Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-03-26
But whatever NAV be thought or said o

But whatever may be thought or said of
my motives or desires, have the proud
consciousness of leaving this scene of my
severe and anxious toll with clean hands,
and the satisfactory conviction that he who
can penetrate the inmost recesses of the
heart, and read its secret thoughts, will ap-
prove my purposes and acts. In the dis
charge of my executive functions, l have
invariably sought TO do equal and exact
justice to all men, however humble or ex-
a!ted. l have eschewed all sectional dis
putations, kept aloof from all party affilia-
tions, and have alike scorned numerous
threats of personal injury and violence, and
the most flattering promises of advance
ment and reward. And / ask and claim
nothing more for the part have acted than
the simple merit of having endeavored to
perform my duty. This / have done, ut
all times and upon every occasion, regard
less of the opinions of men, and utterly fear
less of consequences. Occasionally have
been forced to assume great responsibilities,
and depend solely upon my own resources
To accomplish important ends: but in all
such instances, l have carefully examined
surrounding circumstances, weighed well
the probable results, and acted upon my
own deliberate judgment: and in now re-
viewing them, am so well satisfied with
the policy uniformly pursued, that were it
to be done over again, it should not be
changed in the slightest particular.
In parting with you l can do no less
than give you few words of kindly advice,
and even of friendly warning You are
well aware that most of the troubles which
lately agitated the Territory, were OCCASION
ed by men who had no espacial interest
in its welfare. Many of them were not
even residents; whilst it is quite evident
that Others were influenced altogether in
the part they took in the disturbances by
mereenary or other personal considerations.
The great body of the actual citizens are
conservative, law-abiding, peace-loving men,
disposed rather to make sacrifices for con-
sequent peace, than to insist for their entire
rights should the general good thereby be
caused to suffer- Some of them, under
the influence of the prevailing excitement
and misguided opinions, were led TO the
commission of grieyious mistakes, but not
with the deliberate intention of doing
wrong.
A very few men, resolved upon mischief,
may keep in state of unhealthy excite
ment and involve in fearful strife an entire
community. This was demonstrated dur
ing the civil connections with which the
Territory was convulsed. While the peo-
pie generally were anxious to pursue their
peaceful callings, small combinations of
crafty, scheming, and designing men sue
ceeded, from purely selfish motives, in bring
ing upon them series of most lamentabIe
and destructive difficulties Nor are they
satisfied with the mischief already DONE
They never desired that the present peace
should be effected; nor do they intend that
it shall continue if they have the power to
prevent it. In the constant croakings of
disafected individuals in various sections,
you hear only the expressions of evil de-
sires and intentions. Watch, then, with
special, jealous and suspicious eye those
who are continually iDduIging surmises of
renewed hostiities. They are not the
friends of Kansas, and there is reason to
fear that some of them are not only the en-
emies of this Territory, but of the Union
itself. Its dissolution is their ardent wish,
and Kansas has been selected as fit place
to commence the accomplishment OF most
y,afor Vbo H.. al,
far been frustrated; but it has not been
abandoned. You are intrusted not only
with the guardianship of this Territory, but
the peace of The Union, which depends up-
on you in a greater degree than YOU NAV
at present suppose.
You should, therefore, frown down every
effort to foment discord, and especially to
array settlers from different sections of the
Union in hostility against each other All
true patriots, whether from the North or
South, the East or West, should unite to-
gether for that which is and must be regard
ed as a common cause, the preservation of
the Union; and he who shall whisper
desire for its dissolution, no matter what
may be his pretensions, or to what faction
or party he claims to belong, is unworthy
of your confidence, deserves your strongest
reprobation, and should be branded as
traitor to his country. There is voice
crying from the grave of one whose memo
ry is dearly cherished in every patriotic
heart, and let it not cry in vain. 1t tells
you that this attempt at dissolution is no
new thing; but that even a: early as the
days of our first President, it was agitated
by ambitious aspirants for place and power.
And if the appea, of still more recent
hero and patriot was needed in bis time,
how much more applicable is it now, and
in this Territory
"The possible dissolution of the Union"
he says, "has at length become an ordina-
ry and familiar subject of discussion. Has
the warning voice of Washington been for
gotten? or have designs already been form
ed to sever the Unionl Let it not be sup
posed that | impute to all of those who |
have taken an active part in these unwise
and Improbable discussions, want of pat
riotism or of public virtue. The honorable
feelings of State pride and local attach
ments, find a place in the bosoms of the
most enlightened and pure. But while
such men are conscious of their own intec-
rity and honesty of purpose, they ought
never to forget that the citizens of other
States are their political brethren; and that,
however mistaken they may be in their
views, the great body of them are equally
honest and upright with themselves. Mu-
.ual suspicious and reproaches may, in time,