The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-10-07
Yours, respeetfully.s
HEADQUARTERS, NORTHWESTERN DE-l
FENCES OF BALTIMoRE, BALTIC, Md,
Sentember 10 1864


September 10, 1863
Harvey Ba1d,oin, Esq, Streets6o,o,s Ohio
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 18th instant,
asking my views on the present political isz
sues of the day is received To attempt an
expression of opinion upon the many topics
some of our people are endeavoring to force
upon the public mind would certainly require
more time than / can now devote to the SUBJ
jeet, but am pleased, sir, to have an opporr
tunity to address few brief ideas to you, a
friend with whom [ have acted for so many
years. --Eaa Es9
With me, my dear sir, there is but one is-i
sue, one question for our people to decide at
this time: Shall the Government be pre-
served2 Shall the Union be restored?
A manin these days must be for the Union
or against it there is no middle ground
The subject of political policy, of admins
trative policy, if you please, is not in my,
opinion to be considered. The question is,
shall we have government to administer !?
That decided affirmatively by our people, and
the rebellion wiped out, we may ihtn, with
propriety. discuss political economy.
To me, sir, the principles # the Democrat
ic party-the principles enunciated by our IL
lustrious chief, Thomas Jefferson--are very
dear They were taught me in my youth,
and have grown with me in,my growth
They are, in my opinion, the only principles
upon which republican form of government
can be successfully administered, and to-day,
with ME, they are identical with the cause of
my country. The government of the Uni-
ted States, the Union, "The whole Union,
and nothing but the Union" for the main
tenance of which feel that no sacrifice is too
great to make. Here we are, the best govern
ment upon which the sun ever shone, en-
gagged in civil war, our country divided by
geographical lines On one side the people
determined to destroy the government; on
the other, trying to save it by every means
in their power. What is your duty, and mine
in this conflict? Can there be any question
where we should stand ? If there is, let US
look back upon our own record, for the past
twenty years, and we shall have no difficulty
in finding a precedent to follow. Platforms
and resolutions without number drawn by our
own hands, well adapted to this trying emer-
geucy, and unless we are recreant 10 theprin-
ciples thus SO often enunciated by us, we
shall be found in the front rank, giving our
aid and energies to crush out the most cursed
and unlusti6able rebellion the world has evtr
known. 1000
A Democrat" secessiouist? An Amer
ican Democrat rebel against his Govern
ment? Inlpossitle-the idea is inconsistent
cy ITSELF The very connection of the two
words is libel on the term Democracy. How
often, in days past, have you and said to our
fellow-citizens, "Our Country, right or
swrong,' to have it right, of course, would be
preferable, but we were for it in any emergen-
lcy, and how valiantly did our Southern friends
make the glad sound echo through hill and
valley when we were warning with Mexico,
and it cannot be possible that they have for
gotten the bitterness with which the opposers
of the Government and Administration were
censured then, and is this country of ours less
dear to us to-day? Can any consistent "Dem-
ocrat'' find reason to desert it now? GER
tainly cannot
The question, however, you desire to ask
is, if mistake not, do give my support to
the present Administration?
l answer unequivocally. Yes, with all the
energy possess, and shall continue SO to do,
should I live to the end of the war. did
not vote for Mr. lincoln, as you are well
aware, and certainly he was not the man of
my choice. Very far from it, but he was cleo
ted by Constitutional majority, and became
legally the President of the United States,
and is as much the President of every loyal
man as if all had voted for him. Because of
that majority election, minority seek to ov-
erthrow the Government by an open assault
upon her flag and soldiery, without one sin
gle aggressive act on the part of Mr.. Lincoln
upon any constitutional guarantee, or even
upon any of their conceived rights, and after
two and half years of open rebellion and
open violation of every constitutional obliga-
ton, and with unmisiakeable determination
to destroy the Government Can there be
any question where a lover of his country
should stand in this emergency? ] think
not.
South Carolina came into the Union her
etic, and was the first to lead off in the rebel
lion that she, through her. degenerate sons,
had been nesting for thirty long years. War
soas forced upon the Goyernment--it certain
| ~ did not court it, Mr.. Lincoln, as the exec
utive, was morally, legally and constitutional
| 1y bound to maintain its honor and suppress
the rebellion at any and every sacrifice.
ask, have not his efforts and energies been
given to do it !? And if censurable at all, ii
| is for the mildness of his policy for the first
eighteen months of the war, of which / was
one of the willing instruments TO carry OUT
| By my orders many weary soldier paced his
lonely beat to protect the property of men
| who were in arms against us, and while Civ