Evening star., 1886-06-08
TALK ABOUT TREASON.

TALK ABOUT TREASON.
Representative WheeleF's Speech on
Edwin NJ. Stanton, which Mr. Kelley
Wants Expunged from the Record.
During a debate in tho House on the army ap-
preparation bill, May 2sth last, Mr.. Wheeler, OF
Alabama who was q famous confederate cav
airy leader during the war, spoke Of Edwin NJ.
Stanton as an "arch-consprator." Mr.. Hep
| burn, Of Iowa, retorted that it was only by the
clemency OF Stanton and others that the halter
which he (Whee1er) had won was taken froil
his neck. Last Friday night the House held its
usual weekly session for the consideration of
private pension bills. At haltpast 10 o'clock,
permission having been granted him the week
before, MIR. heeler took the floor and delivered
another speech, continuing for more than an
hour, assailing the character of Mr.. Stanton.
In revising for the Congressional Record his re-
marks made on the former occasion Mr..
Wheeler omitted the expression which had
called out the reply OF Mr.. Hepburn. The omis-
sion was noticed the next day, and Mr.. Brumm,
OF PENNSYLVANIA, insisting that the words be re-
stored, it was so ordered by the Speaker.
In his Friday night speech, beginning with
Mr.. Stanton s appointment as Attorney General
In Mr.. Buchanans cabinet Mr.. Wheeler re-
viewed In detail his official acts preceding du-
ring and Immediately following the war,
charging him repeatedly with conspiring to
overthrow men who were true to the govern
ment. "Who were the proposed Victims" he
said, "whom Mr.. Stanton sought to thus drag
down and ruin? They were James Buchanan,
jeremiah s. Black, John A. Dix, Joseph Holt,
Isaac TOucey and Horatio King. These gentle
voted and true to tho Union, and were earnest
ana untiring in their efforts to preserve the
Union in Its integrity. in peace. unity and con-
cord. No one can point to an act OF any of these
gentlemen that showed aught but devotion TO
the Union not even Edwin NJ Stanton himself
You will search history in vain for an instance
of superior dexterity in outwitting and ensna-
ring political opponents. Compared with the
artificer OF this matchless device, Fouche, Tai
1our nd Mnv nrin Pinh md nv-al
were tyroS and bunglerS.'
Mr.. Wheeler said the conclusion was una
vOidable that Stanton maintained secret and
confidential relations with secessionists, whose
secrets he disclosed and used. He charged
Stanton with betraying the Cabinet secrets of
both the Buchanan and Lincoln administers
| tions. In fact, he went through the entire list
| of charges that have been made against Mr..
Stanton time and again during the past twenty
| years. Several times he was interrupted with
| questions by Gallinger. OF New Hampshire;
Grant OF Vermont; Brnmm, OF Pennsylvania,
and Hepburn OF Iowa. which he declined to an
! swer. saying he had not time to discuss extra
| neous matters.
In the course of his speech Mr.. Wheeler said:
The gentleman from Iowa says we live to-day
because Stanton among others was willing that
| we might live. Let me ask the gentleman
when It was that such an idea grew in his mind
| and actuated the emotions of his heart? And
let me ask him when it was that he acquired
! this taste for talking about hanging gentlemen
And let me ask him further if this desire has
festered in his heart for twenty-one years?
MIR. Hepburn.-Did say anything of that
kind?
| Mr.. Wheeler-You said that owed my life
| to MIR. stanton and that had won a halter.
Mr.. Hepburn.-Hadn'ty you won it?
Mr.. Wheeler.--No, sir, never won a halter.
fought hOnorably and fairly.
Mr.. Hepburn.-How do you define treason?
Mr.. Wheeler-NO brave soldier who ever met
| me in battle has ever since treated me with
| anything except kindness and courtesy. Not
one OF them has ever whispered treason" Gen.
Grant and the brave officers and men OF his
army never spoke of treason" to Gen. Lee or
his men. Gen. Sherman and his brave officers
never talked OF treason" to the armies they
| Mr.. Hepburn-I ask you how do you define
treason?
Mr.. Wheeler-I deny that any man in this
MIR. Hepburn-Is not levying war against the
United States and adhering to its enemies a
proper definition of treason?
MIR. Wheeer-There is no use of discussing
constitutional questions now. The terms upon
which the confederate army surrendered all
| Mr.. Hepburn-Is that not the definition of
treason? Had not you levied war against the
United States? Had not you adhered TO it's
enemies? Did you not give them aid and COM
| fort?
MIR. Wheeler.-The gentleman is honorable,
and all honorable men speak the truth, aud
certainly he has not made this statement about
Mr. stanton without good grounds for believing
IT TO be the truth. Let me ask him, then, was
he one OF those who conferred with Mr.. Stanton
about putting halterS around the necks OF gen.
tlemen who are now his colleagues on this floor?
II not, will he kindly give his authority Tor his
most remarkable assertion? Let me tell him
that, whether he desired to enact the role OF
hangman himself or only desired it enacted, or
perchance only desired talking about Others
! enacting this role, he will find that neither
those VINO have been employed to hang their
fellow-countrymen for opinion sake or Tor po-
litical offenses, nor their coadjutOrs. their
applauders, are giorifed in history; that neither
the judge nor the jurors in a bloody assiZe for
political opinions were ever remembered ex-
cept with detestation.