The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1863-02-19

~ HE DATrLEfIkLD OF OIOhh iAtAhjl /
M 3 February l.. J "a
To the Psorls Of Ohio:
The Ohio soldiers OF the Western Ar
my, your friends, brothers and suns, ad
dress you. from this field of renown, In
urgent entreaty. upon matters Of such
grave import to them and to the country
as to demand your calm and patient aud
isncs. Exilts from home Tor long weary
months, away from tile petty strife OF To-
cal pol and the influence Of selfish
demagognts and party l,aders. with the
pure and steadfast iaith in the holy cause
of defending our Government which bro't
US into the field. aud has sustained us in
perils, h,rlship., tolls and exposures that
have scarcely parable in history, We
feel none of the acrimorious bitterness
that DOW enters into The ignoble content
ions Of homo politics, aud calmly view
the condition OF the couu.ry from that
only tue stand point. the soldiers and
patriots devotion to the great R public
-ones blessed of all nations. .5 1ae
We ash, what means this wild. shame
less party strife at home? why any oppo-
siioD to this war of self preservation?
why any but political demagogues should
wish soverence of the Republic? where
fore foolish cry for a cessation OF hos
tililies on our part. to give time to the
traitor rebels TO strengthen their defsnses
and discipline their armies? why shou d
The brave, true men Of the great army OF
tho United States, war broken, toitworn
an1 bsttle-stained. be left will out sym
pa,hy OF aid from you, men Of Ohio, now
enjoying The blessings Of peace, careless
OF dangers OF invasion wars dread ter.
iors, only because we, your brothers and
sons, stand "between your loved homes
and wars desolution?"
Are we not 10 war? Is not the whole
force Of Il Q Government employed in de-
Tending the nation against gigantic ef.
fort 10 destroy it? Has not blood flowed
like water and treasure expended enoughtc
make rich a nation? Is it not worth pre-
serving? can two or more States be cary.
ed out peacefully from tie present loved
Repub c? eau We give away lis rivers.
lands and loyal peopIs to is destroyersI
Can we afford 10 divide the Republic into
contending petty s aIes aud be forever sht
victims Of inteInecine wars between smal
principalities? Can We quietly. calmly
even complacsnlly. sit by and see The
q and Republic Of the world thus rut Of
and destroyed by innate weakness? Nj
honest citiz Of Ohio is wiling tina
such should be 0u. fate.
What matters now the cause TIE war
By whose fault. or by the adoption %
what mistaken policy2 It exists 1t mus
be fought out, or ended by giving up al
hat 10 waged for. For the sake of peacr
10 be rid Of the burdens Of hxaioD; 70
fear of the shedding of blood; would an!
basely give mp his nation and become th'
ciliaeu of Tuiued and dishonored land?
Then wherefore opposition to tie war
Because a particular party is in power
, Becau ils policy is obnoxious? Be
cause il has committed errors9 Bocaus
it has thrown to ,ts surface and give
prominence to bad or incompetent men
or adopted political theories snd soush
0 TO make them practical. which are con
, demned by many good meu2 No! th
, emsdy for all these evils, il they -exis
: at all, may be sought in the qui-t bu
q powerful means of the ballot, which ha
power in our Government TO change dy
, nastiss, where the armies Of the worl
4 would fail. tN
y Is it thought that peace and vulun'H
q ~ restoration of the Union may he effee
ed by compromise? All that has hee
tried. Disdainfully, the rebels funk bac
: in our faces every proisred olive brunel
Q before peaceful men b,can4 armed so
/ diers and the booming Of Fort Sumter
}. cannon, with ils terrible alatum. called
!. nation TO arms. And now, iDsolent sn
r, iefiant, they laugh to scOrn all though
b, oil pence on any other terms than rscosu
> ZION Of their false nationality. They Al
,r stronger now than then. The dtspo
or and money changers Of Europe have CIV
=. en- them substantial aid TO destroy r.
,r public; thpv have more powerful qrmie
h abler generals and hrmer determ nati,
|. than when the rebellion began. The
nt know their strength and APPEAL TO 1T
10 not to the poor demagogues o the Mort
AZ who are their alIiss. They o,n1 smu al
!, despise THEM. Read their proclamation
q. addresses, army orders AMI nowbpapor
n. A, no time have they ever spoken
,r Northern friends except as ALLIRs IN tt
wall They deride tho foolish appeals
~ their Northern allies for peace aud con
" promise, and preclude all hope Of the re
D. toraIion OF the Union Oh anyterms.
10 What iucaloulable mischief is beir
y, done by these Northern nllies--.hG
ID speeches aud newspapers are quoted, al
ID rcsols Of elections reported in Soulhe
" papers, as evidence not of any hope of r
r, storing tho Union, bat to show Il at Il
IL loyal people of the North ate beoomil
10 willing to submit 10 any dishonorable nj
~ humiliating terms of peace, based evan I
" full recognition lhS, this 6endish :
T. belion wa> right. uDd that il was well
Of destroy ths Government. 9
y People of Ohio But one aftermath
ID is left you. Yon must pronounce this
IS Just rebellion. You must say that it W
'e right and jusi6able 10 destroy this R
10 publi'; that Republic was weak. .hel
10 less Government, powerlrss to sustain
= self. aud to be destroyed whenever co
spirators enough ca',' be allied for the pu
III pose, or, you must chow to the world I
F" power Of srlf preservation in the great .
" ambls OF Confederat,d Republics. I'll