Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-10
4 LETTER FROM hon. GEO. BLISS.
The True Position stated.-The Cin-
cinnati Enquirer - Mr.. LOng--The o
Democratic Members oN Congress
from Ohio.

from Ohio.
EDIroRs ONO STATEsMAN:-Th extraor-
dinary course of The Cincinnati Enquirer,
in persistently assailing the Democratic
Members of Congress from Ohio who do
not perceive the wisdom or propriety of ac-
acknowledgement the present condition OF our
public affairs, the nationality and indepen-
| dence of the Confederate 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 1t necessary that
more complete and specific explanation
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 paper, drawn up
by him, as i then supposed, for the sigma
ture of other gentlemen possessing the
same knowledge as myself, stating general
ly 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 necessary now.
| The following are the facts Of the case as
they occurred within my knowledge: On
the 9Th day of April, Mr.. Long delivered
his speech, after the Legislative business OF
the day had been finished, In Committee of
the Whole House on the State of the Union.
Not knowing that he was going to speak on
that occasion, had retired from the Hall
and did not hear him. After the adjourn
ment of the House, was informed by some
of my colleagues, that Mr.. Long, In his
speech, declared himself in favor of the
recognition by the Government of the
United States, of the national Independence
of the Confederate States. The speech had
not then been printed, and no one could re-
collect 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 Democ-
racy of our State, nor of ourselves, and to
avoid misapprehension, and the implication
from our silence that our constituents or
ourselves were willing to abandon the cause
of the Union and leave it solely to the arbi-
trament of Northern AbOlitionistS and
Southern secessiOnists, we agreed that one
of our number, in behalf of all who could
not assent to the proposal of unqualified
recognition, should improve the first favor
able opportunity to declare our true senti-
ment in the House. This would have been
done, but for the rash precipitancy with
which the famous resolution of expulsion
was introduced from the Republican side
of the House. So suddenly and uneXpect-
edly was it hurled that no time or oppor-
tunity had intervened for any consultation
with Mr.. Cox, Mr.. Pendleton, or Mr.. G. A.
White, and these gentlemen, at the time of
introducing said resolution, were not in
formed of what had passed between their
other colleagues, though Mr.. Cox was in
formed of it Immediately after, and made
some allusion to it in his remarks upon the
resolution. This sudden change of circum-
stances relieved us of all considerations
growing out of the matter, except the duty
to defend and support our colleague in his
indubitable right to express and endeavOr
to maintain his opinion, without respect to
any ones concurrence or non-concurrence
in it. ... ....r,
Notwithstanding the dissatisfaction ofThe
Enquirer with the way in which we, as DEM
ocrats, felt bound to regard and treat the
proposition of Mr.. Long, as we understood
it to have been stated, and as substantially
IL was stated, l think that our course was
sanctioned by all the sound reason and poll
cy which should dictate the action of the
Democratic party in these disastrous times.
And speaking for myself and giving eX-
preston to my individual thought, / say
that the Democracy ought not to consent
to the dismemberment in law, as it has oc-
cured in fact, of the Constitutional Con-
federation, to give predominance and un-
limited power to party whose hostility to
the principles we cherish has brougt all our
calamities upon us. 1t is essential to the
preservation of the rights and liberties of
the conservative masses in the free States
that they should have political fraternity
and reciprocity still with the millions of
people who inhabit the Southern States
Our previous happy experience testifies
concurrently with the bitter and bloody eX-
naripuna Of thn nrpcpnf time fO mako tha
demonstration clear. .....
1t is idle to say, that it is impossible to
restore the Union. 1t Is always possible
that the people of q nation, having the
power to do what is manifestly for their
best interest, may have the good sense also,
to do it. No sane man expects the present
Administration, or any other like it to re-
store the Union by war or other means, or
to vindicate or promote the rightful juris-
dction of the Government North or South.
The war In progress is not our war; we
cannot control, direct or suppress 1t. 1t Is
an instrument in the hands of the Admin
which it can and will use for its
own purposes so long as it remains in pow
er with its ambitious designs unaccomplish-
ed. But there is one means within the pow
er of the people to settle the question, and |
end the war, and bring good out of evil, !
without the determination" of anything |
except the ruinous policy which now con- |
trolls the councils of the nation. 1t is not |
by giving birth to new Confederacy that
such good can be accomplished, but by re-
storing the unity of the old one. The pro-
cess by which this could be accomplished is
clear to Democrats perception. 1t can
be done by the accomplishment, at the
approaching Presidential election, of such
a change as shall place the administration
of the Government in able and faithful
hands, where the now dormant energies of
that Government would revive, and its
grievous wounds be at least measurably
cured by the efficacy of its redeemed Con-
Then would mighty, once
sundered, but reunited nation, with the
vast resources of all its various sections re-
with the eye of just anticipa-
ton, pierce the thick clouds Of civil war
and national and individual bankruptcy
and ruin, and rejoice in the prospect of COM
ing wears of restored union, peace, and /
and the alternative declared by
Mr.. Long, and indorsed by The Enquirer, !
will happily be found to have had no
existence, except in the vagaries of dis
torted imagination.
The men of the Southern States are ra-
tional beings, governed by the. same judg- I;
ment, impulses and motives which regulate
the conduct of any other Christian people.
They do not desire the continuance of
bloody and exhausting war which involves
their slaughter by hundreds of thousands
and devotes their fair country to ravage and
spoilation, for the mere motive of revenge