The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-03-12

the subject of the inquiry to speak on
tLe question OF his hallucination, and
if they can get him to babble and talk
nonsense then the intrinsic evidence IN
the case is made out. Laughter. Now,
if these slahders could ever make people
believe that the President uttered mat
speech then they have made out their
case, continued laughter, but we know
that the President never did utter 1T; 1t
is not possible, and / am glad OF TINS
opportunity to relieve him from that
odium. They had indeed wrought up
the whole story in very cunning way;
MIR. Winfield, of New York-May |
hone that the injunction OF secrecy Will
he removed from this earnest and sincere
defence. &c
Mr. Stevens, with seriousness OF
manner that provoked some laughter,
exclaimed: "Oh, hope not sir; l hope
the gentleman will not violate the con,
fidence which l have placed IN him ana
all OF hers in this confidential c0mmuni,
cation. Now, Mr.. Speaker, they had
worked up the whole thing pretty Gun
ningly, cunning enough to impose upon
the people. For instance, they. went
into eircumstantial accounts, as in the
GREAT moon hoax, they pretended that
the counsels of the assassins OF the late
President escorted President Johnson TO
the Stonewall, on which he stood. In
front of the White House, they also say,
he was supported by late rebel Mayor,
who was furnished gratuitously with
lodgings in one OF penal forts for
SOME time All these circumstances
tbey threw about the matter The
people NAV have been deceived, but we
who knew the President knew it was
lie from the start. (Laughter.) Now,
having shown my friend from Iowa that
all the foundation for that thing was
fallacious, I trust he will allow me to
occupy the same friendly position to
the President have occupied hereto
fore. | am satisfied that the House and
the country will agree with me that
| that was a mistake, and very great
| mistake. Although have not lived in
| the world so long as the honorable gen.
| tleman from Pennsylvania, yet | have
| found that history cannot always be de-
| pended upon, and but for the accidental
| occurrence of the speech made to-day
| by the gentleman from Pennsylvania,
| the speech of the President would have
| gone down to history as fact, and the
preceding or succeeding generation
would never have discovered the mis-
take thus oPportunedy exposed. (Laugh-
| ter
Mr.. Stevens then resumed the reading
Of his manuscript Speaking of the
contest between the President and Con-
gress, hesaid there was but one loyal
paper in the country that opposed the
policy of Congress Every newspaper
in his own State, except one hermaphrO.
dite concern in Philadelphia, sustained
Congress, and so did every Representa-
tive in his State who was not an appl-
cant for office.
He did not speak of New York sas he
did not know much about her No one
did except Secretary Seward, who pro-
fessed to understand her. But every
paragraph in New York papers lauding
tue President was but the outcTnp of Of
hcial advertisements.
Mr.. Ashley next addressed the House.
A proposition to adjourn was made at
the close of Mr. Ashley's speech.
The Speaker stated that it was quite
doubtful, with the accumulation OF pub
| lie business, whether more than another
Saturday could he devoted to general de-
bate
Mr. Holmes next addressed the House
on the question of the reconstruction of
the rebel States, advocating the course
of Congress as against that of the Presi-
dent. VINO he said, had successfully met
the opposition of the Democratic party,
but cOuld not outlivc its political sup
port. He did not, on the whole, regret
the course that had been taken by the
President, because if gave 10 the people
of the Southern States an opportunity to
show to the world what they would do
if again entrusted with unrestricted
power
At the conclusion of his rema,l,s the
House adjourned.