The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1863-03-24
Voice of a War DemOcrat--JnO.
) ifq Cochran Or the War.

j. lrN Cochran On the War.
Tto friends Of Hon. RoscoE CoNKLISo, il
testimony of his services in the recent Congress
gave him dinueriin New York on THURSDAY
evening last, on which occasion speeches wer,
made by Mr.. Conklng, Dudley Field, Gen
John Cochran, and others.
+ We take pleasure in republishiug the repor
of Gen. Cochran's remarks as showing th,
vows Of brave and efficient officer, whose
former prominence aud influence as Demo
cratic leader entities bis opinion to the candid
consideration Of his old political friends:
Gen. John Cochran alluded to his casua
presence, and his qualification that he was
thus unexpectedly allowed as a guest to ex
press to those affiliated with opposite political
organizations briefly bis views. He made
eloquent illusions to the magnetic support
between the army and the nation. He said
that it was drawn from the very marrow ol
the citizen yomanry Of the country; it pro-
nounced no shibboleth OF faction it belonged
to this whole land spoke for this whole peo-
pie, and acted for this whole Government
It's language was its march, and its arguments
its bayonets. With steady tramp under
every inclemency; with Roman fortitude and
courage, it stood the champion of the liberty
of the country. Whether success dawned to
day or 70 morrow upon ts serried ranks il was
there; it never would 60 back ward till the full
work was accomplished. Loud cheers. l.
They would take care of the enemy in their
front; look we to the enemy in their rear
[Cheors.J The battle impending here in civ
il and political life was Of infinitely greater
Importance than that along the lines. De
feated, worsted, with the people at their back,
and the battle was never lost, but successful
with treason at their rear, and the country
war inevitably lost. [Cheers.I And that
country was the American continent.
No feeble aspiration Of party could accom-
plish the hight of that great argument, to
make this what God intended 1.-THE govern.
ing race Of this continent. Party must be
sunk. He was Of no party; he was no peace
Democrat, and while war Democrat, he was
neither Republican nor Abolitionist; he was
for his country, first, last, and always, and
whenever we should unite here upon thsse
peaceful plains, as those soldiers were united
in warlikc array, then and not till then would
the victory be achieved 1t was not to the
passage of arms that We were to refer our
cause, it was to the United and omnipoteut
feeling Of great and glorious and oyerwhel.
ming people, and when that spirit, excited,
manifested itself upon mountain top aud every
where upon the breeze, then and then only
would our cause be successful. Then upon
that issue would the soldiers strike home, then
upon that occasion would the notes of liberty
be heard ringing throughout this whole land
and whether the foe had gone down before our
arms, the battle and its success would have
been achieved, and this continent dedicated
to the spirit and genius of the liberty Of the
Saxon race.
The war in which wo were engaged was
not simply question of Rebellion; it was not
simply civil war; it was the war Of the great
principle Of Northern, which was normal, civ
ilization. 1t was the war Of the crisis which
needed adjustment and produced the epoch
which would be as lasting the ages them.
selves. And there would be no more CON-
promise, no more settlement to this question
than there could be compromise and settle.
ment TO ocean tides. 1t must achieve its pur-
pose, it must accomplish its object, aud never,
till one side or the other should prevail, would
the contest be decided. Aud as we might
have either success or defeat would our free
institutions perish or survive. TCheers That
was the question, and the war, whether it was
for one day OF for thousand years, must pro
ceed from the nature of circumstances, and
they who faltered must be content to throw
themselves beneath the wheels of the chariot
of the onward course of civilization, and to be
crushed beneath them. Cheers. He, for
one, was for proceeding. [Applause 1t
was apparent at its earliest moment that the
war was to be for great and universal princi
Piles, therefore to be protracted, long, and
bloody. We had arrived but at its commence
ment. Having arrived at it's commencement,
we were within view of ils end. And when.
over war of this kind was actually com.
menced, it was achieved. If we had begun
this war one year ago, as we were beginning
it now, we would be far advanced upon the
path of peace. Cheers
Ii was not to the Proclamation, it was not
to the announcement of intended acts that he
would ascribe potency, but to the acts them
selves, exertion, action. The law Of emanci.
patton, other laws enacted, were immaterial,
except SO far as they might be executed, and
in times of revolution there could be no exc.
cution separate from the army. Power had
been made the arbiter Of our difference, aud
to power was looked for decision. The proc.
lamation for freedom to the slaves at Rich.
mond was now as abortive as proclamation
for freedom in Timbuctoo; but the army in
Richmond was freedom to all over whom its
power might prevail. [Applause. Let, then,
our generals but accomplish the spirit Of this
war--let thom but strike for victory, and the
work was done. The means must be EN-.
ployed, or defeat would be the conseque nee,
and among those means were the 1000 900
slaves. Those who would spare them were
not only tie dilettantes Of professional warfare,
but they were traitors in the camp of the
country which was struggling for existence.
Cheers. He knew tho feeling Of his com.
rades, from which he had so recently parted
he had gauged their patriotism. Never, nov.
or since Marathon, had there been body Of
men, who, with their country at their hearts
core, had raised more manly arms to strike
moro hearty blows fortheir country Let the
war terminate TO morrow or years hence, they
would continue 10 strike as firmly and sue
cessfully for thoir common country as any ol
us. II was not for US to despond, not even
to doubt. The only question was whether
the people could be brought to see the inlu.
ence OF this controversy upon coming peuera