Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-09-11
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE.

concerns involved in what may with truth be
termed q struggle for our national existence.
Believe me when 1 assure you I fully appre-
eiate the vast responsibility attached to the no.
sition Of Chief Magistrate Of our State at this
critical period in its affairs. and duly sensible
of my own dement's, and were it not that re-
" upon FOUR generous forbearanee / should
hesitate to accept what your distinguished i'm
Partially with such unparalleled unanimity
has assigned me.
Without goinng into q discussion Of the cir
eumstanees and events which have brought g.
bout the present alarming and unhappy con-
dition of our national nffairs,-as these must
now be apparent to ALL will content myself
by saying that the issue presented to US a. q
people in the sanguinary struggle forced upon
Us by the ambitious and designing leaders of
the Southern rebellion, is, that Of mans eapae-
ity for self-government. The whole Question
TO be tried and seLtlSd-settled in such a uay
that nothing in human power can ever disturb
or change it again, is then, whether man is
capable Of governing himself" Should it not
be shown when every resource and sacrifice
has been made-And l would exhaust every
means in our power hBt ere yielding, then in
order that we might have our rights protected
and our liberties preserved in some degree ap-
preaching the perfection Of our hitherto sup
posed r~mpregnable system of free government,
would consent to be taken under the protee-
ton of our once so called Mother Country or of
any other power capable of maintaining for US
the respect of the nations Of the globe.
That we shall eventually succeed in settling
this ~question to the satisfaction of all the world
beyond the hitherto expressed doubts and sus-
piciOns of foreign potentates. statesmen and
presses, / have not the remotest doubt, but that
we shall be required 10 exercise all Of those
higher attributes of which man is capable, pa
tient and persevering purpose, inhexible will,
mistaken fortitude and unshrinking courage
the already written experience Of the past few
months has indicated. And it is the source Of
the heartiest congratulation that we can already
point to the brave deeds and daring and glori-
Gus actions of our noble volunteers thus early,
and feel within our hearts, that the number of
these invineible soldiers has only to be in
creased and their welfare and comfort consid-
cred and cared for to the utmost of our resour-
ees, to have abundant evidence Of the success
which though it may be temporarily interrupt
ed must eventually perch upon our banners.
1t is the duty Of every nan who can bear
arms ct this j~uneture, imperative necessity a.
lone preVentIng,-when his efforts should be
given in another direction towards strengthen
ing the cause and aiding the GoYernment,-to
rally to the standard Of his country and be
counted among the heroes of the greatest as it
will be the most extraordinary revolution since
the world began. The struggle Of our anees-
tors was for self government. our struggle is to
maintain it, and under the blessing of the
same God who smiled upon Washington and
his bare-footed and half starved comrades, ue
HiH do II!
Those who cannot aid the cause in the field
may yet do much while %pursueing their Ordi-
nary ayoeations; the sinews of war are needed
and these they may help to contribute, every
man as far as his means will warrant, and
there should scarcely be a limit to this, when
1t is considered that if our government IS de-
stroyed, property will have lost whatever val
ne free institutions and enlightened laws con-
ferred. In this view, the national loan, bas-
ed upon such security as nnderlies the exis-
tence Of the Federal Government and the
value of all property, and to which no other
species of security can at AL Approximate in
value, should be as literally subscribed to as
so much of a lien on life; for what is life
worth without liberty? And is not liberty to
be purchased and secured at every cost The
character of the national loan is such that
nearly all classes may participate in its sub
scription, and it is better that ten men should
subscribe to a thousand dollars of its notes,
than that the honor and profit should fall to
one.
Our system of taxation may require revi-
sion, as it now operates, some escape who
should be found, while others suffer whose
burthens should be lightened. Equality
that like the dews ofheaven-each NAV bear,
in proportion, his Just share, is what is re-
ouired, and what it should be our aim to Sc
cure.
The unprepared state in which the opening
of the war found our State Government, nat
urally created many obstacles, no little con-
fusion, much delay and many trying and pc
c~uliarly annoying difficulties to both the Ex-
ecutive and the people. l am happy to be-
lieye that these obstacles are now mainly re
moved.
1t shall be my aim to give the utmost sup
port to the National Government, conceiving
the doctrine of Secession to be entirely de-
structive of oar national existence, without
which 1t will be impossible to govern our
selves, regarding the original compact of the
Federal Union not one of States, but of the
people, and adhering to the never to be shak-
en- belief that they-the people-and by this
1 mean the people of all the States, or their
representatives fairly elected and delegated
and asse mbled in National Convention, have
alone the right, after the most liberal and en-
larged debate, to determine its future destiny.
Believing that the masses of tho South still
love the Union, M would, were they left I'M
trammeled and enforced, declare tomorrow
their will for its continuance, / utterly repu-
diate the monstrous and wicked plea and pc
tition of the ringleaders of this conspiracy,
and would argue war eternally until they are
brought to condign punishment, and their
misguided followers restored to reason and
brought back to q recognition Of the true
purposes and intentions of the Federal Gov
eminent, from which, by artful cunning and
gross misrepresentation, they have been mis-
Ia and Minded nrar tho time NAV not ha /
long in its approach when our deceived South
ern brethren shall be restored to their ale
glance, and the more efectually the war is
prosecuted to this end the speedier the hour
will come, when we shall behold the Union
as it was-as it vas intended to be-as it
must and shall be-not a pillar withdrawn
from its magnificent temple, not a star erased
from its glorious constellation.
/ recognize tho full spirit and endorse in
every word, sentence, and as q whole, the
platform, simple, pure, and honest rs 1t is,
upon which l am placed, and with the best
energies with which l am endowed, and an
capable, shall aim to carry out its Just and
righteous principles. And that our brethren
of the South may see in it and in this my en-
dorsement, having hitherto been counted
among those who were their warmest and
most devoted friends-the sincerity andtruth-
IhlheSs OF our purIo se IN our war for the Uh-
ion for the sake OF the Union, 1 shall 20 for
ward, if elected, Of which lean haveno man
ner Of doubt-and elected by such IN unpar-
alleled majority As shall convince the world
how Ohio can act when the Union is in dan
ger, and its existence threatened-burying all
party passions and prejudices, yielding up all
political predictions, believing in the dying
words of the great Illinois statesman, that
whoever is not prepared to sacrifice party
organizations and platforms upon the altar Of
his cnnnfrr- does not daserra the sunDOrt of