Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-21
Gen. Schenek's speech In Reply 20
Fernando W00d.

In the House Of Representatives, on
Wednesday last, Fernando Wood made
miraeulously mean speech, saying he
did not indorse Mr. Longs views, or
those Of Mr Harris. Of Maryland, bat he
was for sending Commissioners 20 Rich
mond, aud making peace and yet be
would not recognize the Independence Of
the Southern Confederaey. General
Sehenck made seaihing reply as fol-
lows:
Me-. schenck. Mr., Speaker, a stu
dent In natural history would have mneh
to learn upon this floor. Some specimens
Of the snake family are so slippery that
il seems impossible to classify them, or
to hold them 20 any place.
find myself a. great loss to under-
stand what ground is oeeupsed BY the
gentleman from New York, Mr. Fer
nando Wood, ] who has just taken his
seat lie avows that ne disagrees TO the
position taken By the member from Mary
land, Mr. Harris, who was yesterday
visited with the eensure OF the House;
he dissents from the arguments and pro
positions of my colleague, Mr.. Long,
whose case we are considering; aud yet
he says 10 his fellow-copperheads, those,
IL any there be, who crawl with him, that
there is no such thing as a War Demo
crat, for a creature Of that kind Is ano-
malous. Laughter. ! may be par
doued, therefore, If | have difficulty in
eomprehending his own nature, OF know
/ ing exactly where IN the scale to place
him.
But, ut the close of his remarks, the
gentleman from New York seemed in
some degree 10 develop his peculiar
views aud purposes. lie has laid down
something like the same platform in bis
resolutions which he, early in the ses-
sion, offered TO this house Being neither
against the war nor for the war, he
would send commissioners TO Richmond
to treat with those arrayed in arms
against the country, 10 offer them terms
Of peace lie breaches new gospe
of peace" Of which he is the grea
apostle.
How many others on his side Of th'
House may agree with him | know not
But do know this-whenever any suel
propositions of Northern Democrats hay'
appeared IN public print, or their offer
or suggestions OF peace have been mad
in any form. they have invariably beef
received By the rebels at Richmond, viii
scoffing, and repealed with seorn, Thei
friends have not hesitated TO declar
that such advances, and the emissarie
who might convey them, .could only b
entertained by them with fingers holdinI
their offended aristoeratic noses. Laugh
ter. | That only is the way they coal
receive the Democrats who came 10 ole
: them peace. You must not come b
tween the wind aud their nobility.
The gentleman and his friends, thes
are willing, and propose to crawl on thel
bellies 10 the feet of she rebels and IN
surgents in arms. and, looking up pitt
= ously. to say, "oh, our masters, moi
withstanding all your scotiing and scOrI
= and though you may spurn us from you
presence, we implore You to say wheths
You viii not gzacioasly agree to max
some terms with us. | cannot con
prehend this abasement in any oth'
way.
/ said / would refer
: this with view to the former position
is the gentleman from New York, (Mr Fe
II nando Wood Whenever and howev'
s. hostihties commenced, where then wa
= he, and what was his relation to Il
{. Great rebeliious movement by which W,
i sought to be destroyed the integrity Al
y unity of his countryf
= When our difficulties with the Sou
Of were ripening into war, when It was n
nd known how far disaffeetion might exteI
N N throughout the several States of q
Uuion, there was Mayor of New 10
n who proposed that the city should seee'
ns from the Government of the Unit
Of, States, and set up for itself as " fr
70 city, on the pattern of independe
ia political communities of that sort, kno'
on the European continent.