Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-04-21
3Sth CongrvsS--lst Session
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVE.
a.a Z WASHINGTON, Apris v, 1854.
THE TREASON OF Nm. LoNo.

Ihc SFEAkEU lNir. OOUdI, OD., lHu. /
called Mr.. Rollins IN, II. to, the chair, and,
rising to question OF privilege, offered the /
following preamble and resolution:
WRfsuAs, Ontie 'th day Of Api,, is6t when the !
tfouse Of Representatives was IN COMMITTEE OF the !
Whole OH the s,e Of tho Union. Alexander Long, a
Representative in Congress from the I'D Dsifci oil Oho,
deciared hmself In favor OF recognizing the mdepend
snt nationality OF the called Cones sraey now in arms
sg sgalni the Umoni ASD wahssAs The SAID so.esilsd
ed on the ruins oi dissolved OF destroyed Crio. hiss,
n; its chiel oie-rs clvl AMI military those who have
added perjury 10 their renso aud who seek to obtain
success for tier parcida efforts by the killing oi the
loNa soldiers OF the nnon who seeking to save
destruction; ASp WHEREAS, The oath required Of
NIL members, ard taken by the said Alexander Long
the Fret day OF the present Congress declares that he
has voluntarily siyei no aid eountensnee counsel or
encouragenen To persons engaged ia armed no iy 10
the United Slaes, thereby declaring that such conduct
regarded Is ncon .sem with membership in tue Con-
tfe. OF the United States therefore
Resolved, That Alexander l'ong Representative
from the I'D District Of ONO having, on the 9Th day Of
April 1854 declared himself IN favor OF recognizing the
independence and nationality o the so called Coniedcr
ncy in against the Union. and thrrsby giving
sed in armed hostility to the United States hereby sx.
PEELED. - :,
Mr.. CoLFAx said that be had popdered
upon his duty, and felt that he had double
obligation resting upon him-onc as the
presiding officer, to administer the duties of
the Chair and the rules impartially, and the
other as Representative from tho IXth
District of Indiana. commissioned to speak,
act, and vote for his constituents, many of
whom are in the tented field, and exposing
their lives for the safety and pcrpetuity of
the'couDtry. He owed it to tho women and
children in his district, whose natural pro-
tectors were stricken down by the bloody
hand Of treason, and whose households
have thus been bereit. lie had no'rersonal
uniriendliness toward .be gentleman from
l. .i.,.. l. Il.
pleasant. He, Collax, believed in the free
dom of speech, and nothing would have
prompted him TO the present course except
ing the utteIancos Of the gentleman, Mr..
Long, that, in so many words, he was in
favor Of recognizing this so-called Confcd-
eracy and its Independence and by such re-
cognition admitting il as one OF the family
of nations. And now, when the Confederate
flag was here boldly unfurled, and aid and
comfort was given TO tho enemy by the gen
tleman, Mr. Long, Notwithstanding his oath
of Office, he, Mr.. Colfax, felt it his duty to
offer this resolution, and called upon the
House to pass their judgment upon it. Ho
had offered the resolution, not a. the result
of consultation, but on his own responsible.
ty. He, Mr.. CuIiax. said deliberately that
his, Mr.. Longs, avowal could not be passed
over in silence Ii such remarks, giving
aid and comfort to the enemy" are suffer.
ed to go unrebuked, why ought we to ask
our soldiers TOT eril their lives for the Union?
When destruction is thus openly advocated
on this floor, We should cease to shoot de-
sertsrs, for they have not repudiatSd their
obligations any more hagrantly--c certainly
less infuentlaiiy. Complain not il foreign
Governments recognize the Rebel Govern,
ment, if you pass over this declaration Of
the gentleman, Mr.. Long, in silence. If
any gentleman Of the same political party
rs the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Long-a
gentleman who had advocated the recogni-
ton of tho Confederate flag and Govern
ment-desrcd TO offer resolution of this
character, he, Mr.. Colfax, would give way
to him. History is writing down ON her en-
during tablets the events of every passing
hour. He, Mr.. Colfax, doubted not that
the gcntleman's, Mr.. Longs friends should
have offered the resolution for their own
good name. The Senate Of the United
States, by more than two-thir1s vote, had
expelled Senator Bright for writing to the
Rebel chief letter OF introduction. and
after this, when the Legislature of Indiana
came to elect Senators -one for q long term
and one tor short tern--they, respecting
the solemn act Of tho Senate, refused to
send him back again TO that body, and n
year ago former momber of Congress, Mr..
Vallandigham, was sent out Of the country.
His friends went before the people and they,
by verdict Of one hundred thousand votes,
reaifirmed the order of the Commanding
General, Major.Gen. Burnside; and but
the other day the Supreme Court refused to
reopen and review the judgment Of that
General. II We pass over these utterances
OF aid and comfort to tho enemy" in 81.
lence, those whose hands are stained with
blood may ask to come here from the con-
clave OF the Coniederacy, saying, We have
done no more in Richmond than tho gentle
man from Ohio has in this hall, and this he
did in your presence unrebuked
Mr.. Cox, (Dsm., Ohio) said that this
resolution to expel member of the House
called for more than usual gravity. He was
not IN the House when his colleague, Mr..
Long, made his remarks, but he was in
formed by members around him that they
would bear the Interpretation put upon
them. Had he been in his seat yesterday,
he should have dissvowed in behalf Of the
Ohio delegation, my remarks looking to
the recognition Of the rebellion as chrystai-
ICED at Richmond Ho did not know sim
gle member Of the Ohio delegation, except
ing his colleague, MIR, Long, who was willing
20 recognize the Confederate Government
He spoke Of this because of the attempt TO
make partisan capital by those on the other
side. He, Mr. Cox, believed that his col.
league at the time spoke only his own sen.
timents, and not th,sc OF his party. Re.
Gently there was Democratic State Con.
vention in Ohio, representing l4b, 600 votes,
and In that Convention no sentiment like
that Of his colleague was uttered. The only
man whose name was presented, looking to
recognition, and who had circulated pam
phlet in support of his views, received only
two votes in that Convention as delegate
The loyal people OF Ohio are not, under any
shape or color, in favor Of such declara-
tiou as the resolution attributed to his COL
league. The Democratic people in that
State rallied and sent their sons 10 the war,
although the people Of Ohio did not agree
with the African policy.
Dir. WAsuBunSE (Un.. III. a. if in cor.
rsction Of the gentleman, suggested that he
meant ASyssinia, Llughter
Dir. Cox replied that the gentlcman N from
Illinois. Mr.. Washburne, took pleasure in
repeating q worn.oct joke, aud he doubted
Whether that gentleman had any sanse nj