Year: 1879

FRANKLIN VALLEY. May 20, 1879.


Senator Chandler is the noblest of them
all. Last week we published his last
speech, as we found it in the telegraph
report in the daily papers. Senator
Chandler has since sent US the speech,
with the following additional:


The following, the Senate being as in
Committee of the Whole, and having un-
der consideration the bill (H R. No p
making appropriations for thelegislative,
executive and judicial expenses of the
| Government for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1880, and for other purposes


Mr.. Hill. of Georgia, during his re-
marks, read the following letter:


WASHINGTON, February II, 1861.


MY DEAR GOVERNOR: Governor Bing-
ham and myself telegraphed to you on
| Saturday at the request of Massachusetts,
and New York to send delegates to the
| peace or compromise congress. They ad
| NIT that we were right and they were
wrong; that no Republican State should
have sent delegates but they are here
/ and cannot get away. Ohio, Indiana,
and Rhode Island are caving in, and
there is danger of Illinois, and now they
beg US, for Gods sake, to come to their
rescue and save the Republican party
from rupture. hope you will send stiff
backed men or none. The whole thing
gotten up against my judgment, and will
end in thin smoke. Still l hope, as
matter of courtesy to some of our erring
brethr rem, that you will send the delegate.


Truly, your friend,


q. CHANDLER


His Excellency Austin Blair


P. S. Some of the manufacturing
States think that a fight would be awful.
Without little bloodletting this Union
will not, in my estimation, be worth
rush.


Sir, (said Mr.. Hill,) l was standing at
the door of my hotel in Montgomery
when that letter was put in my hands. l
was looking to see the prospects from
this peace conference. l do not wish to
do anybody injustice. l do not know
the gentleman who wrote that letter. 1t
is only one of many, and it showed pur-
pose on the part of the Republican party
to defeat all efforts at peace, peaceful
adjustment. / said to friend standing
by me, this is terrible; it is sad. If the |
leading Republicans seek to defeat the
purpose of Virginia in this peace conven
ton it will fail; but, if war shall come, |
predict now those men who are so anx !
ious to let blood for the Union will never |
let any Of their own blood; they are anx-
ious to let olher peoples blood" That |
is what | said then. l do not know |
whether it came true or not. Did II |
Chandler" let any of his blood2 l said |
more. | said, 81 will venture that these
men at the North, who are so clamorous
TO defeat this peace movement will not
only not go into the war, but they will |
seek easy places and make money during |
the whole time it lasts" | do not know |
whether any of them did it or not. |
will not say they did. l am merely stat |
ing fact of history.


Mr.. Chandler took the floor after Mr.. |
Hill had concluded, and said: Mr. Pres
ident this is the fourth time since 1861 |
that allusion has been made to a letter
written by me to the Governor of the
State of Michigan; first it appeared in a
newspaper published in Detroit, copy
Of which was sent to me and copy was
likewise sent to the late Senator Powell.
The letter was private note written to
the Governor and no copy retained Sen
ator Powell approached me with his copy
of the letter and asked me if it was
correct copy. l told him l did not know;
l had written TO the Governor of Michi-
gan a private note and had kept no copy
and could not say whether this was cor
rect or not. He told me that if it was
correct copy he would wish to make use
of it, and if it was not, he did not propose
to make use of it. l said, "Sir, will
adopt it, and you may make any use of
it you please" So to-day that is my let
ter. If not originally written by me. it
is mine by adoption.


And Mr. President what were tho
circumstances under which that letter
was written? l had been in this body
then nearly four years listening to trea
son day by day and hour by hour. The
threat, the universal threat daily, hourly,
was, DO this or we will dissolve the
Union; if you do not do that we will dis
solve the Union" Treason was in the
White House, treason was in the Cabi-
net, treason was in the Senate, and trea.
son in the House of Representatives;
bold, outspoken, rampant treason was
daily and hourly uttered The threat
was made upon this floor in my presence
by Senator, You may give US blank
sheet OF paper and let us fill it up as we
please, and then we will not live with
you" And another Senator stood here
beside that Senator from Texas, and said,
II stand by the Senator from Texas"
Treason was applauded in the galleries
of this body, and treason was talked on
the streets. in the street cars, in private
circles; everywhere it was treason-trea-
son in your departments. traitors in the
White House, traitors around these gal
leries, traitors everywhere.


The flag of the rebellion had been
raised; the Union was already dissolved,
we were told; the rebel government was
already established with its capital in
| Alabama "and now we will negotiate
with you" was said to US. Upon what
basis would you negotiate? Upon hat
basis did you call your peace convention?
With rampant rebellion staring US in the
face. Sir. it was no time to negotiate
The time for negotiation was past. We
had offered everything we could in the
way OF negotiation, everything in the
way of compromise, and all our proffers
had been Indignantly refused.


Sir, this was the condition of affairs
when that letter was written; and after
Mr. Powell had made his assault upon
me in this body for it, l instantly re-
spouded, relating what l have related