Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-12-04
Mr.. VaIinndingIium's Position
on the NNnr.

AS the Abolitionists have persistcntly
misicprcscntcd the position Of the Hon. G.
l.. Vallandigham in relation to the present
Civil War, we think it rvoper to publish
the following extract from letter written
from Newark to the Cincinnati ER2Hircr.
in which the writer gives a very correct
report of the substance of the remarks OF
Mr. V. on that subject, at Newark All
who heard him, either in Mt. Vernon or
Newark, will bear testimony to the accu-
racy of this report
However, will try to givcyou correct
ly Mr.. Vallandingham's statement of his
position on the deplorable civil war in
which our uuhappy country is embroilcd.
He mas sincerely believed that war would
not restore the Union but, on the contra.
ry, would inevitably lead to worse divs-
promise, by which the Union had been
formed and maintained, was the only
means by which it could be continued
and perpetatucd. Therefore, he had been
in favor of compromise and opposed to
civil war. But the powers that be thought
or acted differently, and the country was
involved in contest ofunparallelcd mag
nitudc. I hose in authority had the right
to decide the question. His opinion,
nevertheless, remained unchanged, and
he could not conscienciously give an &C.
tive support to the war; though, as O
member of Congress, he considered il
his duty not to oppose the war, but to give
the President all the men and money re
quired Tor its prosecution. This was no
his course as misrepresented by the Abo
litioni>ts, but it was the truth. He had
voted to pay the soldiers for their services
and would always so votc for the sol
diers were not responsible for any error.
Of the Administration. lie had thre,
nepicws in the Federal army, and he ha,
E no wish of starving them or refuse to pa,
them. On such war measures as h
could not conscienciously vote, yes, h
! did not and would not vote at all; Meth
er did nor would he oppose them in Con
gress. lie did not do as the Federalis
did in the War of 1872 and the Wing
in the Mexican War. Some Democrat
E have differed from him, and had given al
active support to the war; but he dld no
con !cmn them therefor, or question o
doubt their Democracy. But he had op
posed, from the first, the assumption an,
exercise of arbitrary power, and its despot
c abuse; and it was really for this tina
he had been maligncd and illuminated b,
| the minions Of unsurpcd power. lie sal,
that not until the last effort at compro
mise had been tried and failed would h
ever consent or vote for the recognition
Of the Southern Conlcderacy. Tie believ
ed that even yet the sober second though
of the people in both the great scciion
would see that it was to their interest t,
be united, that the old love for tho Con.
stitution and the Union would return to
their hearts, and the Union be restored a
it was. North Carolina had sent ont tn,
dove with the olive branch, by the cleo
ton held in that State on the 7th Of las
August, when the original Secessionistt
were defeated by 30. 600 majority, and HI
was glad that it could now return with ii
dings Of glorious response frcm tn
people OF the North west, from PennSyl
vonia, New Jersey and New York.-M
Vernon Banner,