4 be conscripted to carry on this war for two years more, and for the negro ? [Tremendous outbursts. Yells, cheers. Cries of ‘No, never.’ ‘Let them try it’ ‘See them d—d first’ ‘We defy them.’ ”] This, sir, is a bold declaration of treason against the Government, which ought to bring the blush of shame to the cheek of every American citizen. Sir, can it be possible that this is the American Congress, and that a man, who utters such sentiments at this time of national peril, is permitted to hold a seat here ? This, sir, is the way the rebels are encouraged to fight and protract the contest. But for such speeches, and the aid and support thb rebels have received from th* sympathisers, the war would now be at an end. The Richmond Dispatch, the organ of Jeff Davis, of February 20th, referring to this speech of my colleague, says: “This speech looks something like a ‘lucid interval’ in the Northern mind. Their army will be 300,000 only in June. Let us keep ours up to 500,000 and dictate peace at Washington or Alexandria. The Constitution declares that treason against the United States “shall consist in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort?' If this is not giving the enemies of our country “aid and comfortf I would like to know what is ? This is its natural result, and therefore, it should be regarded as treasonable by every honest man in the nation. Sir, in this same Newark speech, my colleague [Mr.^yALLANDiGHAM] said : “I remember that it was in the city of Newark, a little more than two years ago, that I first gave the pledge to any portion of the people of the United Slate's that I never would contribute, by iny words or acts, to the shedding of one drop of American blood in a civil war. (Great applause.) . How far and consistently I have kept that pledge, let you—a part of my countrymen— determine.” I have endeavored to defend the consistency of my colleague, from the commencement of this war; but there.is one pledge which my colleague gave about the time to which he refers in his Newark speech, that he has not redeemed. I refer to a meeting of the Ohio delegation in this city, called for the purpose of forming a union of all parties against the rebellion. At that meeting, my colleague [Mr. Vallandigham] declared, “that if any attempt was made tomarch, troops through his district for the purpose of coercing the South, they would have to march over his dead body before they could go through the district?' Sir, troops have marched through his district for the purpose of coercing the rebels, and they found nothing of the dead body of my colleague. Mr. Vallandigham. That is false, and tho knows it is false when he utters it. Mr. Blake. On that point I will send to the Clerk’s desk a letter to be read, and the statement of several members of Congress who were present at the meeting. The Clerk read as follows : Letter from the Hon. T O. Theaker. Washington, June 2d, 1862, Hon. S. Edgerton, Sir; I was present at a meeting of the Ohio members of Congress called by the Hon. Thomas Corwin, for the purpose of giving a united, expression against the doctrine of secession, and in favor of all loyal men uniting to put d°wn the rebellion. Said meeting was in the month of December, 1860, or the montn of January following. The Hon. C. L. Vallandigham was present at that meet-
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