Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-18
e facts of history, not to Justify q,

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When this result was announced, uniyer-
sal gloom prevailed. The people favored
this compromise. Petitions by thousands
of citizens were showered upon Congress,
for its passage. Had it received a majority
only, they would have rallied and sustained
those who desired peace and Union. One
more earnest appeal was made to the Re
publicans General Cameron answered it
by moving reconsideration. His motion
came up on the 18th, when he voted against
his own motion. 1t was carried, however,
over the votes of the Republicans, although
Wigfall voted with them. When it was
again up on the I'd of March, 1861, the
Southern States were nearly all gone; even
then it was lost by one vote only. But on
that occasion all the Democrats were for,
and all the Republicans against it. The
truth is, there was nothing but sneers and
scepticism from the Republicans at any set
tlement... They iblo oke down every proP,o0si-
tion. They took the elements of concilia-
ton out of the Peace Convention before it
assembled. Senators Harlan and Chandler
were especially active in preparing that
Convention for failure. If every South
ern man and every Northern Democrat had
voted for this proposition, it would have re-
quired some nine Republicans for the re-
Quisite two-thirds. Where were they?
Dreaming with Mr.. Seward Of asiXty-days
struggle or arranging for the division of
the patronage of Administration. The
only Southern Senators who seemed against
any settlement were Iverson and Wigfall;
that no man will challenge if he will refer
to the Globe list part, 35th Congress, p. 270)
for the testimony of Douglas and Pugh,
and to Mr.. Bigler's Bucks county speech,
September II, 1863 The latter knew it to
be true, when he said that
"When the struggle was at its height In
Georgia between Robert Toombs for seces-
sion, and A. Ii. Stephens against it, had
those men in the committee of Thirteen,
who are now so blameless in their own es-
timation, given us their votes, or even three
of them, Stephens would have defeated
Toolnbs, and secession would have been
Frustrated. heard Mr.. Toombs say to Mr..
Douglas that the result in Georgia was
staked on the action of the committee of
Thirteen. If it accepted the Crittenden
proposition, Stephens would defeat him; if
not, he would carry the State oIt by 10000
majority. The three votes from the Re-
publican side would have carriedtit at any
time; but Union and peace in the balance
against the Chicago platform were sure to
be found wanting"
| Ifother testimony were wanting, would
ask suspension of judsment until those
facts, better known to Southern men, trans
pire. The intercourse about to be re-es-
tablished between the sections will cumu.
late the proof. 1t will also bring to the
light many facts showing that, while Pres
| ident Buchanan was working for the Peace
Conference, while Virginia had been gain
ed to our side with her ablest men, thert
were even then in the Cabinet those whC
not only encouraged revolt, but foiled b!
letter and speech the efforts of the UniOnist
at Washington and Richmond. Those who
| sought to counteract the schemes of seces-
| sion, were themselves checkmated by mel
now in authority. These letters and act
are referred to in the recent speech of Gen
Blair. They will be and should be brough
into the sunshine, if only to vindicate th
true Union men of that dark hour, and t,
condemn those who have since made 81
much pretension with so much Zealotry
coupled with unexampled cruelty and tyr
amy.
| Whether, therefore, you consult the pub
lie record, or 60 beyond its veil and consul
those who knew the elements at work il
the committees and in social life, one lead
ing fact always stands stark and bold befor,
you: that with the aid of handful of Sc
cessionists per Sc, the whole body of th'
Republicans were, as President johnson
described Senator Clark, when he defeated
the Crittenden resolution by his amend
pent, "acting out their policy" In tn
light of subsequent events, that policy wa
developed; it was the destruction of SLAYER.
at the peril of war and disunion; or, as Sen
ator Douglas expressed it, "a disruption 0
the Union, believing it would draw after il
as an inevitable consequence, civil war, ser
vile instructions, and finally the utter ex
termination of slavery in all the Southern
States" ..-....