Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-02-27
PEN and Ink Sketches of Members
of the Ohio LegisIature-Dresel
--Uhl. m
OTTO DREsEL

Is man whose history is singularly inter
esting. He is a German, intellectual and
rather youthful inappearance, neat in dress,
and refined in manner, as though reared in
the lap Of luxury and ease. No one would
imagine that he had been Injured to hard
shin, or had his young manhood Graded in
the lap of civil strife and fierce revolution.
Yet such is the fact.
Nr. Dresel was born in 1924, at Detmold,
the capital of Lippe, on classic ground
only two miles from the battle field where,
about the time of Christ's birth, Armhius
delivered Germany from the Roman yoke,
by defeating Varus and his legions. In this
historic atmosphere, he imbibed that mex
| tinguishable love of freedom which at an
early age brought persecution and danger
and toll and poverty upon his devoted head,
and taught him in young manhood to
| "Know how sublime thing it is
To suffer and be strong"
In the year 1S4S, in connection with the
practice of his profession as q lawyer, he
was the Editor of revolutionary paper,
devoted to the interests of popular sover-
eighty and the National Constitution. For
the course which hepursued in aiose troub-
lous days. the young Democrat was prose-
cuted and condemned to imprisonment; but
fortunately escaped the vengeance of
his enemies and the enemies of con-
of adventures, as interesting in
their recital, as they were dangerous in
their realization, concealment by day and
wearisome marches by night, with the
genda'mes on his track; walking through
the very midst Of his pursuers in disguise,
and having the vessel in which he embark
ed searched before it left port, while he was
secreted on board-after all this, he at last
set sail for our country. As he was obliged
to take passage in the first vessel which he
could reach, regardless of its destination,
| it was by the merest accident that he was
lied to the land of free institutions, so con-
genial to man of his character. But here
he came-poor and friendless-a stranger in
strange land-t0 commence life anew,
with no reliance but his own industry and
talent. But these proved, in his ease, an
ample capital, and by their aid, he has strug-
gled up to high and honorable position
but rarely reached, even by those, 'native
and to the manor b0rn," with every advan-
| tage of wealth and culture.
In the year 1852 by special act of the
Ohio Legislature, he wasallowed an exami-
nation before the Supreme Court of this
State and admitted to the practice of law.
In 1858, he moved to the city of Columbus.
In 1866, he was married to the daughter Of
an influential German citizen of this place,
by whom he has had two children. Having
paid strict attention to his profession, he
has been successful In securing lucrative
practice; but this has not prevented him
from taking active interest in the questions
of the day. In 1861, he was elected mem--
ber of the Board of Education of Columbus,
and In the fall of that year, was chosen by
the Democracy Of Franklin county, to rep
resent them in the Ohio Legislature.
After long parliamentary battle he sue
ceedcd In having Select committee ap-
pointed on Arbitrary Arrests of the citizens
Of Ohio. On the 10Th of March, 1863, he
introduced series of resolutions, declaring
that the liberties of the people were menaced
den0uncing the C0nscription law as de-
structiye Of State esovereignty--t Nation
al Banking system as designed to establish
avast central money power-the Emancipa-
ton Proclamation as unconstitutional and
calculated to tan impossible barrier be-
tween North and South--the suspension of
the writ of hdbeds corpus; arbitrary arrests;
the abridgment Of freedom Of speech and
press; the establishment Of secret espionage;
the declaration Of martial law over States
not in rebellion; the attempt TO strike out
of existence the entire value Of slave prop
erty; to enforce compensated emancipa-
ton; to tax white men to purchase negro
freedom; the dismemberment Of Virginia.
each and all, as arbitrary, subversive Of
Constitutions, and the reserved rights Of
States and people-apd closed with the fol-
lowing:
Constitution which it Is our privilege and
I..lxx a