Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-12-10
Tho FIag Desccrniion.

JACOB ltIClfAhDS.
Sworn to and subscribed before me- the above
named persons, this 23d day of November, A. d.
1863. MATTHEW BEVINGTON.
Notary Public.
The circumstances upon which is base the
story of tearing down the American Flag are as
follows
On the evening of the 9th Of October RoBERr
Morris, an attache of the Republican Off &C. got
into difficulty with JosEpH BEEGLE, n soldier of
the 10th Regiment, then at home on sick fur.
Tough. There was also a difficulty between Mon.
Rls and T. UHL Considerable feeling existed
against MoRRls, and there was n pretty general
desire to have him get a whipping, When Mon
Rls and BEEGLE got into the fuss large crowd
gathered about WEsToN's grocery; MoRRls ran
into the grocery, and the doors were fastened to
keep the crowd out. The excitement outside was
intense; some proposing to tear the grocery own
WESTON had a number of wreaths and notices
hanging about his building and among them were
some small Brough flags little larger than a mans
hand While scoldlng, swearing, threatening,
&c, were going on among the crowd, LEANDER
MARcHAND, young man some seventeen or eigh
teen years of age, struck at some OF the wreaths
with cane and knocked them down and in doing
50 knocked down one of the small campaign flags
above spoken Of When the little flag fell sew
eral grabbed for it; some claimed they wanted to
preserve it, and others said they wanted to count
the stars.
rope was stretched over the street from WEs-
TONS to MULvANE's, and .on it was hung several
wreaths aud real American Flag, and the only
American Flag about there. Some one proposed
tearing the rope down, but Col. DESILvA told
them not to do So for it had an American Flag
on it; the Col then proposed three cheers for the
American Flag and they were given by the crowd.
Something was then said by A. ]. WoLGAMoT
about taking the Flag down and putting it up in
decent place; but the proposition met with no
favor, and the Flag remained unmoested. Had
the rope not contained the flag, we have no doubt
| it would have been torn down.
We do not propose TO justify what was done
the threats made against the grocery, Or the tear
ing down of the wreaths ami the little toy flag
but we make the statement of facts as every mai
in Miersburg who has any regard for truth will
represent them substantially. And we now pro-
pose to notice the affidavit 1t says:
"Saw a mob congregate upon tho main street
| in said town, approach the business house of H. S
Weston, and violently take down an American
aas displayed from said building, and tear up and
trample it in the dirt"
The import of the above is that, the mob met
on main street for the purpose of desecrating the
American Flag, that said mob approached YVES.
TONS place of business with the sole design of de.
stroying an American Flag displayed therefrom,
and after having accomplished that object the mob
dispersed This Is the only construction that can
be put on the affidavit by those who read it with
out knowing the circumstances.
Is there a man in Mersburg believes that af
| fidavit to be true as thus rendered ? Take the
affidavit in its literal Specification, and the only
construction that can be put upon it as it appears
in print, and every person in Millersburg knows
! it to be false.
These men who have thus signed an affidavit
that carries lie to every man who reads it, arc
about as much to be pitied as blamed, notwith,
standing they have done that which will bring
lasting disgrace upon them. They are weak
creatures and have been victimized by MATHEW
BEvNGToN, willy demagogue aud unprincipled
trckster.
1t is very unpleasant task for us to fix upon
these men the infamy and wckedness of signing
and publishing their names to an affidavit that
carries lie to the world at large; but they have
placed themselves, unwittingly, we suppose. in a
position where it becomes our imperative duty
word in regard to the American Flag Do
not Democrats carry the same flag that Repubi-
cans carry eve do not refer to the sixteen
star flags carried by some Republicans in 1866
Has not the American Flag been prominently
displayed by Democrats, at meetings, in process
ions, at their residences and places of business
in Millersburg and elsewhere, in the recent poit-
ical campaign, and ut every other proper time p
Do Democrats Of Holmes county, or have they
ever, recognized or carried any other flag than ti
Let then men who signed lying affidavit think
of these things, examine the document they sign
ed and they may consider it duty they owe to
themselves and their families to again appear il
the public prints for the purpose of rcpudating an
affidavit prepared for. them by pettitogger ii
politics as well as in law. But, if on the othe
hand, they are willing, after mature reflection, tc
carry the responsibility of signing and publ sh ing
Il lying affidavit to accommodate the political
tricks of GnlrFrTn and BEvISoroN they can do so