Our Country Before Party

my colleague [Mr. Vallandigham] can wear, whether honestly or dishonestly, I will not say. It is claimed by him that he is honest in his couise of action. It may be that he is. Judas claimed to be honest, but he betrayed the Son of man with a kiss :—Saul, “yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,” claimed to be honest; but mankind have very generally come to the conclusion, that if these men were honest, they were honestly in the commission of a very great crime. Now, my colleague appears, as the angel of peace. On the 15th day of December, 1859, while the contest for Speaker was going on in this House, my colleague said: “Sir I am as good a Western fire eater as the very hottest member from the South.” No talk of peace then. War! war ! was the music that entertained our ears frpm the gentleman. And again he says in the same speech: The controversy in this hall has been of a character, and sentiments have been avowed, which have caused the North and South to stand arrayed in hostility against each ocher, and disunion has been threatened. I occupy between these parties a position of armed neutrality. I. am not a Northern man. I have no sympathy with the North, and very little good feeling with the North, and I am bound to it by no tie whatever. But I am bound to the South; I am identified with the South and her slave institution, and at this particular time, when she is in the midst of insurrection and murder, and when she is threatened ■with the torch of the incendiary, and has the knife of the assassin suspended over her, 1 am with her, heart and soul. . Mr. Vallandigham. Do I understand my colleague to quote that as an extract from a speech delivered by me in this House ? Mr. Blake. I do, sir, from a speech delivered by you in this House, and as reported in the New York Herald. I have the Herald now before me. Mr. Vallandigham. It is not true. It is taken from the false report of a newspaper, sent out from this House. It was never delivered in the House and is not in the Globe. Mr. Blake. The gentleman is entitled to his denial; but I know that the speech was reported correctly, I heard it delivered. Mr. Vallandigham. Well, take the Globe, I will furnish it to you now. Mr. Blalil Keep cool till I get through, I have but just commenced. Mr. Vall 'Niugham. I will not keep cool when a falsehood like that । — ■ to be palmed off as true, and a forgery too. Mi. Kl It is not the first time the ‘G _ own speech. I have the spe ^ h as published in the New York Herald at the time, before me. The speech was withheld by the gentleman for several days after it was delivered, for revision, and in the revised copy as it appears in the Globe, it is true, that the language is not precisely the same in all parts of the speech as that taken down at the time by the Herald reporter, but it is substantially tne same in sentiment; and the language the gentleman then used, as reported in the Herald, but expressed the sentiments that have guided his action ever since the rebellion began. Actions speak louder than words Mi. Val^ndigham. One moment. The speech was prepared before and was published substantially as prepared.

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