The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-04-18
- - =. -
Party Spirit.

ract from letter from the gallant Col.
of the 10Th Ill. Regiment, and
nveighs, in column of bitterness against
party spirit.
But what are we coming to? And VIII
not party spirit-bitter, vindica.i'e aho
as it is-yet ignite the hres
that will consume our nationality ana oes-
trov our liberties truley fear more I
fro,r tnat source than do from the rebel
or,nv. and know that our soldiers in the
f;eId are more discouraged by the divisions
and distractions at home than by anything
else. They are willing to meet the ene-
mics to the Union who have muskets in
their hanos, but the prospects at home,
not truely out of disloyalty, but
from a party spirit which Washington SAID
was the bane Of republican institutions,
casts a gloom over them that the noblest |
patriotism and truest courage cannot dis |
pei Would to God that the people could !
rise above all party prejudices and inter !
ests, forget, for the time, the negro and all
other distracting issues aud look only to !
the beautiful temple of our liberties crumb- |
ling into ruins over our heads! Then
they would rush as one man TO the rescue,
and all would be we'll trust IN n kind
Providence it will be SO any how, but IT
can only be so 10y united north; and
must say hate all parties and would that
they could be swept away, and the people
allowd to rule-not party.
And pray who is responsible for the
present fever heat of party spirit in the
North Before this war broke out, the
democracy warned the republicans that
their party schemes would plunge the
country into exactly the condition we now
find il, and washed their hands OF all re-
sponsiblity. The republican leaders said,
'the blood be upon or heads aud our
children" The war came. The republi-
cans called upon the democrats to come
up and help them The democrats said,
secession IS contrary to the Constitution
so are your John Brown schemes OF DIES
troying slavery and with it all the rights
of the states Make this a war simply to
restore the Union as it was and to MAIN
trim the Constitution as it is, and We will
help you to thrash the secessionists.
Lincoln made that solemn pledge in his
inaugural address, and in his FIRST message;
Seward made it; Chase made it; and then,
by the adoption Of the Crittenden resolu
ton, tine republicans IN both houses of
Congress, in the name of their party and
the country, solemnly made the same
pledge. And relying upon it, the democ-
racy laid aside party spirit. save oRly to
defend the president against the assaults
and pressure oc the extremists, and IN
all good faith and earnes,ness united in
support of the war And the war went on
gloriously. Victory succeeded victory so
that our shrewdest politicians and generals
predicted that the 1st of October last would
see the end of the war. Thus far all was
unIty-all harmony. Union tickets were
the winning card in local and state poll
tics, and the fiercest war men the most
available candidates But then came
a change-how sad and fatal a change.
We were dong too well-there bellion
promised to yield too easily. 1t would
be a wondrous pity, thought the aoo!it
ion leaders, to let this war end by
simply restoring the Union, with slavery
enough that slavery had suffered severely
that the arrogant political power of the
Shareholders was gone. fg for the con-
stitution and the Union as it was Let US
enlarge our plans-have a new constitution
! and 4 new Union, based on the glorious
principles of (negro) freedom. SO the
abolition leaders met in secret conciave at
| Washington. Lincoln was won over to
their views, and then was agreed upon the
most stupendous piece Of perfidy the world
has ever witnessed. Those political knave.
knew we'll enough that such a change OF
| the war programme would astound the
country and excite intense opposition. Sc
| to place themselves above the popular
| tempest, it was agreed, as part Of the
scheme, that before the PRONUNCIATION Of
the new policy, six hundred thousand
more men should be put in the field. The
| President issued his call, and the people
believing the war was still to be waged in
good faith for the restoration of the Union
rushed joyfully and eagerly into the army
the perfdy was copsumnated by issuing
the Emancipation proclamation. Thus
shamelully, wickedly, villainously was the
country betrayed Thus recklessly and
perfidiousy did the President, his cabine
and the whole republican party breat
their solemn pledges made at the com
mencement Of the war, and thus was III.
army, that had been enlisted conhdin;
in those pledges, betrayed and entrap
ped. And now. because the Democratic
party, who had laid aside party only or
the agreement that the republicans als'
should aboudon their radical, violent ant
unconstitutional schemes, Gas revolution
ary, disunon and wicked in their tendanc.
as secessionism itself, Insist that TIN:
purely partisan policy shall be Abandoned
and the administration abide by its solen
pledge they are to be denounced TO
keeping up party spirit y The repub!i
cans put forth their EXTREMIST and mos
destructive measures, and the democrat
must acauiesce or be denounced for dies
tractin5 the country with party squabb!es
From a war for the Union, the repuol
cans have converted it into war to &C
complish the widest, most radical an
daring schemes Of the most extreme mel
F i. .s.s fanatcal rbolit:on-rspublican party
and the democrats must support thes
schemes to keep down party spirit TIL
Union betrayed, the Constitution over
throw, freedom of the press destroyed, an
our liberties crushed, and all this we mus
submit to in meekness least we exct