Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-02-13
Ed COLUMBUS. OHIO, TUESDAY MORNING.


ceded distinction, "the Brute"
But, sir, the gentleman from Logan as
sumes to represent the army upon this floor
in the advocacy Of this proposition. He
may represent chat portion or 1t to which
he belonged-the guadily attred and well
appointed gentlemen who fattened and
luXuriated and radated about department
headquarters, hundreds of miles away from
the hOarse barking of hostile cannons, and
who were used as implements of tyranny
in the hands of such eminent models of
American Generalship as Stanton, Schenck,
Wallace and Butler, to oppress an enslaved
people, who commanded successful eXpe-
dition against old ladies and picture dealers
in Baltimore, and gallantly attacked fune-
raj professions, scattering the mourners In
the impetuosity of their charge, and cap
turing the corpse and confiscating the
horses; but, sir, deny that he represents
the sentiments of the real heroes Of the war
who marched to the sea with Sherman, and
entered Richmond under the command of
true model of American Generalship, the
immortal Grant. Brave men are never cruel;
a true soldier Is always magnanimous. The
men who are crying out so Justify tor con-
liscatiOn are the gentlemen who fluttered
around the Departments, the army contract
ors, and the Radical fiends who were too
cowardly to shoulder their muskets and
risk the perditiOn of their microscopic souls
through the agency of rebel bullets, and
who, now that the battle is over, fall upon
the dead carcass of the Confederacy as Fall
staff did upon the body of the brave Percy,
and seek to stab it, and carry it aloft as an
evidence of their valor.
Mr.. Speaker, | hope the amendment will
be voted down.
Mr.. ENCELL, of Summit followed, in
dorsing BUTLER, and in favor OF gen.
eral confiscation. He was followed by Mr..
THoRNHILL.
Remarks OF Hon. f. W. ThOrnhiII.
Mr.. THORNHILL (Democrat) said:
Mr.. SPEAKER:-I have only to say In re-
ply to the remarks OF the reverend gentle
man from Summit, that | am not going to
be diverted from the course | had In view
when introduced this resolutions; nor would
the stump speeches and the political decla-
nations of the gentleman change or alter
my opinions as to the justice and propriety
of making those brave soldiers, who enter
ed the army at an early day, and who have
bourn the heat and burden of the war,
equal in every respect to those who served
only few months. 1t is plain, simple
proposition, and should be met as such. 1t
was one into which politics should not be
lugged-but it seemed to be the object
of gentlemen on the other side of the
house to make it political question for the
purpose of dodging the main question aud
defeating the resolution. He was very
much surprised to see gentlemen who have
professed to be the friends of the soldier
throwing impediments in the way of the
passage of so just measure. We are told
by the gentleman from Knox Mr.. Banning)
that if the amount proposed in the resolu-
ton is allowed and paid to the soldiers, that
it would bankrupt the nation. | desire to
say that have no fears of that-and | care
not how much it does take; if it is Just and
right, it should be paid. The soldiers were
told when enlisting that they should not
only be remunerated for all their tolls and
sacrifices, but their families should.Jbe. well
cared for. And now gentlemen on the 9TH
er side OF the house seek to take from them
the small pittance raised by taxation for
the relief of soldiers families, and transfer
it to the state fund, to cover up failures and
defalcations of State officers, which, they
say is necessary to preserve the credit of
the State. In answer to question by me,
asking the gentleman from Summit where
he was during the war, he says he was at
home fighting the Devil. admit, sir, that
preachers have given the country a great
deal of trouble ter the last four or five years;
and now propose in my resolution to pay
the soldiers for fighting the combined forces
of the three parties that have given us so
much trouble. .t
The gentleman from Knox, in his efforts
to defeat the real object of the resolution,
endeavors to divert the minds of members
from the matter in issue by Juggling in pol
itics and by abusing the Democratic party,
ia which he has made an effort to implicate
citizens of my county in what is known as
the Napoleon war in Holmes county
which pronounce false, and want
ing in truth in every particular. The
citizens of CoshoctOn county took neither
part nor lot in that affair, but it was insti-
gated and gotten up by such renegade DEM
Ocrats rs himself, who had gone over to the
Abolition party for the sake of the loaves
and fishes, and were clothed with little
brief authority as enrolling clerks. !.
Bat sir to the question. 1t is proposed
by the amendment of the gentleman from
Knox to give the soldiers 160 acres of land
in the South, confiscated from the rebels,
when he must know, If he knows anything,
that there is no coniiscated lands at this
time in the South to give them, and neither
can there be until the present owners are
tried aud convicted of treason, and then eau
only work forfeiture oftheir estates during
their natural lives, and must then revert
back to their heirs. But, sir, the intention
of this amendment is not to give the soldier
either land or money, but to defeat the reso-
luton by loading itdown with such amend
ments as will render it odious to its friends
and compel them to vote ,againstit.. But
the facts will go to the people, aud the sol
tdlers are Intelligent men and viii fasten the
defeat of this Just and equitable measure
upon those who defeat 1t, and hold those
who have always professed to be the eXclu-
sive friends of the soldier to fearful re-
sponsibility.d VI N'''H la-'-
In short, if but part of the money taken
for the Freedmen's Bureau tor the support
of negroes who refuse to work, would more
Shan suffice to pay the bounties so Justly
due the gallant men who enlisted prior to
1868, when the bounty was but $780, while
those who hung back until after that period
got $500. He (Mr. Thornhill) believed in
equal aud exact justice to all, and II, as the
member from Knox said, the Government
was not able to do this act of Justice to the
white men, let them discard the lazy me-
groes of the South and turn their attention
to white soldiers, who ask that this act Of
sheer justice be lneted out to them. .l,7a ?
N Mr.. PIATr then came the rescue. 'aA
" Remarks OF Hon. Donh Piatt. 'h ,ai
4 Mr.. PIATT (Disunion) said: 1 know,
Mr. Spealer,i that we should smoke out
these gentlemen. This newborn zeal in
behalf of the soldier has come to a sudden
and unhappy conclusion. | felt satisfied
.wheniI suggested the amendment that the