The National tribune., 1886-06-17
TALK ABOUT TREASON
And Judge Kelley'S Defense of Edwin
NJ. Stanton Against the Assaults of
the Rebel Gen. Wheeler.

the Rebel Gen. Wheeler.
During debate in the House May %, on the
Army appropriation bill, Mr.. Wheeler, Of Ala
bama, the famous Confederate cavalry leader
during the war, went ont of his way TO attack
Edwin NJ. Stanton, and spoke of him as an
"arch-conspiratOr." For this he was, at the
time, rebuked in singing terms by Mr.. Hep
burn, OF Iowa, who said it was only by the
clemency of Stanton and others that the halter
which he (Wheeler) had won was l0osened from
his neck. In revising his remarks for the Con-
gresSiOlaI Record Mr. Wheeler carefully omitted
the expression which had called out the scath-
ing reply of Mr.. Hepburn. The omission was
noticed the next day, and Mr.. Brumm, of Penn
sylyania, insisting that the words be restored,
it was so ordered by the Speaker.
On Friday night June 4, the House held its
usual weekly session for the consideration Of
private pension bills. At I0:30 o'clock, permits
sion having been granted him the week previ-
ous, Mr.. Wheeler took the floor and deli yered a
most uncalled for aud imtemperate speech, con-
tinuing for more than an hour, assailing the
character of Mr.. Stanton in ven0mOus Dlan-
ner Ii was wholly gratuitous, having no rele-
vancy to any matter that is or has been before
Congress during the session. Beginning with
StantOn's appointment as Attorney-GeneTal IN
viewed in detail his official acts preceding, dur
ing and Immediately following the war, charg-
ing him repeatedly with cOnspiEing to over
throw men who were true TO the Government.
WHO were the proposed victims" he said,
whom Mr.. Stanton sought to thus drag down
and ruinY They We're James Buchanan, Jere-
miah s. Black. John A. Dix, Joseph Holt, Isaac
TOucey and HOratio King. These gentlemen
We're devoted and true to the country, devoted
and true to the Union, and were earnest and
untirIng In their efforts to preserve the Union
IN Its integrity, in peace unity and concord.
No one can point to an act by any of these gen.
/ tlemen 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 outwittng and ensnar-
ing political opponents. Compared With Stan
/ ton, the aTtiticer OF this natchless device,
Fouche, Talleyrand, Mazarin, Richelieu and
Machisvelli were tyros and bunglers."
Mr. Wheeler said the conclusion was una
vodabe that Stanton maintained secret and
confidential relations with SecessiOnists, whose
/ secrets he disclosed aud used. He charged Stan
| ton with betraying the Cabinet secrets Of both
the Buchanan aud Lincoln administrations. In
fact, he went through the entire list of charges
! that have been made against Mr. Stanton time
and again during the past 20 years. Several
times he was interrupted with pungent ques-
tons by Gallinger, of New Hampshire; GrOut,
/ Hepburn, OF Iowa. Many OF these he evaded,
declaring that he had not time to discuss ex-
! tTane0us matters.
WHAT is TREAsoN2
The spirited colloquy that occurred dur
ing this heartless and cruel speech was the fol-
| lowing:
Mr.. WheeIer-The gentleman from Iowa says we
/ live to-day because stanton. among others.
willing that we might live Let me ask the gentle
man win M rpil lea in
mind and actuated the emotiOnz OF his heart? And
/ let me ask him when u wts that he acquired this
now his iellow-menibers OF Congress? And let me
ask him further II tnis desire has festered IN his
/ heart for q years.
] Mr. Hepburn-Did say anything OF that kindY
Mr.. Whecer-You said that 1 owed my life to
4 Mr. stanton and that bad won a halter.
Mr.. Hepburn-Fiadut you won II?
DIR. Wheeler-No, sir. never a halter.
/ fought honOrably aud fairly.
Mr.. Hepburn-iiow do you define treason?
] Dir. Mheelcr-No brave soldier who eyeT met me
in battle has ever since treated with anything
except kindness aud courtesy. Not one Of them
has ever whispered treason Gen. Grant and
the brave officers and men Of his army spoke
\ Of = treason 10 Gen. Ice or his men. Gen Sher!
man and his brave o!irrrs never talked Of tTezl
/ son . 10 tie armies thcr finally Overcame.
Mr.. Hepburn Ask you how do you define trea-
4 son? -
Mr.. wheeler-I deny that any man in this Con-
gress was ever guilty Of treason.
/ Mr.. Hepburn-is not levyng against the
United States and adheTing to its enemies proper
/ definition Of treasong
Mr. Wheeler-Thcro - 20 use Of discussing con-
st,uti0nai questions now. Ihe terms upon which
/ the Confederate army surrendered all that
Mr.. Hepbum-Is that not the definition Of trea-
/ son? Had not yOu levied war against the United
staies2 Had not you adhered to lis enemies? Did
you not give them aid and comfort?
Mr. Whesler-The gentleman Is honorable. and
al honorable men speak the truth and certainly he
has not made this statement about Mr. Stanton
without good grounds for believing it to be truth.
Let me ask bim. then, was he one Of those who
conferred with Mr. Stanton about putting hallers
around the nec<s of gentlemen who are now his
/ colleagues on this nODFg II not, will De kindly
/ give hls authority for his most remarkable asser-
ton2 Let me tell him that whether he desired to
enact the role Of hanginnn himself or only desired
il enacted. perchance only desired talking about
others enactnG this roll he viii iSd that neither
those vino have been employed 70 hang their elbow
eounirymen for opinions sake or FOR political Of
lenses, nor their conductors nor their applauders
are gloriiied Ia history that neither the Judge nor
the jurors ia bloody asize for political opinions
| were remembered except with detestaiiOn.
Mr Wheeler's speech was listened to by
not more than dozen members, but when it
appeared in the Record it created decided SEN
sation. People
READ 1T WITH AsToNIsHsrEST.
Promptly at the opening Of Congress on the
/ following Monday Hon. VIM. ID. Kelley, of
/ Pennsylvania, arose aud moved that the entire
/ speech be expunged from the Record and
omitted from the stereotyped copies printed for
1 preservation. lie was proceeding 10 express his
dDAOEEGNCc OF tue 5tNAlultul5 EuutAlneQ IN tlG
speech when his attention was called to the fact
that Mr. Wheeler was not present, and he
thereupOn allowed the matter 10 lie over Civ
ing notice that he would call il up on the FOL.
lowing day.
The most dramatic and striking scene In
Congress during this session was witnessed by a
full House and galleries on Thursday, when
the venerable Judge Kelley, weak with age
aud tTemniOus with emotion, arose 10 defend
the character Of his dead friend Edwin VI.
Stanton, in reply 10 the venomous assault OF
Gen. Wheeler. The latter, whatever else he
may be- is not a coward. Having had notice
that the Father of the House was to
MOVE UPON HIS WORKS
he was on hand early, bustling around with
the air Of one who expected TO have on his
hands IS much business rs he could attend to-
An hoar later this expectation was fully real
lied Judge Kelley came in immediately after
the prayer aud took bis accustomed seat. He
laid upon his desk several books and papers for
reference during bis speech.
After the journal had been read Mr. Hcnder-
son, of Iowa, arose lie is Scotchman by
birth. When the war broke out there were
three Henderson brothers living in Iowa. They
all volunteered in 1861. One was killed al
COrlnth, another was made a helpless invalid
from wounds aud disease and the third David
b., now in Congress, lost one Of his legs in bat.
tie. He is one Of the most stalwart of Repub-
licans, and there is.n0t in either House a more
vigorous denOuneer of treason or rebellion in
every form. Henderson called attention to a re-
-