The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1865-02-01
mr.. Orr's Speech In the Rebel
House on Peace.

| AhOuBO OAA ACdCts
The following speech of Mr. Orr, in the
Rebel House of Representatives, is signif-
cant, as giving support to the hope that
! Peace is practicable: -,.t....-
Special dispatchto to the n. y. Tribune.
WAsnISGToN, Thursday, Jan. 10, 1865.
! The following are extracts from Richmond
! papers received at this Bureaa;
| From The Sentinel, Jan. IL.
Immediately after the opening of the
day S business in the House of Representa-
tivcs, Mr. Orr of Mississippi rose to per-
sonal explanation. He had the clerk read
an article from 7he Sentinel of the l4th
inst, headed Treason. He then said. n
| Mr.. SPEAKER: The editor of this paper
| is the public and private printer of this
! House, and it is the commonly received or
gan of the executive. This is my apology
for noticing the slanderous article which
| have heard the clerk read 1t is apparent
| to this House, and to thosewho are familiar
with our proceedings, that the article is in
| tended as a criticism upon the report from
I the committee upon Foreign Affairs, sub
mitted to them ON last Thursday. 1t is no
less than grave charge of treason against
| that committee, and an implication of like
! import against the members of this House,
| who were cognizant of the substance of the
| report, and voted to receive it in secret ses-
sion. | trust that the reputation Of the
members composing the committee is sufh-
cicnt to satisfy the country that the article is
false and Iandorous. The deliberations of
| the committee upon the report were presi-
dcd over by the venerable, pure and distin-
guished member from Virginia, Mr.. Rives.
Would he have so presided from week to
to week when treason was plotted? Would
he have voted, as he did, in open session,
to go into secret session to receive that re-
port? Would his colleagues, Mr. De JAR
nette, Gen Atkins of Tennessee, Mr., With
erspoon of South Carolina, Mr.. Turner Of
| North Carolina, and Mr.. Smith of Alabama
have given their sanction to a reasonable
report? Are they capable Of treachery Of
the most infamous. character Are they
traitorous Congressmen? Can it be that
they have brought forward a disordery ruin
GUS and fatal proposition, reprchensible and
intolerablc, and having neither dignity, hon
or nor safety in it? But of the Virginia
delegations, Messrs. Rives and De Jarnette
were not alone in voting to receive the re-
port. Mr. Wickham, Mr.. Baldwin and Mr..
McMvllin voted with them, aware at the
time of its substance; and thus they, too,
fall under The ,Sestinci. In refuting this
calumny against members of this House,
it is unnecessary to divulge the contents Of
| the report, or the action Of the House there
| on, although it is with me, as announced
when presented it, a matter of indifference
whether it should be considered in open or
| secret session. If the writer Of the article
| ever saw the resolutions, he has knowingly
falsifed them; if he hats not seen them, but
| supposes them to be as he states, then, ac-
| cording to his own report, he betrays gross
| ignorance in asserting that a resolution to
| open irregular negotiations through com
,niesioners with sl1incofn for pedce, would
constitute treason and greater crininality in
| presuming to arraign worthy and patriotic
men for something of which he is ignorant.
| Why should they be subjected to this malg-
nant criticism? For the sake of the argu-
| nlent, let it be conceded that they have pro-
| posed to send commissioners to Washington
| to open irregular negotiations for peace
These commissioners might be sent with no
other power than to confer and Consult with
the authorities there on tcims Of an honor
able peace, with Instructions to report the
| results oil '..cn conference to the President
and to this House. Such negotiations
| wJuld be irregular, and yet they might, |
{ think they would, if ratified by the treaty
| making power, secure an honorable and sat
isfactory peace. Who but madman would
| denouuce these means and this result as
| trcaGhery OF the most infamous characteri
From the supposed relationship OF this pa
per to men in power, it may have been in
tended, ia indulging in bitter denuncation,
to have the effect Of intimidating the advo-
Gates of an honorable, peaceful settlement
| of the war If this was the design, Sllow
me to assure you, Mr.. Speaker, that great
or mistake was never made. Denunciatlon
| will be met by defiance. This movement is
not in the hands of timid or time-serving
men. Sustained as they are by volume
of sentiment in the country and in the ar
! my, and by their own sense of duty, they
are determined that In some form the states
manship of the country shall be invoked in
an honest effort to end this carnival of death
by negotiation. The Sentinel thinks it
foolish, reasonable, and rulnouS for this
| House to send Commissioners to Washing
ton, with powers limited as prescribed -
This is to assume that no terms could be OBJ
tanned which would not be ruinous. Is
there any reason for this assumption? That
journal proposed few days since to abolish
| slavery for foreign intervention. Who is
| dulllOTiHeu W say bIidt DttteI tGIiuS CdliuUt
be obtained from the United States? Who
is authorized to say that terms could not DE
agreed upon with them without abolition or
reconstruction? We certainly could make
it to their interest to recognize us as an in
dependent people without involving either
slavery or reconstruction: and nations usually
follow their interest. The question Of re-
construction, however, does not arise in
the proposition to negotiate, and ] shall not
therefore, discuss it. Norris it foolish or
reasonable; and | will add that it is neither
impolitic or unmang, while we are gather
ing up all our military strength to meet the
enemy, to resort to every laudable and prop
er effort to give peace to a bleeding and
distracted country by negotiation On the
contrary, the statesman who would refuse to
do this is hideous moral deformity, ant ,.
y! A Point well Made. bra al~
| Judge Bliss, the sterling Democratic