The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-02-20
Address of the Ohio Soldiers Of the
Western Amy to the Peo- o1 81.
pie of Ohio. lH 9.i a
ELOQUENT APPEAL TO TIE PEo-
Hh Pi

february l. 1868. !.
To THE PEorLE OF On :1.sD.
The OHIO soldiers of the Western
Amy, Your friends, brothers and
sons, address you from this field OF
renown, in urgent en'reaty, upon
matters OF such grave import to them
and to The country, ps TO demand
your calm and patient audience. -
Exiles from home for long weary
months, away from tho petty stri,es
oflecal politics and the influence ol
selfish demagogues and pbrty lead
ere, with the pure aud steadfst faith
IN the holy cause of defending our
Government which brought us into
the field, and has Sustained us in
perils, Iasdships, tolls and expos
nres, which have. scarcely paral-
lel IN history, we feel none Of the
acrimonious bitterness that now en-.
ters into the ignoble contention OF
home politics, and calmly view the
condition OF the country from that
only.irue stand. point, the soldier q
and patriots devotion to the great
Repnbl.c-once blessed Of ell ma
tions.
We ask. what means this wild,
shameless party strife at homer why
any opposition TO this war OF eelf.-
pres eservation9 why any but political
demagogucs should wish a sovcr.
ancc OF tho Republicl wherefore a
foolish cry Of cessation Of bostilities
on our part, to give time to the thai
tor rebels, to strengthen their defen
ces and discipline their armiet2 why
should the brave. true soldiers Of the
great army ofihe United States, war
broken, toil-worn and batile.stained, =,
be lett without sympathy or aid from
you men OF Ohio, now enjoying the
blessings Of peace, careless Of dan
gers Of invasion wars dread terrors,
only because we, your brothers and
sons, stood between your loved
homes and wars desolation."
Are we net in war2 Is not the
whole force of the government en-
ployed IN defending the nation
against q gigantic effort TO destroy
iti Has not blood flowed like water
and treasure expr nded enough TO
make ricn nstioni ls it not worth
preseryiuR2 can two or more States
be carved ont peacefully from the
rreeent loved Republic9 can we
give away its rivers, lands and 10y
al people to ito destroyerti Can we
afford to divide the Republic into
contending petty states, and be for.
ever the victims of internecine wars
between small pricipalitiee2 Can
We on city, calmly, even compla-
Gently, cit hy and see the Grand
Republic of The world. thus cut off
and destroyed by mate weakness?
No honest citizen Of Ohio is willing
that snch should be our late.
What matters now the cause OF the
warl BY whose fault, or by the
ADDITION Of what mistaken policy2
IL exists! 1t must be fought out or
ended by giving up sll that it is
waged for. For the sake OF pesce;
to be rid Of the burdens of taxation;
for fear Of the shedding Of blood;
would any basely give mp his nation
and b, come the citz OF ruined and
disboDored landl
Then wherefore oppoeition to the
wari Because particular party is
in poweri Because its policy is OBJ.
ncxim S! Bccaufe It hiss committed
errorfl B cause it has thrown to its
surface and gave prominence to bad
or incompetent men, or adopted po,
li'ical theories and sought to make
practical, which ore C ndemned by
many good meil Nj tho remedy
Tor all these evils, II they exist at
all. may be sought IN the quiet but
powerful means of the ballot, which
has power in our government to
change dyu asics, where the armies
OF the world would fail.
Is it thought that peace and a vol,
untarv restoration OF TIE Union may
be Effected by compromise? All
that h's been tried. DisdainfulIy,
the rebels flung back In our faces
every piof, red olive branch, before
peaceful men became armed soldiers
and the booming Of Fort Snmter's
cannon, with is terrible alarm, call.
ed a nation to arms And now,
insolen, and d,tiant. they liugl to
scorn all thoughts of peDce on any
other terns than recognition OF their
false NJ tionallty. They ere strong
,r npw'than then. The despots and
money changers OF Europe have Civ.
en- them substantial aid TO destroy a
Republic; they have more powerful
eInies, abIer Gene rails and frmer
determination than when the rebel
lion began. They know how much
stit itngth they have, and APPEAL To
r-not to the poor demagogucs OF
the Nortf; Who ara their alice. -
They condemn and despise THEM. -
K-sd their proclaim ations, addresses
army orders and newspapers. AT
no time have they eyer spoken
Northern friends except as allies in
The war They derido the foolish
appea's Of their Northern allies ior
peac, and compromise, and preclude