Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-05-16

10 this point; viz: has the policy OF the govern
ment been such as TO tend to provoke hostilities
and TO widen the BREACH or has IL been a peace
policy Has it been in the spirit Of that part of the
text which says ~ am tor pedce2 Has the gov
crnment since the outbreak Of the present Difficult.
ties, manifested that magnanimity and spirit
OF concaton and exercised that forbcarance
towards her revolted subjects which became an
enlightened and christian nation in the hope of
bringing them back to aegiance7 We believe
| she has.
| We believe that if there ever Is time in the
administration of Il government when fofbearance
ceases to be a virtue, and when 1t should arise in
its might and assert the majesty of constitutional
authority over mobOcracy aud qucll the tide of
rebellion and treachery, that time has now come
in our national history.
1t Is not weakness, but true greatness and no
bleness in a government, especially a great pow
erful and christian government like ours, to
manifest q spirit OF concillation and exercise
forbearance towards her disoyal subjects in the
hope of saving the country from the horrors of
civil war and of winning them back to allegiance
to her authority Such a spirit we believe the
government has manifested until forbearance is
no longer a virtue, and in degree that may well
command the admiration of the world, and in a
degree too. that demonstrates the righteousness of
her cause now that she ARISES to vindicate her
authority and to crush out rebellion that runs
rampant over portion Of her domain.
We believe that the government has acted from
the outbreak of our national difficulties up to the
present time and is still acting in tie spirit and
up to the letter of that part OF the text which says
1 am for peace We believe, too, that those of
our brethren in the south who now in rebel
lion against the governments have acted and are
still acting in the spirtand up to the letter of that
part of the text which says they are for udr.
And need hardly 90 back beyond the outbreak
of the preselN troubles to inquire whether those
who have assumed the attitude of rebel against
the authority of the government, have had griev
ances provoking tbem to acts of hostility. This
may be assuped as true. For it is hardly sup
posable that so large combination of men, men
of intelligence and enlightened judgment and who
have shared go largely in the benefits and EN-.
oluments Of the government should assume such
an attitude without any grievances provoking
them thereto
But granting, in the exercise of that charity
which thinke th no evil, that they have had such
grievances, never, even il their grievances had
been ten fold worse, could their mode of obtaining
redress be justifabe, until all other modes of re-
dress had been exhausted.
Had their grievances been no longer toerablc,
and had they sought redress in n constitutional
way unit all constitutional means were exhausted,
and'after all had failed then they might have cho-
sen between quiet submission and open revolution.
The right of revolution under grievances no
longer toerable and when all constitutional means
of obtaining redress have been exhausted, and
: more tolerabe than those connected with longer
submission, and the greatest good to the greatest
number of the governed would be more ceartan "
attanable by revolution than by submission; the
right of revolutions, under circumstances like
these, we cannot deny, unless would repudiate
:, our own past history and reflect upon the wisdom
and patriotism of the trainers of our government.
Here, then, we raise the inquiry have those whr
= are now in rebellion against the government
leaving them to be the judges of heir real ol
supposed grievances, exhausted all means of oh.
tanning redress in accordance with the provisions
of the constitution under which they have lived
We believe they have not. But. instead of
this, they have thrown off their allegiance to the
government, defed her authority, and insulted
r her flag And then, when the government has
manifested generous forbearauce in the face of
the insults, instead Of taking this forbearancc
an omen of better counses in her halls of iuris-
, dcon, they have commenced hostties against
her and now threaten to plant the flag of tie
confederate states upon our national capitol.
Agan, then, we ask, what has been the policy
, of the government towards her dlsloyal and re-
! voed subjects since the outbreak Of the present
difculties2 We repeat the answer; it has been
; peaceable, concliatory. She has manifested a
t magnanmity and exercised spirit of forbearance
I which is perhaps without parallel in the history
of nations. She has said and still says am for
: peace A government, great and powerful as ours
is, can well afford to exercise a reasonable for
bearance towards her dsafected subjects in the
s hope of Cancellation and peaceful adjustment
} of existing difficulties. She knows too well the
l value of peace, to be rash in precipitating the
9 country into the horrors of civil war.
. She loves peace. Her growing interests re-
< qure peace And she has manifested that mag
+ nanimity and forbearance which became great,
: enlightened and chri stan nation, not because she
5 wanted the power to vindicate her authority, and
$ to assert the magesty of law over anarchy and
. cpiIu siDn but bpcausa Shn lpUps and hpt
e great and growing interests require it, and be-
n cause by conciliatory measures she had hoped to
S avert the calamity of intestine war, and by a
: generous forbearance to win allegiance to hel
: authority. The government has said in her acts
= since the commencement of the present troubles
and in all cases in which, ina spirit of iorbearance
e shehas refrNined from acting, l am for peace Blu
: her voice has not been heard above the clamol
n OF disorder and the din of anarchy and confusion
The olive branch of peace, so long held out, has
il as long been refused by an infuriated people in
4. tent upon subvcrng the best government upoI
h which the sun shone. The golden sceptre ha'
|. been extended, only to be nsulted and outraged
1t by those who were invited to touch it and live
j. And though they have been nourshed and fos
. tered under TIE ample foliage of the ] rec o
n Liberty had have enjoyed the guardianship an'
/. protection of the government and Constitution o
ID the United States in common with ourselves, yet
= with a viruience and rancor equaled only by tn
d scorpion which fasrens it's deadly fangs in TIL
r. hand that caresses it, the enemies of our peace
d now seek to sap the very foundation of that gov
G ernment to which, under God, they are indebted
q for all that has given them safety and honoreC
Q respect abroad They have said and they still
Is say, they are for mar
G 1t is needless TO consume time in proving
d truth so papable as this. Have they not by
d series of the most daring outrages insulted thu
n Government Have they not thrown off he
S authority, defed her power, seized fortlhcation
n and arsenals with all their munitions of war TO
It the purpose of using them against her. and re
m pea,edly trampled her flag beneath their feet ?
If Have they not assumed the responsibility o
Al commencing hostities against her, attacking on
IS of her Forts, where gallant and patriotic ban
"a was wholly inadequate to cope with so formidable
=. foe, and murdered her citizens while marching
nj ON her own soil to defend the National Capitol
q, Aye, they have been Tor war, war upon the Gov
70 ernment, war upon the Constitution and the Un
If ion, war upon all that we have been accustome
to cherish and to hold as dear.
O. And "hey are for nar" still. Every day
mr. news brings us fresh and startling intelligence Q
~ deeds of war, of ontraPes perpetrated upon per
es sons or property belonging to the Government
cy ard of active preparations being made to mare
: upon the Federal Capitol. And until the publ
no property which has been forciby seized or reacl
mt erously surrendered, is returned, and indennhcG
ce ton made for losses that have been sustained
and until every diSunonist and secessionlst owr
nd that We have n Government and declares all'
ch glance to her. we must believe they are for par.
ow They have been and still are for war
no The Government has been and still is for peac