiction over eleven
States, we did not lose one function Of our
Government. We existed as Republic
without the mouth of the Mississippi o1
any territory, most Of the Islands and
without Florida, and could exist again
The war had made eight millions Of bitter
enemies on the American continent. Tht
words Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, Mur.
freesbOrO', Richmond, Vicksburg, For
Donelson were words Of division anG
would serve to bring up emotions
Of external hate in all time
The Union was lost never to be restored
He said neither the North or South IhaC
any sentiment on which to build Union
and was forced to the conclusion that il
attempting to preserve our jurisdiction
over the Southern States, we had los
our constitutional form Of government
over the Northern. What had been pre-
dicted by our wisest statesman had com
to pass. In grssping at the shadow W
had lost the substance; in striving to re
tain the casket in which our jewels wsr
confined, we had lost these precious monu
ments Of freedom. There are but two al
ternstives left, and that is either an &C
acknowledgement Of the South as an inde
pendent nation, or their complete subju
cation and determination as q people, an
he preferred the former if the war WAS {
go on, he wanted it conducted by the part,
in power. He was opposed to running
candidate for the Presidency, on the mar
row basis of how the war shonld be prose
cuted. he believed that the masses Of tn
Democracy were for peace, and opposed t
running 6 war candidate. Mr.. Long the
concluded.
Gen. Garfield got the floor snd made
favorable and eloquent reply. BE eulC
gizsd the bOnessy and manly courage Nj
: Long displayed and said he could onl
compare his feelings to those he had e1
psrienced when meeting rebels in Georgi
under flag Of trnoe. Under sucA fis
he would now meet his collesgue, and To-