The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-09-17
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PendIeton's Record.

A few days since Hon. Job E. Stevenson
delivered speech at Marysville, in which
he made several telling points against the
Ohio Democracy and their present candidate
for Governor. After speaking of the decli-
nation of Gen. Rosecrans, he proceeded tc
paint the weakness of the HoD,ination o.
Pendleton. In the course of his remarks be
said: ~ 81 s
Mr.. PeDdleton's public record is well
known. When the secession conspiracy
was being delivered in Washington city, he
was a Representative in Congress for the
First District of Ohio, in the confidence of
his party, and must have known the wicked
purposes Of the Southern leaders; and yet.
from that time until his constituents reliev-
ed him, he was a persistent opponent of
every measure in support ofthe ar,only less
open than Mr. Harris, Mr.. Long and Mr..
VallandighaG. ~
In 1868, while he was in Congress. the
Northern Peace Democracy, encouraged by
the result of the election, and by the disas-
tere in the field, were plotting rebellion
against the conscnptiOD; organizing knights
OF the Golden Circle, and actually resisting
the Government, even TO the shedding Of
blood. Mr.. Vallandigham becoming con-
spicuous in these proceedings, was arrested,
tried and convicted, and the Democratic
party nominated him for Governor in Ohio.
A committee of nineteen, representing each
| Congressional District, was appointed to
make demand Of Mr.. Lincoln for the release
of their candidate. Mr.. Pendleton was the
most prominent man on the committee.
They went to Washington, called on Mr..
Lincoln, read him an address demsnding
the release of Mr.. Vallandigham. On the
2Oth day of June, 1863, Mr.. Lincoln answer
ed them, and, after mildly stating the facts,
he said to Mr.. Pendleton and his friends:
with all this before their eyes, the con-
vention you represent nominated Mr. VAL
landigham for Governor of Ohio. You omit
to state that in your opinion an army is a
constitutional means of saving the Union
| against rebellion, or even to intimate that
| you are conscious of au existing rebellion
being in progress with the avoWed purpose
of destroying this very Union. & ~ 4 3
''At the same time your nominee for Gov
ernOr, in whose behalf you appeal, is known
to you and to the whole world to declare
against the use of an army to suppress the
krebellion.
"Your own attitude, therefor, encourages
desertion, resistance to the draft, and the
like, because it0teaches those who incline to
desert and TO escape the draft to believe
that 1t is your purpose to protect them, and
tohope that you will become strong enough
to do so.
ii assure you that both friends and enc
mics OF the Union look upon it in this light.
1t is a substantial hope, and in consequence,
real strength to the enemy.
Il send you duplicates of the letter, in
order that you ,eor a majority of you, may, if
you choose, endorse your names upon one
OF them, and return IL thus endotsedto me,
with the understanding that those signing
are thereby committed to the following pro-
position, and nothing else:
u. That there is a rebellion now in the
United States, the object and tendency of
which is to destroy the National Union; and
that IN your opinion an army and navy are
constitutional means for suppressiDg that re-
/ bellion.
% That no one of you viii do anything
which, IN his own judgments will tend to
hinder the increase or favor the decrease, or
lessen the efficiency of the army and ma
w, while engaged in the effort to suppress
that rebellion; and
90. That each Of you will, in his sphere,
| uO al NC eau W nave tn6 Olncer5, s0lQlerS
and seaman of the army and navy, while en-
gagged in the efforts to suppress the rebellion,
paid, fed, clad, and otherwise we'll provided
and supported"
And be promised that their compliance
should operate therelease of their candidate.
This liberal proposition puzzled Mr.. Pen
dletOn and his COMMITTEE, and they retired
to New York GtyttO consult with their
friends.
If they had cherished one spark of patriot
ic feeling they would not have hesitated an
instant. Mr.. Lincoln asked nothing of them
but what every opposition party feels bound
to render in time of War-a negative support
of the army and navy while the war lasted.
1t was the crisis of the war. We had lost
the battle Of Charlottesville. Our assault
upon the defences of Vicksburg had been
repulsed. Lee was in Pennsylvania. The
battle Of Gettysburg was impending. And
in that hour Mr.. Pendleton rejected Mr.
Lincoln's offer, aud threw the weight of his
character and influence against the Govern
ment