Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-09-05
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THE PHILADELPHIA MOVEMENT.
A Conservative Republican o. s..
.1,a Senator on the Stump. W. ,
WHY HE LEFT THE RADICALS.


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WHY HE LEFT THE RADICALS.
| "l.', nHH' I"s q $780, 'l,na ti.st lp
AN Alb LE SPE ECH.
| [From the Pittsburgh Commercial. Republican,
The Hon. Edgar Cowan, OF Greensburg,
| Wesrmoreland county, U. s. Senator for
Pennsylvania, addressed his fellow-citiZens
on Tuesday evening last al. the Court
House in ,Greensburg, in pursuance OF q
| previous Arrangement agreed upon by his
| friends for the purpose of hearing from
him the reasons which induced his depart
nre from the Republican party, and an ex-
position on the political issues which now
% thoroughly occupy the public mind.
The interest felt In the occasion was shared
equally by Senator Oowan's former political
associates and his new found supporters.
NJ r,u SPEECH OF EDGAR CONAN. a-rt .f.
Senator Cowan said that he felt proud of
the scene before him, and proud to say so.
In meeting the cheers of those before him,
among whom he discovered the men who
in both of the great political parties of this
country were recognized leaders, respect
lively, he felt an assurance that his con-
duct stands approved by the people.
fCheers.l He never had doubted that the
nour would come when his course would
be justified before the American public. 1t
had cOme. [Cheers.l The appeal of thirty
one States OF this Union was now made to
the good sense of all the people. Passion
and prejudice, and party lines were to be
| cast aside. The one thing needfIl was the
complete and permanent restoration of the
American Republic. [Cheers.] He be-
| lieved that the people will be true to them
selves in this crisis, and all the States be-
come more closely united in fraternal Ma
tioual bonds than ever. - The people OF this
country possessed the proudest heritage
| ever vouchsafed to mankind. No empire
of ancient or modern times boasted such
tremendous power and d7vast resources as
the United States. Butit was essential to
our National ana political superiority that
our people become united and harmonious
again. rCheers. He came before them in
| the true spiritof independence which dares
| to do that which is right, and oppose that
which is wrong and fatal to the highest in
terests of our common country. [Cheers.
| The people had come to meet him in the
same good spirit. Cries, ''Phat's SOL
Party preiudices, engendered by partisan
contest, were now to he thrown aside, and
the appeal was to be directly and plainly
stated He said that the Union party, in
tine hands of misguided men, had come to
be the disuniOn party of this country. 1t
was now itself divided upon the question
of reconciliation, which he thought was
better word than reconstruction. Who
were at present the recognized leaders in
| the two wings of this great Union party?
| He said that,in 1861, when he took his seat
| in the United States Senate, he found there
| two kinds of men at the head of the Re-
publican party Conservatives and Radi-
calls. He claimed that he was not elected
| to the Senate as Republican distinctively,
but rather coalition between the Ameri-
can and Peoples parties. He was then, as
now, member of the Republican party,
and represented it on the floor of the Sem
ate and elsewhere. But he was bound to
represent also the people who were divided
into other parties than that to which he be-
| longed. The Republican party was not an
| Abolition party. IL contended against the
existence of human slavery in the Terrific
ries to the exclusion of white men. lie
was Republican proper, with that belief.
| But he was bound to represent something
besides the Republican party. There were
| his American friends and the Democratic
party. He did not believe that he ought to
| turn his back upon one-half of the people
of Pennsylvania, because he happened to
differ with them on some points. [Cheers.l
| He never did do it-never would do 1t.
| But the leaders of the Republican party,
| in the Senate, he found divided more broad
| ly than even the American and Democratic
| parties were at home. In fact, one set of
these leaders did not represent any party.
They represented, properly, the Abolition
society. [Cheers and laughter.l He did
not intend to utter one word against these
gentlemen, but he felt bound to say they
had very singular organization of brain,
expecting things that never can come to
pass. [Renewed cheers On the other
hand were the leaders and Representatives
of the Republican party-men who were
wise, prudent, patriotic and safe leaders
When the late war came upon the country,
and dangers began to thicken, aud the life
of the nation was hourly threatened, then
| it was that that little knot of Abolitionists,
who had before taken no part whatever in
| the lead, suddenly started out in front of
the Republican party, and with a de-
gree OF rashness never before witnessed,
well-nigh brought the country to the verge
of ruin. At that instant they and himself
parted company. [CheersI] Senator Cow
an then reviewed his own conduct in the
case of the Hon. Jesse ID. Bright of In
diana, who was expelled from the United
OlaUeS D6Ildbb III IOOl, lUT u
I letter to JEFF. Davis, which contained, it
was alleged, disloyal sentiments, In
caucus held on the subject, it was proposed
that Mr.. Bright be expelled. This met
with opposition Senator Colamer, of
Vermont, and Senators of his class, pro-
tested against such course. twas claim
| ed, and Justly so, that the State of Indiana,
having chosen Mr.. Bright to represent it
| in the Senate, it would be unfair to turn him
out of his seat, and leave sovereign State
unrepresented, unless good and sufficient
reasons could be shown for it. The matter
was referred to the Judiciary committee,
and he (Cowan) took the papers, thorough
| ly EXAMINED the question involved, wrote
| the report that was presented to the SEN
ate, and which was signed by six members
of the Judiciary cmmittee, and then he was
requested to take il all back. Mr.. Bright
was expelled from the Senate but he
| (Cowan5 would notIflipch hair from the
position he took, because he believed 1t
| was the only right one in the matter. He
lcbnld not have looked his neighbors In
the face on this occasion, il he had de-
meaned himself to such o degree as-that,
| [cheers and cries, .'You did right and he
Was Was proud of what he did In the case. e''j
1oi When the war commenced, he said, he
| urged a vigorous prosecution of it against
| traitors, for the sake of the Union, and the /
supremaey of its, Constitution and laws.
The Deniocratic party was made Up Of one
half 9fthe people, andhe wanted that party
/ l,,1 l,,oaInri1 with him and the iRanuhlinanl