The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-02-20
Address of the Ohio Soldiers of
the Western Army to the
People Of Ohio.
The Fire of Patriotism Still Burn
ing IN the Breasts OF our
Brave Defenders.
STINGING REBUKR TO NORTHERN
TRAITORS.
ELOQUENT APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE.
THE BATTLEFIELD OF STONE RIVER,
February l.
To the PeoDle of Ohio:

February l.
To the People Of Ohio:
The Ohio soldiers of the Western
address you from this field of renown, in
urgent entreaty, upon matters of such
grave Importance to them and to the
country, as to demand your calm and
patient audience. Exiled from home
for long weary months, away from the
petty strife of local politics and the in
fuence of selfish demagogues and party
leaders, with the pure and steadfast
faith in the holy cause of defending our
Government which brought US into the
field, and has sustained us in bardships,
perils, tolls, and exposures which have
scarcely a parallel in history, we feel
none of the acrimonious bitterness that
now enters into the ignoble contentious
of home politics, and calmly view the
condition of the country from that only
true standpoint, the soldiers and pa
triot's devotion to the great Republic
once hlAsSed of all nations.
We ask, what means this wild, shame
less party strife at home? why any oppo-
stion to this war of self-preservation
why any but political demagogues should
wish a severence of the Republic? where
fore foolish cry for a cessation of hos
tilities on our part, to give time to the
traitor-rebels to strengthen their deien-
ses and discipline their armies? why
should the brave, true men of the great
army of the United States, war-broken,
tOil-worn, and battle-stained, be left with
out sympathy or aid from you, men of
Ohio, now enjoying the blessings of
peace, careless Of dangers of invasion,
wars dread terrors, only because we,
your sons and brothers, stand between
your loved homes and wars desolation? ?"
Are we not in war? IS not the whole
force of the Government employed in de-
Tending the nation against a gigantic
effort to destroy it? Has not blood flow
ed like water and treasure expended
enough to make rich nation? Is itnot
worth preserving? Can two or more States
be carved out peacefully from the pres
ent loved Republic2 Can we give away
its rivers, lands and loyal people to Its
destroyers? Can we afford to divide the
Republic into contending petty States
and be forever the victims Of internecine
wars between small principalities? Can
we quietly, calmly, even complacently,
sit by and see the grand Republic of the
world thus cut off and destroyed by JIM
nate weakness? No honest citizen Of
Ohio is willing that such should be our
fate.
What matters now the cause of the
war? By whose fault, or by the adoption
of what mistaken policy? 1t exists! II
must be fought out, or ended by giving
up all that it is waged for. For the SAKE
of peace; to be rid of the burdens of tax
alton; for fear of the shedding of blood
would any basely give up his nation ant
become the citizen of ruined and dis
| honOred land?
Then wherefore opposition to the war
Because a particular party is in power
Because its policy is obnoxious? Be
cause it has committed errors? Because
it has thrown to its surface and giveI
prominence to bad or incompetent men
or adopted political theories and sough
to make them practical, which are con
demned by many good men? Mol th'
remedy for all these evils, if they exist a
all, may be sought in the quiet but pow
erfulmeans of the ballot, which has pow
er in our Government to change dynas
| ties, where the armies of the world woult
fail.
Is it thought that peace and volrn
tary restoration of the Union may b.
effected by compromise? All that ha
been tried Disdainfully, the rebels fun!
back in our faces every profered oliv'
branch, before peaceful men becam
armed soldiers and the booming of For
Sumter cannon, with its terrible alarum
called a nation to arms. And now, inso
lent and defiant, they laugh to scorn al
thoughts of peace on any other term
than recognition ftheir false nationality
They are stronger now than then. Th
despots and money changers Of Europ
have given them substantial aid to de
stroy Republic; they have more power
ful armies, abler generals and a irme
determination than when the rebellio
began. They know their strength an
APPEAL 10 IT-not to the poor dem;