Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-09-04
QDkil!oI !. Statt'!s,;il,'I|lln'l:a1, Is 81 N:
THE REBELLION. f.U
WHERE THE GUILT LIES.
From a Speech of Hon. Montgomery
Blair, Delivered atCiarksville,
Howard County, Maryland,
-.t,t.t ON, August 26, 1866. 1rg
lCONCLUsI0N.l

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To the incontrovertible facts / have re-
cited, establishing the practicability and
justice of adhering to the plain letter of the
Constitution, there is no answer, but ambi-
ton backed by power will justify itself with
very little regard for right or even of ap-
Hastings to execution, showing his wither-
ed arm as evidence that he had bewitched
him, did so to scof at his victim; and the
affected fears of the crushed South, assum-
ed by the ambitious leaders of the North to
Justify the destruction of their political
rights, sounds not unlike the mockery of
Gloster. But the lust of dominion from
which such actions spring is the most un-
reasoning, intolerant, and remorseless pas
sion of the human bosom. 1t knows no Con
stitution, and does not listen to truth orjus-
itice. we will appeal in vain to the words
iof the Constitution to protect us In our
rights to leaders frenzed with the imperial
idea of ruling the continent by holding one
half of it without responsibility to its peo-
pie, requiring a military force to do so
which would make them masters of the
whole. In vain we shall ask for Justice to
the Union men Of the South from such men.
They cannot forego their lofty aspirations
to recognize the existence ofany such class.
You caInot have forgotten how fieFcely my
head was demanded when ventured TO as
sert the rights of the Union men of the
South against this form ofimperialism when
broached in 1868. had been from early
manhood an opponent of slavery; had as
sisted my brother in organizing the first
and only victorious emancipation party
which existed in the South prior to the re-
bellion; was in favor af sustaining FIRE.
mont's proclamation, and, falling in that,
l had recommend, in writing, President
Lincoln to make one himself In his annual
message of 1861. had defended Lincoln's
emancipation proclamation when it was
made, in a speech which Senator Sumner
himself did me the honor to quote with APP
probation. had led in the emancipation
movement in Maryland, and never faltered
till its success was achieved. But, notwith-
standing the furore about emancipation by
those people, this early, earnest, and COR
slant support of emancipation on my part
did not satisfy them. Sc
l have not referred to myself in this con-
nect.on to give myselfimportance. l have
done SO because the example was required
to illustrate the true spirit of those who
seek, in the guise of pre-eminent loyalists
and transcendent emancipationists, to an
initiate the States and destroy the Con-
stitution; and Mr.. Raymond, the Chairman
OF the committee by whom the resolution
relating to the Cabinet was reported In the
late National Convention, has publicly
stated that the managers aimed thereby to
give themselves authority Tor demanding
INV remoVal!by the President. The people
OF the country may see in this that it is not
Unionism and emancipation they seek-and
it concerns the people of the whole country
to mark it. They propose, indeed, to strike
the South down first. The Union men,
then, must suffer with the rebels, for the
misfortune of being born in, the same re-
gion. Their most precious rights are to be
wrenched from them, regardless of their
devotion to the Union, through good and
through evil report, tor the crime of not be-
ing able to resist secession when enforced
by color of State authority, sanctioned and
acquiesced in by the National Government.
Every one who raises his voice against this
fragrant injustice is denounced as an ally OF
Copperheads and traitors.
AS it is proposed to treat all Southern
men alike, 1t is necessary, to effect this pur-
pose, that the people OF the North should
be taught to regard US all as criminals. All
are in fact equally offenders in their eyes.
1t is the claim Tor themselves and their fel-
p lows Of their rights as citizens which Of
fends. 1t is the monopoly of power which
is sought, and that design is equally frus-
trated by allowing the Southern States
their rights, whether in the hands of Union
men orlrebels. All agree in discarding the
shibboleth of the lmperialists. There are
some, indeed, who give private assurances
that they will work up to 1t by-and-by
and who, by joining In the clamOr against
the dead rebellion,, are cooperating with
the Imperialists in propagating the idea
| that the safety of the country requires the
exclusion from Congress of representatives
from the South, and thus contributing to
| fix the conviction upon the public mind
that IL Is necessary to subvert the rule of the
white man In the South before that region
can be restored to a share In the Govern
ment. Swarms of hireling writers are sent
over the South, who 20 there as the English
| tourists came to America, with a foregone
conclusion against the country, most o,
them In the pay of the War Department
but of the e'mon-cOmbatant species, whose
continuance in the servicedepends on max.
ing the impression that tsecession is not dead
but sleepeth.
The Southern man who Joins in continu:
ing this clamor against the South is aiding
in disfranchising the South, and the whole
South, Maryland included. We may, in
deed, have persons from Maryland filling
Seats but those who reflect the feelings oi
h our people will be without power Those
only who are elected as the member from
the first district in the last Congress and
one OF our present Senators were elected
will find favor with the Imperialists. That
is, blythe use of public money and military
force directly applied. Let me give some
particulars. A regular commissary was
removed from Baltimore last winter, as the
Senatorial election was coming on, and q
| politician in the volunteer service, recon-
mended for the position by Mr.. Davis to the
Secretary OF War, because of his being an
anti-Blair man, was put Id the place. This
man and the quartermasterl assessed the
merchants dealing with the Government
heavily to raise money to- be used in the
election against me and my friends. The
quartermaster, learn, raised $4,000. How
much the commissary raisedl do not know,
busihe has been heard to boast that it was
by the money he raised that.I was beaten.
Some of the preaialinary steps were taken
openly by the, department. Anumber Of
the Senators elected by the people were ar
rested, and Others threatened till compelled
to resign, and their successors were elected
by the same use of military power as the
member of the first district had been in
1868. ION that occasion the most earnest
Union men in the district were arrested
such men rs Colonel Spencer, Jesse Hines,
and others, who had boldly sustained Gov
ernorg Hicks, whilst Mr.. Cresswell was
penly0denounoing him, and demanding,
by his resolutions adopted at Elkton, that
our rebel Legislature should be called to-
gethers and pledglng Maryland to 20. with