The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1865-09-15
WIZ We had War.

0cs prominent actor, Immediately pre-
ceedinG he var. The following is por-
ton Of his account of the efforts made for
the PRESERVATION Of the Union, during tie
cession Of 60 81:
ai.. not open the question whether II
WAS wise then 10 offer accomm odations :;
it may Rot be pref able uov to ask beth
or the millions Of Young men whose bodies
ale mairuei, or whose bones are decaying
under the sod of Tie South, and tie heavy
told Of public dept under which we sweat
aud toll, have their compen sation in black
Liberty. Nor Nil | discuss whether the
blacks have been bette.ed by lhcir prcciri-
tate fIeelGn, passing, as so many have,
from slavery through starvation AMI suf-
leliug 10 death There is 10 comfort in
shc election that the negIoes sill be eX
cIy. The real point is, could net this
union have been made permanent by time
" settlement, Of cemenled by traternal
blood and military rue: By an equitable
par.it on of the territory th!s was possible.
We had then zee, GOO square miles
The Cntteuden proposition would have
aiycn tie month 800 600 Of these square
mics, and applet lie Chic"y, doctrines
70 tia. quantity. 1t would have leit the
remain Il, iJuuh, subs antialy, 10 be cary
eI out as free or slave states, a, tae option
Of he people when tie states were admits
tel. j his proposition the radicals donoun-
cell Notwithstanding the then president
VAS in minority Of "a million Of the pop
utar vote, ,hcy WAS determined AS Mr.
Chase, wrote 10 Portsmouth,, OHIO, from
Tie peace convention, to use the power
while they had it, and prevent settle
men,. 1t had been stated. TO rid the re =
publcans Of the odium of not avertlng the
war when that was possible, that the north
ern mem crs teuIe.ed to tho southern the
CIitienden coEpromlse, which the south
rejected. This Is untrue. 1t was tend
c.cd by southern senators and northern
democrats 20 the republicans. They, in
cor paCtiou with some halt dozen reCusans
southern senators, rejected it. il was yol,
81 upon bat once IL the house, hen it re-
ceiycd 50 votes against l13. These sc
votes were exclusively democrats aud
southern Americans, like Gil'ner, Vance
and Others. Mr. Briggs, Of Now York,
Was the only one not democrat who yot-
Cd for it, lie bad been an Old eEig and
never republican. The republican roll,
beginning with Adams and ending With
Woodruff, was unit against it. Inter-
mingled with them was one southern OK
,Fcmisi, Gen. liInGinan, who desired no
settlement. 1here we're many southern
men who did not vote, believing that if
the republicans, who were just accediug
TO power favored il, it's adoption would be-
delusion.
The plan adopted by The republican sen
ators 10 defeat it, WIS by amendment and
postponement. On the liih and 18Th Of
January they cast all their votes against
lis being taken up, Mr.. Clark, Of Kew
ampshlre, moved TO strike it out, and
insert something which he knew would
neither be successful nor acceptable. The
vote on CLARK 5 amendment. y as 70 10 %:
every "aye" being a republican, and every
no" except Kennedy and Ciittenden
American being democrats. On this
occasion, SIX southern senators, including
benjamin and Wigfai!, did not vote They
could have defeated Mr.. Ciark's motion.
la reference 10 this vote, We have the test
imony Of President johnson, in speech
on the expulsion Of Senator Bright, Jan.
81, 1853 to this effect.
L sd: behind Mr. Benjamin, and 7 ain
not sure that my worthy friend Mr. Lalh
ar, was not close b5 VIXEN he refused to
vote; and | said 10 him, MIR. Benjamin,
Why 10 you not vote. Why not save this
proposition, and see If W. can not bring
the country to it, lie gave ne rather
an abrupt answer, and said he would con
troll hia own actions without consulting me
or any body else. Said L. Vote and
show yourself an honest man. As soon
as the vote waa taken, he and others tcle
eraphoi south, We cannot get any CONS
promise
doubtless lie rest Of the six senator's
had the same sinister motive for their ret
ieemce in voting and readiness in telegraph
ing. But their rec;cancy does not eXclse
the body q tie republicans. Nor DO |
know th". now, since the collapse Of the re-
beIlion. they are SO anxious 20 be excused.
| only write tie facts OF story, not to
justify or condemn.
When tbs result was abanGoDod, uni
versaI gloom prevailed The people favor
ed this compromise. Petitions by thous
ands Of citizens were showerea upon con-
gresa for It's passage. Had it received a
majority only, they would have rallied
aud sustained those who desire peace and
union. One more earnest appeal was
made 10 the republicans Gen. Cameron
answered it by moving a reconsideration.
lis motion came lp Oh the 18th, when he
voted against his own motion. 1t was
carried however over tho votes Of the re-
rublicaus, although Niofail voted with
them. When it vas again on the 81 OF
March 1851, the southern states as near
" all goLe; even tAen.it was lost by one
vote only. But on that occasion ell the
democrats were for, and all the republicans
against it. The truth is, there was moth
ing bat sneeFs and skeplicisln from the re-
pubiicaus at any settlement. They broke
down every proposition They took the
elements OF Cancellation out Of the peace
convention before it as5efnsled Senators
Harlan and Chandler were esDecialy act