Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-06-19
A Dirty Lie Quickly Nailed.

In the Ohio Democratic State Conven-
ton Gen. James B. Steedman undertook
to claim the credit of putting down the
rebellion for Democrats alone. He made
the following statement:
''I make another statement here to-day,
and there are living witnesses in the
State of Ohio who was present when Mr..
Lincoln made the utterance. The first
time ever saw him was after the battle
of Chickamauga, when was ordered by
telegraph to report in person to him. I
went up and called upon him with Coy.
james H. Ashley, who is living and heard
the conversation. Mr.. Lincoln took me
by the hand, and, greeting me warmly,
he told me he was glad to see me. Still
holding me by the hand he said to AEr.
Ashley:
g Brother Ashley. what would have
become of us in this war, if it had not
been for the fighting Democrats of the
Northwest?' [Applause.l j ~
'FMr. Ashley, with shrug of the
shoulder, said: We'll, Mr.. Lincoln,
don't know
'fWhen Mr.. Lincoln replied 1Onrre-
bellious friends would have had their fiae.
floating at the capitol. slr.' He said. the
truth is, Brother Ashley, that our partV
is made up, to some extent, Of the relie-
ious and sympathetic element, and they
don t make first class soldiers
at is high time, fellow Democrats, that
the Democrats in this country assert their
claims-their right to hill share in the
honor and glory of the success of our
arms in the late war of the REBELLION
When we read that statement we felt
confident that President Lincoln never
made any such remark about the mem-
bers of his own party, and we felt sure
that the proof would soon come forth that
he did not, but we hardly expected Jim
Steedman would furnish the proof HIM
self, but he does nevertheless. The To-
ledo Commercial in speaking of this mat
ter, after quoting Steedman's statement
as given above, says:
ga portion of this story has long been
familiar in this section; but it is now in
vested with new features, evidently pro-
vided for the occasion. About the time
of the alleged interview with President
Lincoln (the fall of 1864, as we are in
! formed, Gen. Steedman reported the same
substantially as follows:
GAS we rose to leave, the President, adj
dressing Mr.. Ashley, said: What would
we have done in this struggle but tor the
! helpof the loyal Democrats p
'sI awaited with interest and curiosity
Mr.. Ashley's answer, well-knowing what
mine, under like circumstances, would
have been. He made an Indifferent reply
to the effect that many Democrats had
done good service.' What 1 would have
said, and what 1 expected Ashley to say,
was: Had it not been for disloyal Demo-
Gratis we would have had no war.'''
This latter is Steedman' s version of the
matter, made shortly after the remark of
Mr.. Lincoln was made, and while it was
fresh in his mind, and is undoubtedly
correct.-MartoR Independent.
1t is trite old saying, that ttcircum-
stances alter cases. and in no case per-
haps, is the truth of this saying more full
Iy vindicated than in the case of General
Steedman, as given above. We would re-
mind our friend of the Independent that
the latter statement was made by General
Steedman when he was fighting Repub-
Iican General, but the former statement
was made by him when he had become
carpet-bagging Democrat, and that it was
made under a state of Democratic de-
moralization, with the hope of boosting
Democrats into Office who could, like HIM
self, turn their backs on their war record ,
and joined with Confederate generals in
Congress, areJending their influence 10
disarm, by legislation, the President OF
the United States OF the power to protect
the Government from destruction by its
enemies.