Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-12
XXXIXth CONGRESS- First Session
WASHINGTON. March 10. 1866.
HOUSE.

hODSE.
The House sat as in committee of the Whole, moth
ing being in order but general debate on the Pres-
dents message.
Mr. ORTIZ, of Indiana. addressed the House. He
defended Congress from the charges of dlatoTiness
in legislation. The unceasing and senseless~clamOr
for speedy action came, he said. from those whose
States had not been on the side Of the country dur
ing the war; He said, surely and deliberately, Con-
gress would pursue its work, determined to do its
work right. regardless of clamOr abuse vtupera-
ton. He held that the legislative branch of the
General Government was clothed with authority to
recognize state Governments and this Vas n ac-
cOrdance with the views Of the people. The Union
party of Indiana had recently given expression to
that sentiment in the State Convention The people
were determined that traitors shall be punished and
treason made odious that these words should be q
living reality-words of power and majesty and not
ear utnto the heart The people would never forget
the public man, whatever his official position, Who
should endeayor to- hug treason or traitors to his
bosom, turn his back on those who elevated him to
power and forget in the dctation of that power the
sacred principles for which he was elevated. He
proceeded to show that the reconstructed States
Referring to the test OATH he declared that the last
traitor in the South should sleep the sleep of death
before that should be taken from the statute book.
MIR. STEVENS, Of Pennsylvania next obtained the
floor. He commenced by apologizng to the House
for the tameness of the remark ks which he intended
to make, and especially for their untmeliness. 1t
would be remembered that at the opening of the
session he (Stevens) had made some remarks on the
condition of the country, which had been replied To
by the gentleman from New York (RaymOnd) and
the gentleman from Ohio Delano). A recess had
followed Immediately. and when Congress reassein-
bled for business the 9Th Of January he (StevenO
had prepared some reply and bad obtained the floor
the gentleman form West virginia GathGm desired
to make speech, and he yielded him the floor and
had never since been able to retain it foT general
as it had been intimated to him that his time had
come he had dug up the old manuscript, and al
though its contents were rather tame and had been
all said by himself or others long since, he did not
wish to lose the paper and could now read what he
proposed to say on tnat occasion. LlIaughter.l
Mr.. STEVENS then went on to read his manu-
script, which was devoted to strengthening his
position in regard to the status of the rebel ates
Referring to the position which some Journals had
assigned TO- him.. of hostility to the President, he
said that these journals had done him too much
honor. and he would now say, once for all. that in
stead Of fe, ling ona animosity to the President
he felt great respect for him. He honored his ipreg
rty his patriotism, his courage and his good inten-
tiOns The President had stood too firm for tue
Union in the midst of danger and sacrifice to allow
him (Steyen to doubt the purity of his intentions.
doubt The udgmentof of the President and to criticize
his policy. When he d. eme1 the views of the
President erroneous he should say so. While he
could have no hostility to the President he migh
and did have very grave objections to the course
which he was pursuing. He should have forgotten
tho obloquy which he (Stevens( had calmly borne
for thirty years in the war for liberty. if he should
MIR. PRICE, Of Iowa. ask the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Steyens) whether there must not be
some mistake in this matter2 When | hear him
speak in such warm terms of the President, and
when remember thatthe public press of the cOun-
try has been for the last few weeks using the name
Of acertain Thaddeus Stevens as having been mem
toned by the President in speech in front of the
White House, and now whom hear the gentleman
whom l supposed to be the Thaddeus Stevens refer
red to- speak in such strong terms in favor of the
President want to hear him say, with his own lips
whether he is the same person, or some one else.
Mr. eSTEVENS-Mr. Speaker, does the learned
gentleman from Iowa (Price) suppose for single
moment that the speech TO which presume he re-
fers as having been made in front of the White
House was an actual fact? GLaughter.l l desire
now to put the gentleman right. What am now
going to say, however, do not wish to have repeat
ed. II is confidential communication llaughterl,
and | presume that nobody will violate The
confidence which repOse in him, by repeating it.
Sir, that speech, which has imposed upon the
gentleman from Iowa, and which has had
considerable run, and which has made some i'm
preston on the public mind, was one of the grand
est hoaxes that has ever been perpetrated, aud
more successful than any other except the moon
hoax. which am told deceived many astute astrOn-
Omers. tLaughter] | am now glad of an Oppnrtu-
nifty, although do not wish it TO go out publicly,
lest my motive might be misunderstood. Of exoner'
ating the President from ever having made that
speech. tLaughter.l IL is part of the contrivan-
ces of the Copperhead party, which has been perse
cutting our President since the 4th of March, 1855
Taking advantage OF an opportune accident which
happened on that occasion, they have been ever
since constantly denouncing him as addicted to low
and degrading vices and TO show that, and in order
to prove the truth Of what say. about this hoax
send up 10 be read part Of that same sander, ta-
ken from the New York World, Of March 7th, 1885,
The following extract from the New York World
Of March 7th, 1856, was then read by the Clerk:
"Tho drunken and beastly Calegu as. the most prof
ligate Of the Roman emper0rs, raised his horse to
the dignity Of Consol Office that in former times
had been filed BY the greatest warriors and states
men Of the Republic, the Scipios and Catos and by
the mighty Julius himself. The Consulship was
scarcely more dsgraced by that scandAlous transao-
tion than is Vice Presidency by the late election
Of Andrew johnson, That office had been adorned
in better days by the talents and accomplishments
Of Adams sAd Jefferson, Clinton and Calhoun and
Van Buren, and now. il filled by this insoIent
drunken brute, in comparison wi h whom even CAL
egulas' horse was respectable. for the poor animal
did not abusehis wnnature: and TO think that only
one frail life stands between this insolen clowrsh
drunk.rd and the Presidencyl May God bless and
Mr.. BLACK, Of Indiana, begged TO inquire wheth-
or that may not also be hoax IN the same way as
the speech of the President was [Laughter.l
Mr.. STEVENS-Ihat was serious and insult