The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-21

rose to personal explanation. lie nao
the Clerk to read an article from the Sen
ttaet of the 18th instant, headed
Treason" lie then said:
Mr. Speaker, the editor Of this paper /
is the public and private printer OF TINS
House. and it is the received
organ Of the Executive. This as my
apology for noticing the slanderona ar
tcle which have had the Clerk to read.
1t is apparent to this House, and to those
who are familiar with our proceedings,
that the article is intended as criticism
upon the report from the Committee OIL
Foreign Affairs, submitted by n!e on last
Thursday. It is no less, then, than
grave charge Of treason against that com
mittee and al implication of like import
AGAINST the members Of this House,
who were cosnizant Of the substance
Of the report. and voted to receive
itsin secret session. trust that the
reputation Of the members composing
| the committee is sufficient to satisfy the
country that the article is false and SLAM
derOus. The deliberations Of the COM
mittee upon the report were presided
over by the venerable. pure and distin-
guished member from Virginia, Mr.. Rives
Would he have so presided, from week
to week, where treason was plotted p
Would he have voted, as he did in open
session, to go into secret session to re-
ceire that report? Would his colleague
(Mr. De Jarnette); General Atkins, of
Tennessee; Mr.. Witherspoon, of South
Carolina; Mr.. Turner, Of North Carolina,
and Mr.. Smith, Of Alabama, have given
their sanction to a . treusono6Ie" report
Are they capable of treachery Of the
mosf infamous character'e Are they
"traitorous Congress,ne1a" CAN'T be that
they have brought forward 50 di:orderly,
rminous and fatal lproposition''-" repre-
hensible and intolerable," and having
"neither dignity, honor nor safety" in
it? But of the Virginia delegation,
Messrs. Rives and De ,Iarnette were not
alone in voting to receive the port Mr..
Wickham, Mr.. Baldwin and MIR. McMul-
lin voted with them, aware, at the time,
OF it's substance and thus they, too, TEL
under the rod Of the power behind the
throne of the Sentinel
In refuting this calumny against
members of this House, it is unneces-
sary to divulge the contents Of the re-
r port. or the action Of the House thereon,
: although it is with me Gas announced
when | presented iO matter of indif-
ference whether it should be considered
! in open or secret session. Ii the Wri-
, ter of the article ever saw the resolu-
tons, he has knowingly falsitied them.
| I r l. h,,t
them to be as nc states, then, according
} to his own report, he betrays gross igno
, rance in asserting that 81 reso1ut Hu to
open irregulnr negotiations, Mronyh
+ eommiss;oners, uih Nr. Lincoln Jon
peuce" would constitute treason, AND
greater criminality in presuming to ar
raign worthy and patriotic men for some
, thing of which he is ignorant. Why
should they be subjected to this malig
nant criticism? For the sake Of the
argument, let it be conceded that they
have proposed to send commissioners to
D Washington "to open irregular nego-
. tiations for peace" These commits
sioners mi !ht be sent with no othel
y poWer than to confer and consult Will
the authorities there on terms Of al
l. honorable peace, with instructions t
D report the results of such conference t
!, the President and to this House. Sac
negotiations would be irrcgular," an
vet they might, ] think would, if rati
a fed by the reaty-making power, secur
J. an honorable and satisfactory peace.
20 Who but a madman would denounc
=, these means and this result ''os treacAer
:" Of tie most infamous character"
'e From the supposed relationship Of thi
S. journal to men in power, it may hay
y been intended, in indulging in bitter de
d nunciation, to have the effect Of int'mi
- dating the advocates of an honorable an
y. peaceful settlement of the war. If tn
II was the design, allow me to assure yoI
. Nix. Speaker, that greater mistake w;
rs never made. Denunciation will be m
10 by defiance. This movement is not
- the hands of tlmid Or time serving me-
} Sustained, as they are, by volume
le sentiment in the country and in the arm
and by their own sense Of duty, they q
determined that, in some form, the state
:" manship Of the country shall be invoke
al in an honest effort to end this carnival
i'll death by negotiation.
rs The Sentinel thinks it "loolish, ire
= sonabie AMI ruinous" for this House
10 send commissioners to Washington, vi
- !, powers limited, .as prescribed. This IS
M assume that no terms conld be obtain'
nj which would not be s'yntaGus." ls the
nj any reason for. this assumption? In
We journal professed few days since.
:. abolish slavery for foreign interventse
~ Who isauthorized to say that better teri