Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-01-29
Mr.. Doolittle-Yes, sir.

Mr. COnn6SS-If ask the senator un-
der what authority is that stated2 20
Mr.. Doolittle-It is stated upon the
authority of a speech which was made
by Albert G.. Brown, in the Confederate
Congress, which was published in most
of the newspapers of the country. 77f'
Mr.. Sumner-Albert G.. Brown at the
time was rebel. ,'.''i '''.'..... l.'......
Mr.. Doolittle-I agree. III HsgI ~,
Mr.. Sumner-Speaking to rebels2
Mr. Doolittle-That is fact. qsa
Mr.. Sumner-And the Senator quotes
that speech = s..T a3 -
Mr.. Doolittle-Yes es. sir; that is a fact.
Mr.. Conkling- lmy Fl lend indulge
me one moment 7irg
Mr.. Doolittle-Yes, sir. 0sell ~
Mr.. Conkling g-It so happened that as
a member of the Special Committee of
the other House I had occasion to know,
] think, as we'll as most persons here
know, the convictions of Mr.. Stanton
held when he entered the Cabinet of Mr..
Buchanan, which must have been about
have heard. From my knowledge atthe
time, as well as since, feel warranted
not only in discrediting Mr.. Browns
statement, but in denying the truth of
any statement imputing to Mr.. Stanton
any sentiment or act or omission not to
be expected from an able, earnest man,
doing his utmost to resist the tide of
treason then rising in the Cabinet of Mr..
Buchanan, and spreading over the coun-
try. Cl-
TT is maxim of historians that opin-
ions and speculations are not to be put
in the rank of facts. The disloyal ut
terances Of Mr.. Stanton grated harshly
on many ears at the beginning of the
war. They could have been proved upon
him had the Radicals sent for persons
that we could name, when Stanton's case
was pending-ED. WASH. INT.
Mr.. Doolittle-Mr President, / am
stating this as an allegation which is
made in relation to Mr.. Stanton. 1
have only stated it by way of putting a
case. Suppose that Mr.. Stanton were
to be elected as Senator from Ohio or
Pennsylvania, whichever State he may
reside in, and when he came here to this
Senate Chamber the question was raised
upon him whether in truth and in fact he
did say to Mr., Albert G.. Brown, after he
left this Senate, that he was right in the
course he was pursuing, and did urge
him to go home and have his people sus-
tain him in that course as the only way
to save the South. Suppose that fats
were to appear. If Mr.. Stanton wat
willing to take the oath that he had
never by word or deed in any way what
ever countenanced or aided the rebel
lion, I insist that it would be our duty to
receive his oath.
q, And, sir, if the truth be that at that
time Mr.. Stanton did make this state
ment to Mr.. Brown, who does not know
that at that time there were hundreds
and thousands of men who believed that
this whole performance on the part of
the Southern Senators-Slidell, Brown
and others-in withdrawing from this
body was a mere political maneuver on
their part to bring the people of the
North to terms, and bring them to new
compromise. There were hundreds and
thousands of men who went into just
those kinds of proceeding then, not that
they intended to carry it to the point
of blood and to the point of dis
union. but they intended it as mere
political contrivance to alarm the fears of
the people of the North, that the South
should pretend to show that she was
about to resist the Federal Government
for the purpose of compelling the new
administration of Mr.. Lincoln, which
had then been elected, to yield and come
to, a compromise with the men of the
South. Sir, doubt not that was the
motive which governed hundreds and
thousands of men at the outset, and it
was consistent, not with their treason or
with their guilt, but it was consistent
with something far short of treason. far
short of guilt; it was on their part but
political maneuver which they were
willing to sanction for the time being,
never expecting that it would result in
bloodshed, or in an actual attempt to
destroy the Government.