Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1863-12-12

"sso SuiiN'
WHY HE HEsITATED IN DELIVERING THE
ADDRESS.
Mr.. CAN'T upon this point says:
| hcsitateA long, my fellow citizens, be-
fore | determined to issue this address.
/ dislike to be abused and slandered.-
But, more than all, dislike to live under
cloud with those frieuds who have not
yet reached my stand point. And, be-
sides all possess is in Confederate lines.
Their leaders will deprive my family of
slaves, home, property-debts due me
in a word, reduce them from compe-
tence and case to perjury. Aside from
what | have in the Confederate lines, |
could not pay for the paper this Address
is written upon. But it may all 60. Did
| desire further promotion, and could
bring my conscience to it, would do
like the Johusons; safe from bullets and
hasdships themselves, they assist in hold
ing YOU on to this hopeless and ruinous
struggle. and, at the end of the conflict,
will come back and say: 81 stand with
you to the lastr "Honor me and minew
God deliver me from such traitors to hui
mainly, and to the interests of bleeding
peoplel To me, the path of duty is
plain. 1t is to lend my feeble aid to
stop this useless effusion of blood. And,
though it beggar my family and leave
me no ray Of hope for the future, | shall
follow it.
have witnessed the desolation of the
Southern States from one end to the
other. This hopeless struggle but widens
it. Each day makes new graves, new
orphans, and new mOnrnersl Each
hour filings into this dreadful whirlpool
moro of wrecked hopes, broken fortunes,
and anguished hearts! The rich have
mostly fallen. The poor have drunk
deep the cup of sorrow, while surely and
not slowly, the tide of ruin, in its rest
less surge, sweeps toward the middle
classes A few more campaigns, and
they will form part of the general
wreck! Each grave and each tear, each
wasted fortune and broken heart, puts us
that much further off from the object of
the struggle, and that much further off
from peace and happinessl
Viewing it thus, the. terrible question
was presented to me, as to whether |
should continue my lot in an enterprise SO
fruitless and so full Of woe, and help
hold the masses of the people on to this
terrible despotism of Davis, where only
ruin awaits them; or whether should be
quiet observer of it all, orlastly whcth-
er should assist in saving the remnant
! of you from the wreck.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE:
The shortest way in my opinion, to
resume our relations with the Federal
Government is to instruct Hon. W. K.
Sebastian to take his seat in the United
States Senate. 1t is by all means desir-
able that such instructions be so clear
that the Uuited States Government may
be at no loss to see that our people are
loyal and that Mr.. Sebatian may have
bat one course Of conduct left. feel
sure that he will respond fayorably to
yonr wishes. Whenever it can be done,
meetings should DO held promptly, in
structing him to resume his seat in the
| Senate. " here it cannot be ione, or
where citizens cannot attend meetings,
let them get up petitions to that effect
The proceedings of such meetings, and
the petitions if sent to me at this place,
will receive prompt attention. We
should do all this before the meeting of
! Congress in December. We will have
trade open and get all the other benefits
of n Government that much sooner.
must publicly acknowledge here, my
regret for the strong terms of disappro-
| baton | used towards that distinguished
! gentleman, Hon. w. X. Sebastian, for
his refusal to join us in this struggle.
To thdse who differed from me in the
commencement of this rebellon-the ex-
tent and bloodiness of which no mortal
could foresee-I must say, that deveiope-
ments show, that you were right and |
were wrong. But let bygones be for
gotten. and let us all unite to bring
| about peace, and to lure our lost Pleiad
from her wanderings, that she may
again sparkle in our nations coronet of
stars
Your fellow citizen, E. w. CAN'T.
Little Rock, Oct. 7th 1868.