Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-08-02
A. PLANTS. EDITOR.
Party Nominations Again.

We have heretofore given 1t as OUT
decided opinion, that IN the present crit
zeal condition of our country, partisan
warfare should cease While we believe
- firmly as we believe in our existence.
that our present troubles were brought
upon us BY the mad ambition Of reckless
party leaders, yet we do not, and n aver
have believed, that the masses of any
parity really intended harm to the coun-
try And while it is true, that in all
the armies Of the rebel leaders, and in
all the ranks of their open and secret
svsurathiscrs there is NOT one solitary Re.
pu9ieaai We believe it is equally true,
that the great mass Of our Democratic
fellow -citizens. In the Free 4Siuies, still
stand by the Constitution and the hae
of thoir country. 1t cannot be denied
hesever. that party prejudice, and party
associations, have very great influence
over us all. even when we are uncon
seious of its power, and honestly en-
deavor to guard against it. We say this
IN the full conviction Of its truth; for
We have ourselves said many things in
which others have seen a bitterness not
perceived by US at tho time.
Our country is now in the throes of Il
life and death struggle for its very ex-
istence. Its salvation, with all that
makes life desirable, depends upon the
issue of the struggle. And that again
depends upon the unity with which the
people of the loyal States support the
Government in its efforts to put down
the rebellion In This contest there are
but two sides. Whoever is not openly,
actively, earnestly with the Government,
is necessarily against it. 1t is not nee
essary that a man should take up arms
against his country in order to give aid
aud comfort to its enemies. Whoever
aims to weaken the confidence of the
people in the Observation-Disclosures at
tempts, for personal or party purposes,
so<di,ide the people in the face of the
enemy, is, so far, an ally and accomplicc
of that enemy.
1t happens that the Administration
owes its election to the Republicans
Naturally enough, therefore, when the
dagger is aimed at the heart Of the coun-
try through the bosom of that Admin
istration, all Republicans, by party, as
well as patriotic instincts, rise up as one
man for its defense We do not. in this,
claim that they are more patriotic than
their Democratic fellow citizens, but cir
cumstances have put them in position
where their patriotism and party feel
ings perfectly coincide, and make it not
only easy to be patriotic, but impossible
to he anything else. It is not so with
the Democrats. Lincoln was elected
against their most determined opposi-
tien., All their party feelings and preju-
diees were aroused to the utmost. They
cannot sustain the Constitution and the
Union without seeming to sustain the
Administration in whose hands the Con-
stitution has placed the Government for
the TIME being. And, hence, with our
Democratic friends, party and patriot
ism do not seem to harmonic as in the
case of the Republicans. And We are
happy to believe that, with the great
mass of them in Ohio, patriotism has
lcen strong enough TO overcome the par
tisan. And in this they deserve double
credit, and should be treated with gen
erous confidence
We believe we have been too unchar-
liable to our Democratic friends by not
placing ourselves in their position. Let
us reverse the scene: Suppose the Dem
ocrats had elected their President with
the aid of Ohio. And then suppose
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mas
sachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New York, New Jersey and Pennsylya
MIA had voted for the Republicans, and,
refusing to submit to the Democratic
Administration, had taken up arms to
divide the Union. Then suppose, fur
ther, that the Democratic Administra
tion should call upon US all to aid in
putting down the revolt, we, as Repub
licans, would probably feel somewhat
differently than We do in our present po
sition. 1t must be remembered that the
Democrats have looked upon Davis, and
Stephens, and Toouibs, and Hunter, and
Mason, and Wise, and Benjamin, and
Floyd, and Cobb, and Beauregard, and
all the leaders of the rebellion, precisely
as We have looked upon Seward, and
Chase, and Sumner, and Wilson, and
Collamer, and Scott, and the hosts Of
statesmen whom ace have delighted to
honor. Now, if it were these men whom
a Democratic Administration were try
ing to crush out, and re were called upon
to help do it, it would try our patriotism
Us that of our Democratic friends in
Ohio are being tried. And then, if to
all this were added the influence of the
Cincinnati Gazette, Ohio State Journal,
and nearly all the leading Republican
papers, adding fame to party prejudice,
and giving all the aid they dare to the
rebel cause, and appealing to our pas
sions as partisans to put down the Ad-
minisfration. and we rose superior to it