Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-09-18
August, 1859.

cation:
-, August. 1869.
My DEAR HUSBAND: When I re-
ceived your letter | blushed scarlet red
-blushed from my heart out-at the
weak--ay, cowardlY spirit it betrayed.
You say you have been sorely troubled
lately on the account OF drafting men
for the war in New York; that you
had your exemption papers" all made
out, &c, and that it will be impossible
to procure a substitute. Now, for
shame! Is there not drop Of your
grandiather's blood in your veins, who
fought at Bunker Hill when the blood
of freemen flowed shoe-latchet deep?--
Does not the love you bear me and the
children make your love of home and
country more? You-six feet high,
strong. vigorous and without single
ailmept in limb OF member, aud "iti'pl
a good shot, and native born-you ask
for exemption? For shame! Great
Heaven, ais thy servant dog. that he
should do this thing?" | should live
but to blush when the name of "pa-
triots" was spoken, and the heart Of
our little son would never throb with
pride. his eyes sparkle with holy fire,
nor his lips say, my father was there
too"-when, in after years, you or /
shall recount the scenes Of the war of
1861, '69. And then. at the judgment,
when you shall stand with that great
host of brave men who have given their
lives for freedoms sake. all you can do
will be to point to your substitute" or
show your exemption papers. But
will they be accepted there?
Not only are you recreant TO coun'
try and Constitution. but the "higher
law" on which all good and wise Con-
stitutions are constructed, when you
say You do not believe "God has any
thing to do with the political troubles
of any country, but, with Napoleon,
that he is on the side of the heaviest
artillery" Is it possible that mon,
born and bred in this land Of education
and Gospel, can utter such an in6del
sentiment as that? What has been the
trouble of any nation of people, if not
political? If such catastrophe as is
ours--the direst that can befall the mass
of humanity, and which is felt the
world around-means nothing, surely
He takes little heed Of the affairs OF
men. Can you think that He who
marks "the sparrow's fall" will ever
permit men--living men, with love Of
liberty on one side and love Of slavery
on the other-every one Of whom is
loved by some heart, to meet, fight,
bleed, fall and die by thousands-tens,
Lundredso Of thousands--without mean
ing something by it? Politics. indeed!
What did it mean in the Revolution
what does it mean now? Run the word
out; does it not mean government,
laws, equity. justice, rectitude, home,
affection? And il God is not in these
where in all the world is he? "He
that is not for me is against me" so il
there is a great moral question involved
in this struggle, either one side or the
other must be right--and il we are
right, why not fight to uphold our Gov
ernment and all its blessed institutions?
And if they are right. surely the odds
are against tbem--need help. Choose
you on which side you will serve.
Here men are rushing to the STAN
dard OF liberty by hundreds; ministers,
merchants, lawyers, mechanics. farm
ers, all. Poor who has left his
lucrative office in Washington is dying
to 90, but cannot be accepted, on ac-
count of bis poor health. And just
think of my brave brother-how he
went at the very tip O. the drum, will
lingly. gladly giving up all--how be has
been disabled by sickness and ball; yet
his great warm heart presses upon bis
stomach and keeps it full at the time
warns his feet. and the ground where
on he sleeps. And God will keep him!
Do not trouble yourself about pecu-
mary matters if you wish to 60. for !
am getting well every day, and in case
Of extremity there will be some way