Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-11-02


General Blair, in one of his scathing
speeches, the other day, at Mattoon, IL
linois. said:
- I would like to see Edwin M. Stanton
tried, and / would be willing 20 be the
prosecutor. will tell you what 1 could
prove. ] could prove that Edwin NJ.
Stanton was the Attorney General under
Mr.. Buchanan, and that when the two
Senators, JEFF. Davis and Albert Gala
tin Brown, made their addresses to the
Senate of the United States taking their
leave of the Senate, in obedience to the
instructions of their State, as Mr.. Brown
came out of the Senate door, Edwin M.
Stanton, then receiving salary from
the Government of the United States,
having sworn to protect and defend the
Constitution, holding on to that Office, his
stomach filled with the bread that he had
eaten and that came from the Office he
filled, went up to Mr.. Brown, as he
came out of the Senate chamber, and
said "Sir, go home to your people and
maintain the position they have taken.
Unite together, stand shoulder to shoul.
der, and You will compel these black
sabolitionists at the North to yield all
the demands that you can make" That
was the language of man then in the
employ of the Government, then receiv-
ing his salary from the Government,
with the oath still upon his lips to main
tain the Constitution and to support the
Government of the United States. He
gives the advice and encourages and
gives aid and comfort to one who had
declared his determination to wage war
upon the Government of the United
States.
l would prove further, on another
count in the indictment, that after the
war had been waged for several years,
this man Stanton took another office in
the government of the United States,
became Secretary of War, becoming the
most vindictive prosecutor of those whom
he had urged to go into the rebellion, and
that when in the changing fortunes of
war, our men had been made prisoners of
the enemy, and we had captured some
of their men, and that government, So
called, at the South came forward and
offered an exchange, this man Stanton
refused it-refused to succor the soldiers
who had been to the front and by the
chances of war had been made prisoners.
He refused it, although he knew they
were dying lingering deaths in the pris-
ons at Andersonville and elsewhere.
Not only did he refuse the exchange, but
when the Confederate Government, So
called, came forward and offered to sur
render our sick and wounded without an
exchange, he refused to take those men,
but let them die in the Andersonville
prison. 1t could be proved, also, that
he refused even to send medicine and
food and surgeons to them to succor them
from impending death, although urged to
do SO by the so-called Confederate au-
thorities.
What, think you, would be the yer-
dict of our returned soldiers if some of
them should sit on the jury? [Cheers
and laughter What, with such proof
and | believe such proof could be
brought-would be the verdict? l would
not, if could. to-day, by Legislative en-
actment, reach this great felon-for re-
gard him as felon. would not do if,
although conceive him to be the great
est felon in America, because l would
not strike down that shield of the con-
stitution, which covers all the people iii
this country, even to reach the worst
man in the country. But would like
to see this evidence adduced, and I
would like to know what verdict and
sentence jury would pronounce upon
him. Ave, 1 have a curiosity to know.
would like to see those two men tried,
because after the rebellion was closed,
this Mr.. Alex. Stephens was seized and
imprisoned by this man Stanton, and
put in Fort Warren, in Boston harbor.
And 1 would like to have the verdict of
ajury of my countrymen to see, when
Stanton turned the key on Stephens, on
which side of the door stood the traitor.
Laughter and cheers. A voice-"On
the outside"