Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-10-22
Views Of a War Democrat.
What he Thinks of the Palmer Ticket
speech of HajoF. E. 4. CiLkINS. of the I'd
Wisconsin Cavalry. at the Union Meet
NJ held in the City Hall. at Madi-
son. Saturday Eve. Oct. 10.
Or President, and my pery dear old -Nsiqk-
boris and Friends

sumo people lHlnk there are reasons WHY
military men should not mingle in political
discussions at home but l notice that, gen
orally, they are those people whose views
receive little aid and comfort from such dis
cussions, and that may account for it. in
great measure. At any rate, as an old citi-
zen Of Wisconsin, l claim the right to saw
something in the crisis which is to decide the
position of Wisconsin in this great struggle
tor the defense of the Government If
speak Of myself more than is common. or
may appear IN good taste, it is not egotism.
nor because | think myself of more account
than other people, but simply because my
own experience Is the most convenient illus
tration of principle.
a WAR DEMOCRAT DISAPPOINTED.
| have been so long Democrat-I have so
long been part of that machine of rare Or
ganlzation and power-the Democratic party
that am stricken with establishment that
IS something like terror, TO find on my return
from prolonged absence, its wonderful
mechanism,
g Like sweet bells tangled out of tune -
its wheels and pinions reversed; its powers
perverted to danger and to evil, and all its
capacities for patriotic usefulness convulsed
and destroyed. | was a Democrat long and
law by which | lived, and the gospel under
which | served. Of the most pharisaieal
Pharisees, with the broadcast phylacteries and
the longest prayers, / ministered at the Dem
ocratlc altar. | never lodged an issue I
never bolted ticket. l never wavered:
never doubted. And it was no blind, unrea-
soning idolatry. To its old principles l still
adhere. w hen slavery became a disturbing
issue IN politics, | agreed with so many
others, that this was a Government made for
white men; that the interests and des-
tiny Of the black race ought not to
weigh as the fine dust in the balance when we
considered what was best for the progress, the
greatness and good of our people and that
any guaranty which might be demanded for
the security of slavery should be fully granted
And | do not know that | have changed much
But when, without sin or provocation, those
to whom we had yielded and compromised
all, raised their wicked hands and struck
malignant and murderous blow at the govern
ment, and when they persisted in their gigan-
tic and patrlcldal crime, | said and say now
that every means and measure, ali the ele-
ments of their weakness, all the sinews of our
strength, should be used to subdue and con-
quer them. (Applause.) l went to the
war and after two years, [ return and find
this Democratic party, what there is left of
1t, IN position that you cannot tell exactly
whether its sympathies are with the reyolted
South or the loyal North and agitated by
about the same emotions when contemplating
the result at Vicksburg, as when contempla-
ting the result at Chickamauga. That is not
my Democracy: (Applause.) The hands
may be the hands Of Esau, but the voice is
the voice Of Jacob. Not being as blind as
Isaac, they are not going to fool me. (Laugh-
ter and applause.) 1t shall not have my bles-
sing. 1t is bogus, delusion and a snare
will denounce it, and oppose it, as long as
they allow soldiers to talk politics and vote.
(Renewed applause.)
OUGHT SOLDIERS TO VOTE
But this they say they are going to prohib
it. Enlisting in the army and putting on uni
form, they say, DISTINGUISHES the citizen. God
bless me Because a man is fighting to save
the government, he shall have no voice in the
counsels Of the Government Because he
may be killed tomorrow, in defending the
rights of freemen, he shall be deprived to-day
| OF a treeman's rights. Because he has left
home and its comforts, has ruptured social
ties and abandoned the endearments of do
nestle charities. to face danger and death, to
stand guard and fight battles, to endure the
hardships Of bis camp, the tolls of the distant
march, he is to be elected from your caucuses,
driven from the polls, denied the rights which
the stink, the coward and the traitor enjoy,
and be blackguarded out of his boots if he
opens his mouth for principles that he has
she'd his blood to defend (Applause.) And
voting for this is claimed by Mr.. Palmer's
| friends, to be the noblest act of his life -
W fellows do not doubt that but, we won
der, If this was the MODEST part of his life,
what the balance must hare been. Iaugh-
ter and applause.) We are Of opinion that
an election in our camp is as honestly conduct
ed as in any ward in Milwaukee and won
derful insight is gained into political science
through the smoke Of gunpowder, and after
Our Southern brethren" have fire few bullets
at Us. At any rate we do not see how we
can consistently vote for the man who re-
CARDS his vote to prohibit US from voting at all,
as " the noblest act Of his life" (Renewed
applause,)
THE CONSTITUTION AS IT 49,
1.-THE Constitution as it is, and the Union
as it was" That is the war cry of a faction.
What does that mean? Will somebody tell
me the Specification of that clap-trap? If it
means that we want no amendments to the
Constitution; that we are satisfied with it,
and that 1t needs nc cobbling, they are not
going to quarrel with ME. 1t is good thing
suggested. 1t was devised by wise and patr-
otto counsels If they mean that we will
sustain it at all hazards; that we will fight
for it and die for it-yes, more, that we will
live by and for it, then they are Tot going to
quarrel with me either. If they mean that it
is fair charter of liberty and law; that it is
an existing form and pattern of free govern
ment; that our oaths to it are sacred and
binding obligations then they agree with me
too. And | think all the more of it, since
the Republicans have come around to its sup
port-which they used to do with some reser-
vations. Laughter. But if they mean by
the Constitution some flexible thing that they
can stretch into justification for any freak of
party; if they mean something that Mr.. Lin
coin has violated rather more Systematically
than jeff. Davis has [applausel; if they mean
the watchword of a faction opposed to this
for the defense of the Constitution, then
| cannot agree with them. | have said else
where, and | say again, the Constitution is
not this Aimsy thing that the very efforts to
preserve it are destroying it. 1t is not like
The glory in the.grass, the splendor ofthe flower"
that exhales in night, and is withered by
frost. Because it does not provide the cali
bre Of Parrot guns, therefore you do not, in
my opinion, violate it by firing ten-inch
sneil aI d reDel IOft 40 not tnlnR tldt IL Is
violated because, in this war, we have to do
many things which it does not expressly per-
nit. The Constitution was not made to govern
a..campaign in a civil war. War has its own
laws. They are supreme and indisputa-
BILE. They are not contrary to the Con-
stitution; but they relate to a subject
on which the Constitution is silent | |
never heard of suit for divorce being con-
Quoted according to the articles of the MARI |
age contract. The constitution was made for |