Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-04-15

lRcpre.entative Long and the Ad.
nninistration.--Identity Of POSI-
10 sion.
The telegraph made brief mention of
speech delivered in Congress on Friday, the
. 9Th inst, by Representative LONG, of Ohio,
followed by resolution offered the next
day by Speaker CoLFAx, of Indiana, for the
expulsion Of Mr.. LONG from the House. As
Saturday is a day usually devoted by MEM
bers of the House to expelling gas, we did
not suppose that either Mr.. LoNG's speech
or Mr.. CoLFAx's resolution of expulsion,
was to be taken as matter of very grave
Importance. We therefore passed them
over as OF little moment. But we find that
the resolution which is still pending, has
given rise to heated discussions and fiery
denunciations in the House, and that the
Administration organs have Joined in gen
eral chorus of condemnation and vitupera-
ton against Mr.. Long for making that
speech. The reader will find in these facts
our apology for giving this subject little
prominence.
The Gst Of the charge against MIR. Long
is, that he made the following declaration
in his speech:
believe there are but two alternatives,
and these are, either an acknowledgment
of the Independence of the South as an in
dependent nation. or their complete subju-
CATION and determination as a people; and
Of these alternatives / prefer the former.
Mr.. LONG gave the above as his individ-
'ual belief and preference. He did not pre-
tend to speak for "any other man," or any
body of men. In the outset Of his speech
he said that for whatever he might say and
the position he should occupy upon that
floor and before the country, he alone would
be responsible. g A
It is to the credit of Mr.. LONG that he as
sumed the sole responsibility of his absurd
Union uttcrances. The sentiment he
expressed in the extract we have given
from his speech, has been, as it will be, re-
pudiated by the entire mass of the Demo-
cratic party. Democrats have no sympa-
thy with any such views, come from what
quarter they may, whether from a profess
ed Democrat or rampant Abolitionist.
They believe in the Union; they have
fought, as their fathers did, at the ballot
box and on the bloody battlefield to main
tain II, and they are determined that, by
their consent, it shall NEVER, NEVER, be dis
solved, either by an acknowledgment OF
Southern independence, or by an Abolition
war of determination.
g Mr.. LONG, in the expression we have
quoted, placed himself squarely upon the
Administration platform. That platform i:
toplace the Government in the position
that it must adopt one Of Mr.. LoNG's alter
natives, either an acknowledgment o.
Southern independence or Southern exter.
mination. In truth, the Administration
leaders claim with Mr.. LONG that the Gov
.ernment is now In that very predicament
The only difference between them is mat
ter of taste or preference. Mr.. LONG pre-.
fers Southern independence; the Admins.
tration partisans prefer Southern extermi.
nation. But on the main point the only one
Of real interest to the people--as to the di.
lemma to which the country Is reduced, ant
that one horn or the other of that dilemm.
must be taken-they are agreed. LONG
has only arrived at the same conclusion that
CoLFAx, STEVENS, SUMNER, GARFIELD, ant
other Administration leaders in and out O
Congress, had reached long before him.
It was by degrees that the Administers
tion party came upon this ground. 1t re
pudiated It at first with the utmost yehe