Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-03-12
The HoImesviiic Aid society,".
- Lieutenant Ross.


A.. LieutcHaut Ross.
The recent Festival Of the Soldiers Aid So
ciety at lIolmesville, seems to have been run
into politics. We deeply regret that such
should be the case. The men in the Amy are
worthy and in great Reed " as sistanco, and it
IS tho duty and should be tho pleasure of ev 4.
cry citizen TO afford them all the aid possible
Turning meetings OF this character into dis
loyal Abolition gatherings is productive of
evil TO the country and injury to the soldiers
In tho republican Of last week we fiud the
speech of Lieut.. Ross reported in the pub.
lished proceedings et tho meeting, from which
- VIC take the following extract
"The Presidents late proclamation appears
TO be great hobby among certain class -
They deRounce il, and whyi 1t is for moth
ing else than politica. purpose. | approve
oft and so does every loyal man. l think
that every negro, whose services are tranfcr-
red FROM the side Of the rebels to Que side
saves white man. This proclamation should
have been made long ago. But they say i'll
is not constitutional. 1t don't make any diff.
ference, the rebels have torn the Constitution
and trampled 1t under their feet. Then what
right have they 10 any part of the Constiu
ton None at all. When a man comes to
me and says this is not constitutional, or that
is not constitutional, know wlat he is with.
out further inquiry he Is a black hearted
traltCr. There is not spark of loyalty about
him. am for saving our country constitu.
tionally if we can, II not, let us save it uncon
stitutiOnaiiy. / am not so absorbed In the
Constitution MS to lot it cheat me out OF my
liberty, my Government am my couDtrv -
There Is some difference between myself and
some persons have met with since came
49,, HI. A.. 4 4 4.
tho Constitution, they belicve more in the
Constitution than they do in the Bible, aud
the only wonder TO me is, when they ale so
devoted to the Constitution, that they do not
enlist and eight to maintain 1t. ifthese wise
people had as much respect for the Bible as
they profess 10 have tor the Constitution, what
reformation there would be-"
The Lieutenant spreads considerable sail
in asserting that every loyal man approves OF
the Presidents proclamation. II the stan
dard Of loyalty thus set up be correct, then,
indeed, arc the people Of this country most
intensely disloyal. number Of Republican
members OF Congress, and all the Democratic
Members voted against approving Of it. 1t
was directly in issue in the elections Of 1862 |
and Overwhelmingly condemned by the pop
ular voice of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois; the soldiers in the army, |
without regard to their former party prejudi'
ces denounce it in unmeasured terms and de.
clare their unwillingness to fight for any such
purposes as it requires. On the other hand
it is sustained by those who were once vii. |
ling to "let the Union Slide" and who
think more of tho liberation of the negro
than they do Of the restoration Of the Union.
1t is also sustained by tho Govern
ment contractors, Government Office holders,
anxious eXpectants after place at the public
crib and those gentlemen in tho army adorned
with shOulderstraps who arc anxiously seek.
ing promotion.
There never was any legal Union Of these
States but that made by the Constitution. 1t
united thirteen separate and Independent
States and it has held them togothcr until as
sailed by the Southern sccessionsts and
Northern Abotioniss without the CunSti.
tltion We have no Union. 1t is the Guada
ton for all our laws. Tho war was commenced
to reduce tho srcessiuuiss to obedience to
the Constitution. five violate it arc we not
placed IN position Of hostility to the Gov.
ernmenti ii those who preach the Gospel
were guii Y oi all manner of wicltedLess
coulu they convert slhhersto oOedlehce TO the
bN'"e Law we 'h'"N not lh"h' ID IL
PoSS'o'e '"' ''o" 10 '"'o INC u"'o" oS "o
AroS'"s 'n"' "H''h i''u' ana mas o'o' ne'o
'oSSIhot'
ne" man comes 10 us ana says he cares
"o'"'"B """ut ''he 'oh'u'n'lon' we Nno"
what lie IL without further inqniry-wc know
MN, Wo"gi he may DC covered with shonl-l
dcis mIN fom the crown Of his head to the
holeS OF his feet 10 be a tnatical fool, a
letray lis couptry and s,.III,i. s,,,I ,,r h,.,
such price ss lIyooLN may cboo,, TO civ,
him. Lot it be remombered that something